Leonard Cohen is Metaphorically Tied to a Chair

mariasci | March 12, 2008 5:30 am
Surely I can’t have been the only person a little disappointed that the song chosen to pay tribute to Leonard Cohen when inducting him into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame was “Hallelujah.” It’s a great song, certainly, but it’s most strongly associated with Jeff Buckley, to such a degree that some people don’t even know Cohen wrote it. Worse, the version performed by Damien Rice is the Buckley version, with its ascending melody line in the final chorus and persistent falsetto. It’d be like playing a rock version of “All Along the Watchtower” at Bob Dylan’s induction–a fine song, but not really the best choice. So what would’ve been better, and who should’ve sung it? Well, just pick any two of the following:
  • Bird on a Wire / Hercules and Love Affair
  • Dance Me to the End of Love / My Chemical Romance
  • So Long, Marianne / The Arcade Fire
  • Take This Waltz / Battles
  • The Future / Feist
  • Famous Blue Raincoat / Slayer
  • Chelsea Hotel #2 / Kanye West
  • Tower of Song / Sonic Youth
  • First We Take Manhattan / LCD Soundsystem
  • Jazz Police / Kelly Clarkson