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Hallelujah
Shrek07
Fiona wedding dress veil mirror
Shrek returns to the privacy of his swamp, and Fiona prepares for her wedding to Lord Farquaad. However, both are shown to be miserable without being in each other's presence and can't stop being reminded of one another.
 General Information
Title Hallelujah
Artist Leonard Cohen (original)
John Cale (film)
Rufus Wainwright (soundtrack album)
Movie Shrek
Track Length 4:36
Genre Folk rock

"Hallelujah" is a classic song originally written by Canadian singer Leonard Cohen that was used in Shrek, covered by John Cale and Rufus Wainwright for the film and soundtrack respectively.

The song plays during the montage between Shrek and Fiona, as Shrek angrily abandons Donkey and returns to the privacy of his now-vacated swamp. Fiona meanwhile prepares for her wedding to Lord Farquaad. However, the montage shows how miserable Shrek and Fiona are and both can't stop being reminded of one another.

Lyrics[]

I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do ya?

It goes like this: the 4th, the 5th

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya

She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

Baby, I have been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew ya

I've seen your flag on the marble arch

Love is not a victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

There was a time you let me know

What's real and going on below

But now you never show it to me, do ya?

And remember when I moved in you?

The holy dark was moving too

And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

Maybe there's a god above

And all I ever learned from love

Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew ya

And it's not a cry you can hear at night

It's not somebody who's seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah (8x)

Trivia[]

  • There are two separate stories that might be potential reasons as to why two different versions of the song are present in the film and soundtrack.
    • Rufus Wainwright himself has suggested that the executives didn't use his cover in the film due to news breaking out about his sexuality.
    • Another story hints that because John Cale wasn't an artist working for DreamWorks records, they used an in-house artist to cover their own version for the soundtrack.

External links[]

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