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Here’s a haunting song with an interesting history.

You see it was originally rejected by the record label. They thought it was not going to be a commercial success. So it flew under the radar for many years.

Until finally some cover versions of it came along and brought the song forward to national fame.

In this post, we’ll be diving into the original as well as the most popular covers. We’ll unpack the different approaches each one takes and how you can play it on your guitar.

So tune up, and let’s dive into this “Hallelujah” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Hallelujah?
The magnificent “Hallelujah” was originally written by Canadian singersongwriter Leonard Cohen. He reportedly spent years crafting the lyrics, with some estimates saying it took around five years and countless revisions.

"Hallelujah" was recorded at Quadrasonic Sound in New York City. It was put on Cohen’s album "Various Positions" which was produced by John Lissauer. Despite the depth of the song, Cohen's label, Columbia Records, initially rejected the album for release in the United States. They believed it would not be commercially successful. So it was later released by an independent label.

"Hallelujah," finally rose to fame thanks to cover versions by John Cale in 1991 and most notably by Jeff Buckley in 1994. Buckley's version is often considered the definitive one, even though it wasn't the original.

Jeff Buckley's version was ranked number 259 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004. The song has held up and had a lasting impact because of its heartfelt lyrics and beautiful melody.

“Hallelujah” even made it into the popular movie Shrek in 2001 covered by Rufus Wainwright.

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