Why do people like Jeff Buckley's rendition of Hallelujah?

[TVC15]

Leonard Cohen's versions rape rape it.  So does John Cale's.  I think anybody that prefers Buckley's over either of those renditions is an uneducated FoCian troglodyte.  Tell them that I hate them.

Jeff Buckley's gay ass version has no oomph.  John Cale's version, which is clearly the version Shithead Buckley tried to emulate, turns the tune into a nice little piano piece--it almost sounds like something you would hear in a church service.  In live renditions, he backed it up with strings and did different arrangements.  Buckley turned it into a stoner noodly guitar piece of garbage.  Buckley may have better vocal range than Cohen and Cale, but there's no soul in his voice as he sings.  Leonard and Cale really make you feel the words.  Buckley is just a stupid ass and we should be glad he died.  His second album sucked, too.

[TVC15]

Wasn't Buckley's version used in some shitty movie highschool students and the profoundly stupid think is deep?

Probably.  Here's a list of things versions of Hallelujah have been used in:

"Hallelujah" is often used in television shows and movies during sad scenes involving death or heartbreak. It has been featured in movies as diverse as Basquiat, The Edukators (Die Fetten Jahre Sind Vorbei), A Lot Like Love, Shrek, St. Ralph, Deliver Us from Evil, Kissed by Winter, Barfuss, Lord of War and "When Night is Falling", and TV series such as Holby City, House, M.D., Falcon Beach, The L Word, The O.C. (twice by Jeff Buckley, once by Imogen Heap), Hollyoaks, The West Wing, Scrubs, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, ER, The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Crossing Jordan, Drama and Nicole, Rescue Me, LAX,Lost, Roswell, and Numb3rs. It was also used in the Third Watch and Without a Trace episodes dealing with the 9/11 events. "Hallelujah" was played at the closing of NBC's Dateline on April 17, 2007, covering the Virginia Tech massacre. During the playing of the song, a montage of photographs regarding the events of the tragedy was displayed.

at the bolded part.  IMOGEN HEAP COVERING MY PRECIOUS LEONARD COHEN?!!?!?!??!?/?d;lasdkfplsdkjvgplsmbvksjbvsjfdgjkssagam suiciding. . .not to mention that the show used the same song THREE FUCKING TIMES.

[EvilBoris]

 It's usually the first version that people hear of the song. Its pretty grand in its performance so people aren't too curious to seek out other versions.

[Human Snorenado]

The Cohen version is, of course, the best.  I prefer Rufus Wainwright's cover to Cale's, tho.

I don't rate the Buckley version at all, personally.

[TVC15]

The live Cohen verses where he adds more verses are the best versions, heh.

http://www.ezarchive.com/micki/AlbumSpace/1ZY74V5AF9/Bob+Dylan+-+Hallelujah+*28live*29.mp3   <-- Bob Dylan's cover of it (looks like you will have to c&p that). 

For a song that's just from the mid 80s, it has been covered a fuckton of times.

[FatalT]

Was that song in the movie Shrek?

[Human Snorenado]

Yeah, the amount his shit gets covered proves that he's like, the best songwriter of all time ever.  I think so anyhow, better than Dylan from where I recline and smoke my hashish.

[Human Snorenado]

Was that song in the movie Shrek?

Yeah, that was the Cale version.  Interestingly enough, even though the Cale cover is in the film Wainwright's is the version on the soundtrack due to record label wrangling.

[TVC15]

I like a bit of Dylan's stuff, but that voice really is a barrier to me.  It's like barely intelligible a good portion of the time, and no tin a cool death metal way, but in like a whiney way.  Also Bob Dylan looks like Vincent Price now and it is creepy.

[FatalT]

Yeah, that was the Cale version.  Interestingly enough, even though the Cale cover is in the film Wainwright's is the version on the soundtrack due to record label wrangling.

Oooh, I really liked that version. I obtained the Shrek soundtrack and promptly deleted it because the version of the song on it sucked.

[TVC15]

OH MY SWEET FUCK, BONO'S RENDITION IS AWFUL

http://www.ezarchive.com/micki/AlbumSpace/1ZY74V5AF9/Bono+-+Hallelujah.mp3

This might be the worst U2-related thing I have ever heard, and that's saying a lot.

[Human Snorenado]

Yeah, that was the Cale version.  Interestingly enough, even though the Cale cover is in the film Wainwright's is the version on the soundtrack due to record label wrangling.

Oooh, I really liked that version. I obtained the Shrek soundtrack and promptly deleted it because the version of the song on it sucked.

    I'm gonna have to fight yo ass now, I really like his version. 

[Fresh Prince]

Because he died tragically and teenage girls still obsess about him.

[TVC15]

<3 Leonard Cohen

[youtube=425,350]OYzOzLDIpT4[/youtube]

[FatalT]

  I'm gonna have to fight yo ass now, I really like his version. 

By "sucked" I meant "rocked." I hit the wrong letters on the keyboard. *runs*

[Boogie]

I like both the Wainwright and Buckley versions.

As for Cohen....meh

Go ahead, crucify me, music elitists.

[TVC15]

Buckley turns it into aimless guitar noodling and his vocal style doesn't work with the song.  The Rufus cover is pretty good, though.

[TakingBackSunday]

I like Buckley's, Cohen's, and Wainwright's.

I just really like Buckley. <3

Buckley is just a stupid ass and we should be glad he died.

Okay just read that.  You asshole!

[BlueTsunami]

In my opinion, all of the renditions of Hallelujah don't do the original justice. The only one I like is Allison Crowe's and the only reason I like it is because she sort of follows the tempo of the original song (sorta)

[louegi]

  @ Buckley's rendition being shit.

Not only is it utterly superb, but he basically took the song away from Cohen, much like Cash took Reznor's Hurt.

Cohen has NO business singing anything. He's not Dylan. Stick to writing poetics, Cohen, for all those down-trodden girls with daddy issues.

Jeff Buckley's cover is full of sincerity and heart. What a shame that so many can sit here and troll it up, or lack the taste to hear it. Shame.