https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/leonard-cohen-jeff-buckley-hallelujah-simplified/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 22:45:03 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/leonard-cohen-jeff-buckley-hallelujah-simplified/#post-73634 Sun, 24 Oct 2004 23:07:40 +0000
I play it as below, sans capo.

Intro:
C Am C Am

Well, (C)I heard there was a (Am)secret chord

that (C)David played and it (Am)pleased the Lord

But (F)you don't really (G)care for music, (C)do ya? (G)

Well it (C)goes like this :

The (F)fourth, (G)the fifth, the (Am)minor fall and the (F)major lift

The (G)baffled king (E)composing (Am)Hallelujah

Halle(F)lujah Halle(Am)lujah Halle(F)lujah Halle(C - G)lu(C)jah...

For "But (F)you don't really (G)care for music" I use the open G formation but at "The fourth, the fifth" I slide the barre chord up from F to G.
"The baffled king" also uses the traditonal chord shape, as opposed to the barre. Your mileage may vary, however.

However you play it, it's a fun song.

Matt]]> Easy Songs jaxtraw https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/leonard-cohen-jeff-buckley-hallelujah-simplified/#post-73634 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/leonard-cohen-jeff-buckley-hallelujah-simplified/#post-64179 Fri, 30 Jul 2004 03:36:12 +0000 I've been searching for a good tab for this song for a long time and this is the only one that seems to get the chord changes right. So thanks a lot. This will certainly help me.

While many tabs give this song in the key of C, the Buckley version uses the chords you give with a capo on the 5th fret, if i remember correctly.]]> Easy Songs Elvis https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/leonard-cohen-jeff-buckley-hallelujah-simplified/#post-64179 https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/leonard-cohen-jeff-buckley-hallelujah-simplified/#post-2851 Wed, 21 Jul 2004 23:32:38 +0000
This song got a lot of attention from being in the Shrek movie, although that was the John Cale piano version (Due to legal reasons, the Rufus Wainwright appears on the soundtrack CD).

Anyway, since the Jeff Buckley version is long and constantly changing and takes a fairly long time to fully learn, I played this version before fully learning that. And it works well, supported by the vocal melody and has a certain beauty in it's simplicity.
_______________________________________________________________

Well, (G)I heard there was a (Em)secret chord

that (G)David played and it (Em)pleased the Lord

But (C)you don't really care for music, (G)do ya? (I normally add some filler fingerplay here, picking the three or four highest notes)

Well it (G)goes like this :

The (C)fourth, (D)the fifth, the (Em)minor fall and the (C)major (D)lift

The (D)baffled king (B)composing (Em)Hallelujah

Halle(C)lujah Halle(Em)lujah Halle(C)lujah Halle(G - D)lu(G)jah...

Repeat throughout the song

Well, your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof,
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
And she tied you to her kitchen chair,
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
But from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah...

(Yeah but) Baby, I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor,
(You know) I used to live alone, before I knew ya
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
and love is not a victory march,
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah...

Well, there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below,
But now you never show that to me do ya,
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dark was moving too
And every breath you drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hallelujah...

Instrumental solo bit. I usually just arpeggiate my way through the chords, improvising a picking pattern. It makes the song a little different each time, which I like

Maybe there's a God above,
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
It's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

Hallelujah - Holding the last note while slowly fading out the guitar works like a charm. Especially if you can do it like Jeff. ]]> Easy Songs Illicit https://guitarnoise.forum/easy-songs/leonard-cohen-jeff-buckley-hallelujah-simplified/#post-2851