2010 Olympics Music Monday: K.D. Lang Sings Hallelujah

Since Friday, when the 2010 Winter Olympics began in Vancouver, Canada, our family has tuned in to see the opening ceremonies, speed skating, ski jumping, and luge competition. While the media have gone out of their way to yammer about a technical glitch with lighting the cauldron to start the Olympic games, I found the opening ceremonies quite beautiful and compelling, even with only three of the four flame chutes in operation.

We were all saddened by the death of 21-year-old Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, and the opening ceremonies provided several fitting tributes. All my life, I've had the oddest grief reaction to accidental death... I can't stop thinking I need to warn the person not to do whatever caused his or her death. Back in 1998, Rex and I returned from our honeymoon to learn that a close friend and client had died after falling from the roof of his house while trying to install a satellite dish. For years afterward, I would awaken from nightmares in which I couldn't get there in time to tell him not to go up on the roof of his house. On Thursday night, 1988 Olympic bobsledder Mark Wasko gave a terrific presentation to London and Maddie's 4-H Prep club, and we learned how thrilling and dangerous the sport can be. While I know the Olympic authorities have done all they can to make the luge track safer for the athletes, I'll still offer up a prayer for the safety of all of the competitors.

I couldn't embed the video of K.D. Lang's mesmerizing performance of Hallelujah from Friday night's 2010 Olympic opening ceremonies in Vancouver (copyright violations), but I did track down the following video from a prior performance for this week's Music Monday post:




I knew I had heard the song before, but couldn't remember where... embarrassed when I tracked down the source as Rufus Wainwright on the soundtrack from Shrek! Leonard Cohen wrote and performed the original lyrics:

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

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