by Alan Light
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JACKET DESIGN BY ZOE NORVELL
JACKET PHOTOGRAPH OF LEONARD COHEN BY OLIVER MORRIS; JEFF BUCKLEY BY MICHEL LINSSEN; RECORD BY TONY CORDOZA
AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY ELLEN MATTHEWS
COPYRIGHT © 2012 SIMON & SCHUSTER
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INDEX
Adams, Ryan, 145–46
Adamson, Andrew, 98, 99, 100–102, 105
“Amazing Grace,” 145, 184
American Idol (TV show), 132, 157–59, 207, 210–12, 223
Anderson, Stacey, 170–72
Arcade, Penny, 60, 87–88
Austin City Limits (TV series), “Hallelujah” performance for, 38–40, 41, 79
Austin, Simon, 94–95
Barrister’s (Memphis), Buckley (Jeff) at, 87–88
Barthel, Michael, 67, 93–94, 116, 118–19
Basquiat (film), 94, 100
Beacon Theatre (New York City), Cohen performance at, 169
Bearsville Studios (Woodstock, New York), 62, 104
Berkowitz, Steve, 57–58, 63, 64, 65, 74–75
Berry, Chuck, xiv–xv
Bolton, Michael, 207–10
Bon Jovi, Jon, xvii, xxiv, 148–51, 207, 223
Bono:
admiration for Cohen of, 15, 81, 92
Buckley and, 82, 83–84, 90
Cale and Buckley influence on, 82, 83–84
on Cohen’s singing of “Hallelujah,” 173–74
first hears “Hallelujah,” 81
at Haitian benefit, 196
“Hallelujah” lyrics comments of, 19–20
“Hallelujah” of, 81, 82–84, 94, 206, 227
popularity and legacy of “Hallelujah” and, xvii, 224, 227, 228
on punk rejection of Cohen, 15, 42
at Tibetan Freedom concert, 90
Tower of Song album and, 81, 82–83
U2 Canadian concert inclusion of “Hallelujah” comments of, 213–14
Born in the U.S.A. (Springsteen album), 32, 33, 173
Boyle, Susan, xxx, 206–7, 208, 215, 218, 227
Braff, Zach, 115, 121
Brainiac, 87, 88
“Bridge over Troubled Water,” xxii, 134
Brothers, Cary, 122, 123
Buckley, Jeff Scott:
band for, 53, 61–62
at Barrister’s (Memphis), 87–88
biography of, 91
at Buckley (Tim) concert, 51–53
Buckley’s (Tim) influence on, 53
Cohen’s comments about, 96
as Cohen student, 74–75
Columbia Records and, 57–58, 61, 69–70, 74
death of, 88–89, 197
discovery and reevaluation of, 136–37
early musical career of, 51–56
films about, 91–92, 229–30
Hansard and, 53–55
legacy/legendary status of, xxvii, 90–91, 136, 229–30
in Memphis, 86–88
popularity and influence of, 61, 69, 70–71, 89, 90–91, 154–55, 163
at Sin-é, 54–55, 56, 57–58, 59–60, 61, 63, 87, 103, 229–30
as singer, 65–66
Timberlake as fan of, 197
tours of, 63, 85, 86
tributes to, 90–91, 104, 155
Verlaine and, 85–86, 87
Wainwright and, 103–4
Wallace and, 61–62, 87
See also Buckley, Jeff Scott—“Hallelujah” and; Buckley, Jeff Scott—songs and albums of
Buckley, Jeff Scott—“Hallelujah” and:
ambiguity and flexibility of, 188
Bon Jovi and, 148–49
Bono and, 82, 83–84, 90
and Buckley as singer, 65–66
and Buckley as ultimate performer of “Hallelujah,” 75
Buckley’s comments about, 66–67, 76
Buckley’s decision to record, 75
Buckley’s legacy and, 73
Buckley’s relationship with Cohen and, 74–75
Buckley’s reworking of, 58, 64–65
as Buckley’s signature song, 58–59, 85
at Burigsay funeral, 187
Burke and, 160
Cale influence on, 58, 59, 65, 66, 75, 230
camp sing-alongs and, 177–78
Christmas Number One and, 162–63
Cohen Live and, 96
Cohen version compared with, 67–68, 72–73, 78, 169, 221
Cowell comments about, 159
Fall Out Boy band and, 153, 154
first included in Buckley’s repertoire, 57
Grace recording of, 64–68, 69–70
Hamilton’s views about, 184
I’m Your Fan recording and, 57, 59
influence on other artists of, xxiii, 71–76, 82, 83–84, 125, 145
initial reviews of, 69–70
interpretations of “Hallelujah” and, 221, 222
Jackson (Randy) and, 158
Jewcy.com comments about, 220
lang and, 128, 130
love and, 66–67, 68, 73, 76
lyrics of, xix, 78
passionate/sexual nature of, 66, 68, 206, 221
popularity and legacy of “Hallelujah” and, xviii, xxi, xxvii, 69–70, 71–76, 92–93, 113, 120, 124, 136, 145, 155–56, 159, 162–63, 175–76, 215, 224, 225
reevaluation of Buckley and, 137
Rice and, 166
royalties and, 119
September 11 and, 109, 110
Shrek and, 101
singing competitions and, 158
spiritual/religious overtones of, 68, 71–72, 76
Talerico and, 190–92, 194
Taylor death and, 87–88
Timberlake and, 197, 198
TV/film soundtracks and, 94, 95, 101, 115–16, 117, 120
Voegele and, 123
Wainwright and, 103–4
Buckley, Jeff Scott—songs and albums of:
“Corpus Christi Carol,” 69, 71, 88
“Eternal Life,” 69
“Grace,” 62
Grace, xxi, xxvii, 61–68, 69–76, 90–91, 125, 136, 191, 194
“I Never Asked to Be Your Mountain,” 53
“Last Goodbye,” 69
Live at Sin-é, 57, 136–37
“Mojo Pin,” 62
My Sweetheart the Drunk, 86
Mystery White Boy, 136
“Once I Was,” 52, 54
Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, 91
“So Real,” 69
“Terminal Cancer,” 88
Buckley, Tim, 50–53, 89, 91, 96, 124
Buckskin Boys (band), 5
Burigsay, Danielle, funeral of, 187
Burke, Alexandra, xxiv, 159–62, 175–76, 226–27
Cale, John:
“Alexandra Leaving” and, 113
Cohen’s comment about, 43, 144
Cohen’s Ten New Songs and, 113
“Desert Island Discs” of, 113
early career of, 43–44
as “editor” of “Hallelujah,” 75
I’m Your Fan album and, 44, 49, 59
professional background of, 43–44, 48–49
Reed reunion with, 51
See also Cale, John—“Hallelujah” of; Velvet Underground
Cale, John—“Hallelujah” of:
Buckley’s “Hallelujah” and, 58, 65, 66, 75, 230
Cale as singer of, 48, 66
Cale’s decision to record, 44–45
Cohen Live version of “Hallelujah” and, 96
Cohen’s rewriting of “Hallelujah” and, 82
Cohen’s Stranger Music and, 78
impact and popularity of “Hallelujah” and, xxvii, 49,
124
influence on Wainwright of, 104
interpretations of “Hallelujah” and, 221, 222
Jewcy.com comments about, 220
lyrics of, 45, 46, 48, 49
musical accompaniment for, 47–48
Palmer’s views about, 47
sexuality of, 46, 47, 48
Shrek and, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105
spiritual dimension of, 45–47, 48
as TV/film soundtrack, 94, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105, 115, 116
Voegele and, 123
“Came So Far for Beauty” (Cohen tribute concert), 135–36
camp sing-alongs, 177–78
Canadian Broadcasting Company, Cohen interview with, 32–33, 175
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, xxvi, 6, 25, 130
Canadian Tenors, xxi, 199, 219, 220
Carlile, Brandi, xxiii–xxiv, 71–72, 124, 132
Casey, Thomas G., 22–23
Cash, Rosanne, xiii–xiv
Castro, Jason, 157–59, 211, 212
Cave, Nick, 42, 43, 135
CBS Sunday Morning (TV show), Cohen interview on, 144
Celtic Thunder, 202
Chabon, Michael, 185, 186
Christmas Number One, 162–63
City TV, 107–8
classical music, “Hallelujah” and, 165
Coachella Festival (Indio, California), Cohen performance at, xxvi, 170–72, 228
Cobain, Kurt, xvi, 92, 219
Cocker, Jarvis, 3, 135
Cohen, Leonard:
awards and honors for, xiv, xv–xvi, xxvi, 5, 6, 10, 11, 25, 42
depression of, 112–13
disappearance of, 12–13, 77
early career of, 5–15
early interest in music of, 5, 6–7
financial affairs of, xxv–xxvi, 6, 96, 138–42, 143, 165, 174, 175
“Hallelujah” fatigue/overuse and, xxi, 175
historical material about, 174
instrumentation/orchestration of, 12, 14, 15
Lynch and, 138–42, 165
as lyricist, 10, 15, 26, 77–78
at Mt. Baldy Zen Center/disappearance of, 78–79, 84–85, 95, 96
Night Magic (Cohen-Furey musical), 15
personal background of, 4–5
publishing company for, 115
reputation/popularity of, xxv–xxvi, 8, 9, 11, 42, 78, 112, 113, 168
romances of, 7
self-image of, 9
as singer, 9–11, 16, 28, 30–31, 39, 66, 112, 170, 173–74
website of, 96, 125
as writer/poet, 5, 6, 67, 78, 143, 166, 179
writing style of, 2–4
See also Cohen, Leonard—“Hallelujah” of; Cohen, Leonard—songs and albums of; specific person or topic
Cohen, Leonard—“Hallelujah” of:
Buckley’s version compared with, 67–68, 72–73, 168–69, 221
Castro and, 158
central premise of, 23–24, 30–31
Christmas Number One and, 162–63
Cohen as singer and, 9–11, 16, 28, 30–31, 39, 66, 112, 168–69, 170, 173–74, 227
Cohen’s difficulties writing, 2–3
Cohen’s rewriting of, xx–xxi, 18, 37–40, 131, 218
Dylan’s admiration for, 2–3
Fall Out Boy band and, 154
first verse/opening of, 19–20, 38, 45, 152, 158, 169
fourth verse/final verse of, 1, 16, 24–25, 36, 38, 40, 45, 46, 49, 82, 169, 206, 214
interpretations of, 220, 222
King David in, xix, 9, 19–20, 21–23, 38, 46–47, 59, 68, 126, 184, 185
lang and, 128, 129, 130
legacy of, 224
Live in London version of, 168–69
lyrics for, ix–xi, xvii, 17–18, 27, 37–40, 46, 82–83, 95, 118, 168–69, 227
McDonald and, 146
melody of, 26–28, 39, 65, 95, 104
Nelson version and, 145, 146
orchestration for, 28–29
PEN awards and, xv–xvi
popularity of, xvi–xvii, xviii, 221
rhyming in, xvi, 25–26
Samson and Delilah reference in, xix, 22–23, 38, 46–47, 192
second verse of, 21, 39, 45
Spektor and, 125–26
spirituality of, 206
structure of, 20–21, 27–28
Talerico and, 189–90, 192
third verse of, 23–24, 39, 169
on TV shows, 116
Various Positions recording of, xx, 17–19, 24–25, 28–35, 36–37, 40, 45, 78, 82, 146, 161
Cohen, Leonard—songs and albums of:
“Ain’t No Cure for Love,” 217
“Alexandra Leaving,” 113
“Anthem,” 77, 217
Best of, 13
Bird on the Wire, 174
“Bird on the Wire,” 9, 37, 127, 216
“Born in Chains,” 4
“Came So Far for Beauty,” 14
“Chelsea Hotel #2,” 12
Cohen Live, 38, 45, 46, 96, 146, 147
“Come Healing,” xv
“Dance Me to the End of Love,” 17, 33, 216
Dear Heather, 134–35
Death of a Ladies’ Man, 2, 14, 141
“Don’t Go Home with Your Hard-On,” 2
“Everybody Knows,” 41–42, 75
“Famous Blue Raincoat,” 9
The Future, 77–78, 96, 112
“The Future,” 217
“I Can’t Forget,” 43
“If It Be Your Will,” 17, 33, 182
I’m Your Man, 41, 42, 75, 96, 112
“I’m Your Man,” 10
“In My Secret Life,” 217
Live in London, 168–69
More Best of Leonard Cohen, 95–96
New Skin for the Old Ceremony, 12
Old Ideas, xxvi, 3, 4, 228–29
poetry recitation, 15
Recent Songs, 14, 15
“Sisters of Mercy,” 7
“The Smokey Life,” 14
“So Long, Marianne,” 7
Songs of Leonard Cohen, 7–8
Songs of Love and Hate, 9, 11
Songs from the Road, 172, 173
Songs from a Room, 9, 135
Stranger Music, 78
“Suzanne,” 6–7, 43, 75, 216
Ten New Songs, 111–13
“Tower of Song,” 10–11, 41, 43, 135, 216
“The Traitor,” 14
“The Treaty,” 4
“Who by Fire,” 12, 41
See also Various Positions
Cohen, Lorca, 216
Collins, Judy, 6–7, 8, 216
Columbia Records:
Buckley (Jeff) and, 57–58, 61, 69–70, 74
Cohen as artist with, 1, 7
Cohen award from, 42
Cohen Live album release by, 79
Cohen’s I’m Your Man album and, 41
Dylan with, 1
royalties from “Hallelujah” and, 119
Spector-Cohen project for, 13
Various Positions rejection by, xx, 31–35
See also Hammond, John
Colvin, Shawn, xv
The Commitments (band), 53–54, 55
Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) (New York City), xxx–xxxii
Costello, Elvis, xiv, 70
Cowell, Simon, 158, 159, 163, 164, 210, 211, 212
Crow, Sheryl, 95, 196
Crowe, Allison, 124–25
Dalton, Lisle, 23, 180–81
Dancing with the Stars (TV show), xxix, 207, 208
DeCurtis, Anthony, 77–78
DeWyze, Lee, 132, 210–12, 226
Dion, Celine, xvii, 199
Doyle, Shane, 54–55
DreamWorks studio, 98, 100, 102
Dublin, Ireland, “Came So Far for Beauty” show (2006) in, 135–36
Dylan, Bob:
Buckley’s admiration for, 54, 56, 75
Cohen compared with, xvi, 1–3
as Columbia Records artist, 1
first album of, 7
“Hallelujah” of, 36–37, 40, 113
Johnston as producer for, 9
“Like a Rolling Stone” of, 172
Love and Theft album of, 112
McGinnis recordings with, 16
“Never-Ending Tour” of, 36
PEN awards and, xiv
Portnoy stage crashing and, 59
praise for Cohen/“Hallelujah” from, 2–3, 36
Rolling Thunder Revue tour of, 2
songs as “standards” and, xxvii
Todd as guitar player for, 189
Easley McCain Recording studio, 86
Elzas, Daniel, 186–87
Emmy Awards (2011), Canadian Tenors’ “Hallelujah” at, xxi, 219–20
ER (TV show), xxi, 117–18
Europe:
Buckley (Jeff) popularity in, 69, 70, 91, 155–56, 163
Cohen tours in, 12
Cohen’s popularity in, xxvi, 8, 11, 42, 78, 113, 168
popularity of “Hallelujah” in, xvii, 125, 155–56, 157, 162, 163
Fall Out Boy (band), 72, 151, 152–54
Flanagan, Bill, xiii, xiv, 20, 48, 58, 65, 67–68, 81, 96, 110, 111, 124, 173
Fleming, Renée, 203–6, 227
Ford, Andrew, xix–xx
Foti, Keith, 88–89
The Fourth, The Fifth, The Minor Fall (BBC Radio 2 documentary), xxxii
Friday, Gavin, 135–36
Fuentes, Alejandro, 156, 166
funerals, “Hallelujah” performances at, 178, 187–88, 213–14
Furey, Lewis, 12, 15
Gabriel, Peter, 43, 80
Gaiman, Neil, 185–86
Garofalo, Janeane, 98–99
Garvey, Guy, xxxii, 65
Gilmore, Mikal, 79, 141
Ginsberg, Allen, 1, 59, 60
Glastonbury Festival (England, 2008), Cohen at, xxvi, xxxii, 167–68, 172
Glickman, Brian, 177–78
Graver, Fred, 107–8, 109–10, 111
Green, CeeLo, 133–34
Grossman, Albert, 6, 62
Guibert, Mary, 91, 92
Haitian relief benefit (2010), xviii, xxiv, 127, 196–97, 201
“Hallelujah”:
ambiguity/versatility of, xvii, xix, xxiv–xxv, xxvi, xxviii–xxix, 131–34, 184–85, 188, 198, 218–19, 222–23
backlash against and overuse of, xxi, 202, 212, 214, 219–20, 230
BBC Radio 2 documentary about, xxxii
as brand, 176
core of, 222–23
“corruption” of, 188
in the future, 228–31
love as theme of, xvii, xix, 38–39, 40, 46, 66–67, 73, 101, 110, 131, 147, 148, 151, 158, 169, 209, 222–23
lyrics of, ix–xi, xix–xx, xxx, 131–34, 147, 148, 149, 158, 169, 180, 181, 183, 187, 192, 205, 209, 214, 217–18, 221–22, 227
meaning of word hallelujah and, xxiv, 18–19, 164, 185, 187
melody of, xxx, 129–30, 147, 171, 183, 184, 187, 227–28
parody of, 221