Watch Eric Church Give a Dazzling Version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"

Country music singer and songwriter Eric Church gave fans a rare treat when he performed at the Red Rock Amphitheatre in Colorado. He gave a dazzling cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".
Church prefaced the performance by warning the audience he had not properly prepared for what was about to happen: "I'm gonna try something here. This could go bad," Church told the crowd, admitting that he hadn't practiced the iconic song, and that it was "something I put on my crew about an hour ago." He pulled it off quite successfully, however, drawing loud cheers of approval from the audience as he sang the track, just him and his guitar onstage; readers can press play on the video above to watch.
For Church, "Hallelujah" has a special connection to Red Rocks: "Last time I was here - this is a true story - I played here, and we were leaving, and I was playing some music in my headphones," Church recalled, "and I was leaving here, and we pulled out, and the light was still on the rocks, like it is right now, and this song was playing in my headphones."
"Hallelujah" is a song written by Canadian recording artist Leonard Cohen, originally released on his album Various Positions (1984). Achieving little initial success, the song found greater popular acclaim through a cover by John Cale, which inspired a cover by Jeff Buckley. Buckley's version is the most enduringly popular and critically acclaimed cover of the song to date. It is the subject of the book The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" (2012) by Alan Light. In a New York Times review of the book, Janet Maslin praises the book and the song, noting that "Cohen spent years struggling with his song 'Hallelujah.' He wrote perhaps as many as 80 verses before paring the song down."
Tags : eric church eric church news eric church live leonard cohen eric church hallelujah
Hot Trends
-
Amy Grant Returns with a Collection of Deep Cuts
-
"The King of Kings" Will Be in Theaters April 11
-
The LeFevre Quartet Announces 20th Anniversary Concert Celebration
-
Lysa TerKeurst Remarries Two Years After Divorce
-
Greg LaFollette Journeys with Jesus to the Cross on "Holy Week Volume Two"
-
Linda Boles Releases New Single “Creator”
-
Matt Maher Reveals How Johnny Cash & Roy Orbison Inspired His New Song
-
Jimmy Fortune, Ben Isaacs, Bradley Walker, and Mike Rogers Forms Brothers Of The Heart With New Album Coming
-
The Tragic End of Kingdom Heir's Founder Steve French
-
The Jim Brady Trio Debuts Their New Album and Single (Listen to the New Single Here)
-
Derek Webb, Former Caedmon's Call Guitarist and Vocalist, Attends the Dove Awards in a Dress
-
Hillsong Worship Former Leader Miriam Webster Gets Married
-
Hinson Family’s Jordy Is Engaged To Logan Smith
-
Bethel Music's Kalley Heiligenthal Remembers Daughter Olive Three Years After Her Passing
-
Here Are Lyrics to Charity Gayle's "Name Above All Names"
Most Popular
-
Amy Grant Returns with a Collection of Deep Cuts
-
"The King of Kings" Will Be in Theaters April 11
-
The LeFevre Quartet Announces 20th Anniversary Concert Celebration
-
Lysa TerKeurst Remarries Two Years After Divorce
-
Greg LaFollette Journeys with Jesus to the Cross on "Holy Week Volume Two"
-
Linda Boles Releases New Single “Creator”
-
Matt Maher Reveals How Johnny Cash & Roy Orbison Inspired His New Song
-
Jimmy Fortune, Ben Isaacs, Bradley Walker, and Mike Rogers Forms Brothers Of The Heart With New Album Coming
-
The Tragic End of Kingdom Heir's Founder Steve French
-
The Jim Brady Trio Debuts Their New Album and Single (Listen to the New Single Here)
-
Derek Webb, Former Caedmon's Call Guitarist and Vocalist, Attends the Dove Awards in a Dress
-
Hillsong Worship Former Leader Miriam Webster Gets Married
-
Hinson Family’s Jordy Is Engaged To Logan Smith
-
Bethel Music's Kalley Heiligenthal Remembers Daughter Olive Three Years After Her Passing
-
Here Are Lyrics to Charity Gayle's "Name Above All Names"