The first time I heard this song, it was on the radio in my car and I had to pull over to the side of the road because it was so beautiful it literally distracted me from driving. And I listened all the way through and just wept and wept. I'd never heard of Jeff Buckley, and then Googled him when I got home, only to learn of his incredibly tragic end. And this song took on even more beauty and sadness. As if he knew his own untimely end was coming when he recorded this. He sings this song like he knew a lifetime of love and loss in the short time he was here.
A little after I heard this song for the first time, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. And this song took on new meaning for me through that lens. I loved her so much and so desperately did not want to lose her. But watching her in so much pain, I realized that truly loving her meant letting her go. The line "And love is not a victory march / It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah" made sense then: when you love so deeply and must let it go, it breaks you. And leaves you cold. It's as though you're crossing the finish line after a marathon, and with your last gasp you say "Hallelujah" - it's finally come to an end. You can let go. But there's no winning in the loss; you just feel utterly broken.
My mom has been gone for almost seven years now, and this song still makes me weep every time I hear it. Jeff Buckley gave us all such a gift with this song before he left us.
The first time I heard this song, it was on the radio in my car and I had to pull over to the side of the road because it was so beautiful it literally distracted me from driving. And I listened all the way through and just wept and wept. I'd never heard of Jeff Buckley, and then Googled him when I got home, only to learn of his incredibly tragic end. And this song took on even more beauty and sadness. As if he knew his own untimely end was coming when he recorded this. He sings this song like he knew a lifetime of love and loss in the short time he was here.
A little after I heard this song for the first time, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. And this song took on new meaning for me through that lens. I loved her so much and so desperately did not want to lose her. But watching her in so much pain, I realized that truly loving her meant letting her go. The line "And love is not a victory march / It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah" made sense then: when you love so deeply and must let it go, it breaks you. And leaves you cold. It's as though you're crossing the finish line after a marathon, and with your last gasp you say "Hallelujah" - it's finally come to an end. You can let go. But there's no winning in the loss; you just feel utterly broken.
My mom has been gone for almost seven years now, and this song still makes me weep every time I hear it. Jeff Buckley gave us all such a gift with this song before he left us.
OMG..... You just broke my heart...Thank you for sharing that and i'm sorry for your loss...I lost my Mom too <33
OMG..... You just broke my heart...Thank you for sharing that and i'm sorry for your loss...I lost my Mom too <33