# Song from 'OC' - "Hallelujah" where else have I heard it? (possibly UK only) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261 "2004-03-14T19:18:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/1 "2004-03-14T19:18:17Z")
Just now a song played on ‘OC’. I recognise the tune from somewhere else, possibly an advert in the UK, but I am not sure. In part of it the guy sings/says hallelujah twice. It’s quite a sad song. I am convinved that the other place I heard it it was the same tune but different singer etc… and it was MUCH better. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/2 "2004-03-14T19:22:33Z")
AH ha! I remembered. It was on shrek. I still have this nagging feeling I heard it on an andvert. Maybe I did _and_ heard it on shrek. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/3 "2004-03-14T19:28:41Z")
I don’t watch _The O.C._, but could you be thinking of [“Hallelujah”](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/jeff-buckley/70291.html) by Leonard Cohen? (I linked to the lyrics from Jeff Buckley’s version because that is the set of lyrics most often used in cover versions.) John Cale’s cover of “Hallelujah” was used in both _Shrek_ and _Scrubs_, so you may know it from there. Jeff Buckley’s version is also very popular, and it’s been covered by (among others) Rufus Wainwright (for the _Shrek_ soundtrack, but it was not actually used in the movie) and Bono. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/4 "2004-03-14T19:30:01Z")
Ah, so it was John Cale’s version of “Hallelujah” from _Shrek_, then. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/5 "2004-03-14T19:32:24Z")
Scrubs! That’s almost certainly the other place I’ve heard it. Thanks. 😃 You say the song is not in shrek. But I heard it in shrek. I am pretty sure I am not psychic, and don’t own the soundtrack. … I STILL think I’ve heard it on an advert. And that you mention bono rings a bell. Maybe the ‘better’ version I heard was bono’s. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/6 "2004-03-14T19:33:31Z")
Sorry I misunderstood you. You were saying a particular version of it wasn’t in shrek (but the other was) ---
**Author:** ![WernhamHogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a587f6/32.png) [@WernhamHogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WernhamHogg)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/7 "2004-03-14T19:51:30Z")
Jeff Buckley has a version out that might have been the one playing on the TV show… it’s more contemporary sounding (I haven’t seen the show, so I’m only guessing). ---
**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/8 "2004-03-14T20:01:33Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > In part of it the guy sings/says hallelujah twice. If it sounds like he’s speaking, my money’s on Leonard Cohen. Jeff Buckley’s voice is near operatic. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/9 "2004-03-14T20:03:50Z")
John Cale also does the speaking/singing thing, though. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/10 "2004-03-14T20:17:41Z")
> [@Treviathan](#): > > If it sounds like he’s speaking, my money’s on Leonard Cohen. Jeff Buckley’s voice is near operatic. Well it was tuneful. It sounded like singing, just casually though, as if he was really relaxed while he sang. ---
**Author:** ![Fifteen\_Iguana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Fifteen\_Iguana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fifteen_Iguana)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/11 "2004-03-14T20:28:34Z")
A year or two ago that song seemed to be on every damned TV show I watched. I think some of them might have been Rufus Wainright’s version (is he the one who insisted on pronouncing “you” “you” instead of “yuh” so it never rhymed with “hallelujah?” FIfteen Iguana ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/12 "2004-03-14T21:09:31Z")
Notice that the songs in Shrek are not consistent with the songs that appear on the soundtrack. The John Cale version of Hallelujah is in the movie, the Rufus Wainwright is on the soundtrack. Btw, I signed up two days ago, and I have already encountered the song “Hallelujah” in three, four different threads here. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![laura8080](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@laura8080](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laura8080)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/13 "2004-03-14T22:26:57Z")
The O.C. played Jeff Buckleys version of Hallelujah on the episode [Model Home.](http://greattvshows.tripod.com/OC/episodes/season1/02.html) ---
**Author:** ![censored](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@censored](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/censored)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/14 "2004-03-14T22:30:28Z")
It was also used on The West Wing, when CJ’s lover/Secret Service bodyguard was shot. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/15 "2004-03-14T22:33:08Z")
> [@cactus waltz](#): > > Btw, I signed up two days ago, and I have already encountered the song “Hallelujah” in three, four different threads here. :eek: It’s all part of the secret plan. (whoops. Did I say that out loud) Welcome to the boards. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/16 "2004-03-14T22:34:41Z")
By the way. To protect my reputation. I wasn’t actually _watching_ OC. It was just _on_. Honest. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/17 "2004-03-15T20:02:33Z")
It’s almost certainly the song you want. And there have been many recorded versions of it. **Leonard Cohen** wrote it, and originally performed it. It was also recorded at various points in time by (at least): **John Cale Jeff Buckley** (the best version, I believe) \*\*Rufus Wainwright U2 \*\*(for a Leonard Cohen tribute album. This version is godawful.) ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/18 "2004-03-15T20:24:28Z")
Bob Dylan and Sheryl Crow have both performed the song live. Seperately, of course. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/19 "2004-03-15T21:21:47Z")
Jeff Buckley sang it so it stayed _sung_. If you ask me, it should be retired in his honor, like Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261/20 "2004-03-16T05:19:36Z")
Over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=169097&highlight=Hallelujah)we had a nice discussion of the various versions of the song. Mr. Buckley is clearly the popular favorite, although Cale, Wainright and Cohen each have their fan clubs. Bono, no. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-oc-hallelujah-where-else-have-i-heard-it-possibly-uk-only/234261.md?page=2)