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By HILLEL KUTTLER<\/p>\n
BALTIMORE (JTA) — The YouTube entry is headlined, \u201cA Christmas Version of Leonard Cohen\u2019s \u2018Hallelujah\u2019 That Will Give You Chills!\u201d<\/p>\n
To some, the video is giving conniptions.<\/p>\n
\u201cHallelujah,\u201d one of the Canadian-Jewish songwriter\/singer\u2019s most popular compositions, was penned in 1984 and quickly zoomed past fan-favorite territory to iconic. Plenty of crooners have recorded it, notably John Cale, Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright \u2013 to say nothing of its striking gold in the animated film \u201cShrek\u201d and its soundtrack album. It also received notice when it was heard <\/p>\n
Among the latest to record \u201cHallelujah\u201d is Cloverton, a Kansas-based band that performs Christian music. Last year, it rewrote the lyrics and released its own music video, which it titled \u201cA Hallelujah Christmas.” Three weeks ago, a Cloverton fan in Iraq, Fadi Waleed, reposted it, with the “give you chills” headline.<\/p>\n
I stumbled across the Cloverton version earlier this month after going on YouTube in search of Cohen performing \u201cHallelujah.\u201d Waleed\u2019s headlined post popped up at the top of the search results. Intriguing, to be sure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard about this baby boy\/Who\u2019s come to Earth to bring us joy\/And I just want to sing this song to you,\u201d vocalist Lance Stafford begins as he plays an upright piano before an audience of casually dressed people sitting in a homey-looking coffee shop.<\/p>\n
The opening penned by Cohen, a Montreal native who\u2019s now 80, goes: \u201cNow I\u2019ve heard there was a secret chord\/That David played, and it pleased the Lord\/But you don\u2019t really care for music, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n
King David is clearly not the \u201cbaby boy\u201d inspiring Cloverton. The band\u2019s revision relates the legend of Jesus\u2019 birth, with lyrics mentioning Bethlehem, the inn, hay, the manger where \u201cGod\u2019s only son was born,\u201d the shepherd, angels, a star, three wise men, frankincense and myrrh.<\/p>\n
The video has sparked a debate playing out in YouTube\u2019s comments section \u2013 664 comments (and 602,340 views) as of Tuesday morning. Most responses have been respectful, evincing musical appreciation rather than religious acrimony. Pro: It\u2019s a lovely rendition. Con: Maybe so, but it seems to betray the intent of Cohen, who had invoked the Bible\u2019s King David and Samson, not Christianity\u2019s central figure. Pro: Music is always being adapted. Con: Did Cloverton pay a fee or even approach Cohen for permission?<\/p>\n
Viewer Rocky Larson wrote: \u201cI would like to thank these young men for one of the most touching and powerful Christmas gifts I\u2019ve ever received.\u201d<\/p>\n
Penny Howard: \u201cI don\u2019t know how [Cohen] feels about the song being rewritten to promote the beliefs of another religion. [Cloverton\u2019s version is] outright theft, and offensive to a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another commenter maintained, perhaps even with a straight face, that \u201cThis song is not religious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reached Monday, Stafford told JTA he didn\u2019t know of Waleed\u2019s posting, but that the subsequent debate is something with which he is familiar.<\/p>\n
In 2013, he said, Cloverton obtained permission from Sony Columbia, the record company for Cohen, to post its version and, later, for radio stations to play it. The recording was produced \u201cas a gift to our fans,\u201d he said, not to earn money.<\/p>\n
It went viral, and Sony withdrew permission and instructed Cloverton to take down the video, which the band did, Stafford said.<\/p>\n
The four bandmates are \u201cscratching our heads,\u201d he said, because Sony and Cohen\u2019s management team are each referring him to the other regarding new requests for permission.<\/p>\n
As to the debate over the religious content, \u201cno disrespect to Leonard Cohen\u201d was meant, Stafford said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we rewrote the lyrics, I had no idea Leonard Cohen was Jewish. The song was written by a Jewish man, but it\u2019s not a Jewish song, I would say. If it were, it would have been more obvious not to touch it. We didn\u2019t perceive it as a song celebrating Jewish culture or written for Jewish people.”<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI would be heartbroken to know if Leonard Cohen heard the song and felt it was an assault on his Jewish heritage, because that was not our intention.”<\/p>\n