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K.D. Lang on Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah': 'He was a prophet'

The Canadian musician explains why she loves, and still covers, Leonard Cohen's classic song 'Hallelujah.'
CBC Radio ·
K.D. Lang says Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' is an 'opportunity to explore human nature.' (Getty Images)
Q6:35K.D. Lang on Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah': 'He was a prophet'

Like many music fans, K.D. Lang first learned of Leonard Cohen's hit song "Hallelujah" from Jeff Buckley's famous cover of it. 

"Jeff Buckley was the guy that really brought it out into the sunshine," Lang explains. "That really brought a whole bunch of people to hear the diamond that was in the song." 

Lang herself covers the song now in her live performances and, for her, the song is a way for her to explore human nature. She adds, "You can apply pretty much any emotion to it at any given time. I never get tired of diving into those lyrics because of the opportunity to explore emotion and wisdom through it." 

"It's something beyond us all, including Leonard," she continues. "Leonard had this amazing way of translating wisdom from the gods and making it comprehensible to us mere mortals — and I think 'Hallelujah' is a beautiful example of that." 

WEB EXTRA | Watch K.D. Lang perform Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" below.

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