SOLVED: Leonard Cohen's Secret Chord from 'Hallelujah'

Hey all - just in response to one or two comments - this is not a religious video, I am an unapologetic atheist. It's simply being presented from the perspective of Leonard Cohen, a Jewish man with a spirituality that drew from many different sources. Just so no-one gets the wrong end of the stick. JH

What a beautiful work you done here! This song always makes me cry. Always... The first time I heard it was a Catholic version, with different lyrics, in an Irish Church. Then I went searching for the original Cohen's lyrics. It's such a beautiful message!😢 It's about love. It's about forgiveness. It's about us. And it's about me and that magic night with her, in 1989, July the 17. I'm alone now. Just me, my guitar, and my memories. I'm 70 now. Thanks a lot for this posting, mr. atheist.

I feel this symbolism reaches far beyond one person’s affair, David’s or Leonard Cohen’s which is why it’s able to move so many to tears even without knowing these specifics. Great video.

I've tried cracking the meaning of the secret chord passively for years. I never sat down and REALLY thought about it like this. Best answer I've ever heard by miles. My hat's off to you. Thank you!

Beautiful explanation to a beautiful trail of breadcrumbs. Leonard Cohen was a craftsman. His work was blessed with Hallelujah.

Wow, that was wonderful. The cord of three. Though the E maj chord works too, since it is also known as the heaven chord.

I've learned so much from this analysis, factually, musically and spiritually. Many thanks!

The secret chord is Gsus. I'll see myself out.

Excellent video! I had never thought that there might be something more literal to the first verses before. But I believe you missed something that might be important: Cohen, while not mixing metaphors, mixed his biblical characters. I've always found it interesting that, with no warning, he switches mid verse (2) from the story of David and Bathsheba to Samson and Delilah. It was Samson whose secret of his strength was in his long hair, which had never been cut (due to the Nazarite vow his mother took in gratitude to God for opening her womb after many years without children). And it was Delilah who seduced him in order to get him to reveal this secret. Two men, blessed by God, betraying their LORD with tragic consequences. Anyway, perhaps you could dig further into this and discover why Cohen mixed two of the most notable and important characters into a seemingly single person.

What a provocative reinterpretation of the David-Bathsheba story! From David's broken and contrite heart over engaging in a forbidden love affair, he found redemption in sacred music!

This is an excellent study of this beautiful song. I absolutely loved it when Cohen first released it. Choen showed his love for his childhood faith and biblical knowledge when he wrote this song, as well as his love for his mystery woman.

This leaves open the question, "What actually is true love." The kind of love expressed here is, I hold, not actually love. Love is not a feeling or an emotion. The object of love is not to make me feel good. Love - actual, true love - is a decision to make a commitment, come what may. This take on "love" is why we see so much disunity in society today, so many marriages ending in divorce, so many single people who cannot find "love." True love transcends emotions and feelings. To be "in love" means to have made a conscious decision to commit to a relationship and to endure the bad as well as the good. David's hee-bee-jee-bies when we saw Bathsheba bathing on the roof and then gave into his lust was not love. One only need look at the disastrous consequences of that relationship to understand this. True love creates stability, consistency and a solid foundation. David's weakness in the face of lust nearly cost him his kingdom. It was only by God's grace that he didn't lose it. No, the song is not about love and how any love is good. It is about the destructive power of lust and one man's justification of it.

The first two minutes of this video makes me think about Leonard performing Hallelujah late in life. Being so happy that the song captured the world.

The fall was minor and the lift was major. Music and life.

Thank you for this enjoyable discussion It amuses me that this song with such depth of meaning has become a happy singalong song with people just focusing on the repeated Hallelujah

I enjoyed this video very much. There is depth in much of Leonard Cohen’s work. A true poet.

Mr. Hargreaves, THANK YOU! Your interpretation of this phenomenal song has brought THIS "old woman" to tears, but they're purelly tears of joy. I met my Beloved Husband about one month before he turned 26 years of age, and we were married within 3 months. He will turn 81 on Saturday, and I STILL ABSOLUTELY ADORE HIM, even after nearly FIFTY-FIVE YEARS OF JOYOUS MARRIAGE! The song of "HALLELUJAH" hit my brain exactly like your interpretation, LONG BEFORE I ran into your interpretation, which is SPOT ON, MR. HARGREAVES! Been there, & fully understand your meanings. A "cord of three," such a wonderful thought-image! 💖👍👵💋🧓👍💖

I started thinking that I wasn't going to be convinced by where you were going, but ended up completely sold.

Brilliant! One of the greatest songs ever written.

David and Bathsheba's 1st Son died... after that, came Solomon, who built The 1st Temple in Jerusalem. Leonard Cohen was a Master Songwriter!