To those below who deny Leonard loved this version of k.d.’s above all others, you’re both right and wrong. He wasn’t present for this particular show, but she sang it again, one year later at the 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards. We attended the show together and sat in the front row, next to Helen Reddy (another recipient of honors). Leonard and I- and the rest of the audience- were brought to tears by k.d.’s performance, and he whispered to me, “I think we can lay that song to rest now.” I nodded in agreement. He repeated that to her, when she stepped off stage afterward to bow before him directly…it was a gorgeous mutual acknowledgment of musical artistry…and rightly so.
Thank you for this. Of the hundreds of times I've watched this performance in awe ... I've always wondered if KD was nodding to Leonard at the end. I immediately looked up her performance at the 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards after reading your post here ... and cry every time when I watch the interaction of mutual acknowledgment in musical artistry. Many, many thanks. God Bless.
Same! I saw her 7 years ago perform this song live and I had tears rolling down my cheeks from the emotion she put into it and simultaneously had goosebumps all over my body. If she comes to Australia again, I will definitely be going again!
not "one of the best"... the best... it stands alone... above and beyond any other version... Cohen himself said as much... he was there that night... it moved him deeply
I check in on k.d. lang's version of this song every once in a while just to reassure myself I'm still alive.....Yep, I am. God, this is beautiful and powerful! What a treasure she is!
She sang it at the Juno Awards at the MTS centre at the time. We were running the Budweiser Lounge, we all left to watch , some staff were crying.... about 30 seconds in it seemed as the entire building stopped, we knew we were witnesses to incredible moment in time... Between the clapping you could here a pin drop. Thank you Ms Lang..... your humility and talent was unmatched that night, God Bless you
The crowd disrespects the amazing singing by cheering, clapping and whistling. Sometimes a song demands silence to appreciate the timing and delivery from the singer. KD deserves that for her amazing performance!
I agree! I put her in the Top covers w Disturbed’s rendition of Sound of Silence. Very few covers are better than the original. KD Lang and Disturbeds, David Draiman Are the only 2 that nailed it and hit it out of the park.
@@mohmoony3918 I still lived in Toronto in the 90s, she was *huge* in the small venues there. The western aesthetic was considered campy, but there was also a big rockabilly resurgence in the west end, she built a faithful following
Oh Yes, We are Blessed to Live during a Time of K D Lang.. I play this Song every time, I want to feel Sad, Or Happy, or Uplifted, I played this, this Time when I found out about The Passing, of another Gem in Our Lives ,, Vale' Celine Dion, Rest and Sing in Peace,,
I listen to this every few days. I also think it’s the best version. This was the first time I ever heard kd sing, and it is what hooked me forever. When I die, I hope to hear her singing this in my head! 😘
About 10 days before my big brother died, he insisted I listen to this before I left that day. Said it might be the best ever song. Realized he was also telling me what music to play at his service. Listen to I at least 2x each year... on his birthday and the date of his passing. This song is so moving.
K.D. Lang is by far the greatest singer of this song..my heart literally is filled with love each time I hear it, and it is often that I hear it! I have a couple things on my bucket list..seeing and hearing K.D.Lang live singing this song is number 1!
The first time I heard K.D. Lang sing this song was for a Sports Event happening in Vancouver BC .. many many years ago .. I still need to take a few deep breathes as I listen .. riveting !! Soul changing .. Awesome !!!
how can you sing one word.... more than 30 or so times in a few minutes.....and give it a different emotion, a different colour, a different meaning and most importantly a different "feeling" every single time. she gives us a plea, a prayer, a cry, a shout, a scream and everything in between in just a small slither of time. This is just stunning musicianship, right the way through and cuts through to the heart. Thank you thank you KD for explaining this song like nobody before. Amazing, just amazing.
How many times she has sung this song and still manages to make it sound like it is the first time performing it. THAT is a professional!!! One of Canada's greatest singers by far!!!
THAT is genuine talent and sincere emotion:) There are few who have that ability. Her cover of "Helpless" by my favorite, Mr.Neil Young, is simply incredible. I'm not a big fan of covers, but she is one of a handful that I've seen who can add her own personality to a song without taking anything out of it. She honors it.
Yes, and I want to hear every single version she does. Gives me chills every time. She is without question the greatest female vocalist of our generation.
Melanie Deysenroth Music is so subjective, but I agree with you. She is the greatest of our generation. She has such command and control of her voice. That in itself is a most difficult thing. And her voice is simply beautiful but those things are only part of what makes her the best. No matter what she sings, she puts her entire self into it. She could sing the phone book and it would probably sell millions. It's the emotion, the feeling and the love she allows us to share with her that makes her the best. She is who she is and doesn't try to be anyone or anything she isn't. We see the true person she is and we love her. We as the audience, are not easy to fool. KD Lang is Sincerely genuine and humble. These are character traits which are hard to fake. She is the real deal and ALL of these things reflect in her music. We know her and we love her. Of course this is just my opinion but I think it's a good one:) :) It's not too humble, but it's good:)
Actually, no. When he heard K.D. Lang's interpretation he discovered much more in the song than the usual versions. He said he was "honored" by her performance of his greatest song.
Where there is darkness, there is always light - if you just want to see it. I love you KD - your voice is a ray of feelings that not many artists manage to convey.
Of all of the various renditions by so many other artists I've heard, no one and I mean absolutely no one sings this ballad with such complete perfection. It brings me to tears, sends shivers down my spine and gives me goosebumps every single time I listen to it. I LOVE this rendition.
+somegalfromcan She got a standing O, and how could she not? And I'm afraid she has not done it better since, which doesn't in any way reflect on how she did it then.
+FirstUsedBooks not only was it a standing ovation, the crowd was compromised of mostly musician at the Juno Awards, Canada's version of the Grammy's. To get a standing ovation from any crowd is wonderful, but to get one from your peers is another level altogether!!
So delighted that so many people are enjoying this performance. We're the orchestra that performs with K.D. in this video. Would you mind crediting us in some way?
I would love to know who you are or were. I have asked who was conducting, without achieving an answer. Lang could not have done this without you or him. I think I have said as much several times in the course of this thread. I think this is her pinnacle performance of this song, and it could not have happened without the accompaniment. I would love to credit you, not that it will accomplish a hill of beans, but for my own satisfaction, I'd like to know who were instrumental to her success.
+Missditabomb Good question. I suspect it's because to win these kinds of awards you have to have people promoting and politicking on your behalf, and I suspect that KD doesn't give a shit about them (awards). She knows she has a gift. She has probably always known this. No doubt it didn't hurt that someone like Roy Orbison with his own vocal gifts recognized hers. I think she does not think that she needs these awards. She's not collecting trophies. She has this amazing ability and she's happy to share it when she can. Look at her in this piece. She dresses in a gown that conceals her figure, it could almost be called a tent. She does not have an unattractive figure, I'm willing to bet. She has put on a bit of weight as do most other women when they age. She is saying that we don't need to concentrate on her looks. She is not performing to show off her bod. Notice that she doesn't wear shoes. I have heard her explain that she feels more in touch with her environment when she is barefoot. She is giving her audience the best that she can give, and in this particular performance she delivers virtuoso. I sometimes ask myself how much of my anatomy I'd have been willing to part with if I could have been there live. She is an absolute treasure. One day she will be recognized far and wide. But just as with many other important artists who don't promote themselves, she'll probably be dead by that time. In the meantime it's just you and me and the 40,000 other people who have thumbed this video.
+Missditabomb Other thing to think about. She's Canadian. She's singing this song written by another Canadian named Leonard Cohen. Cohen at some point in the last five years has said that KD owns this song, meaning he cannot hope to sing it better. This is great praise. If you don't know Cohen, you might want to google him. He's a pretty fine singer in his own right. Like Orbison, he knows greatness when he sees it.
+FirstUsedBooks I remember reading that Leonard Cohen thought k.d.'s version was the best he had heard and I was so pleased that he thought that this most beloved song should be sung most brilliantly by another Canadian. I totally agree - and think her performance of this song at the Olympics in Canada was just out of this world.
you had to be there to really appreciate her singing this song. My daughter and i were here to see the Junos front row seats. front stage. We had tears running down our faces,. Totally awesome. I will never forget her singing this Rick Moisio Kd is a very humble person. she sure should it when she go a standing ovation i think about 3 times just amaizing.
Well said. Her humility always gets me somehow. Since I heard her first live rendition I still haven't found anyone who I think comes close. I never run out of comparisons but it's fun trying.
Ruth Rapp, I'm pretty sure I saw that video of KD singing that with Leonard in the audience. If you search for it, I believe she was at the Lodges, in Austrlia, and she was dressed in white. She was well loved there too. I've heard many sing this song but none can do it the justice it deserves except KD. 💞
You said a mouthful, my friend. If she was dainty and performed in a sparkly dress and a face full of makeup, people would be falling all over themselves. But if you are perfection personified with the kind of voice that comes along maybe once every millenium, and just happen to not fit the social norms of femininity, you get bubkes. For me, ms. lang is gorgeous and no one touches my soul like she does. Actually, she reminded me that I actually HAVE a soul.
You're right. KD is one of the best interpreters of our generation. She was one of my husband's all time favorites, and mine too. I still adore her. Her voice is beyond awesome.
When she sang this at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she was all dressed in white and when she sang I cried because it was all just so beautiful. You could almost feel it coming from her soul.
This is my favorite rendition of this song. I think I read that even Leonard Cohen loved the way K.D. Lang sang this song, almost as if he wrote it with her in mind to sing it. RIP to a great poet
KD first sang this song for Leonard. When she finished he had a lump in his throat and tears down his face. He was in awe. For the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics he was originally asked to sing this song, he told them to get KD to sing it as it was her song now. Beautiful man, beautiful song.
It's impossible not to come back and play this song over and over again. She's so incredible in so many ways. I feel she invites me to be calm, to be at peace, to be held still, and just admire her performance. Thank you K.D. Lang for such a masterpiece.
Leonard Cohen was in the audience once when she sang this and he commented that this song can now be put away. No one will ever sing it better than that.
+Durchlacht Yes he was in the audience of one of her versions, I think around 2006. I think his comment about Lang's mastery of the song came later, when he was invited to sing at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. When he heard that Lang had already signed, he said something along the line of (keep in mind this is all anecdotal) "If you've got Lang, what do you need me for? She owns this song."
Yes. Yes, she did. And I watch to the end of the video to be able to see her amazement and humbleness at the audience's reaction to her performance. That ain't fake and that ain't hay.
I've seen her perform twice and she is very humble and almost surprised when she brings the audience to its feet over and over. I spent pretty much the entire two concerts in tears, she is that damn good.
There are a handful of singers, well performers, who bring me to tears, she is definitely in the top five, Freddy Mercury is another one who can bring me to tears, and Dinah Washington
I saw her when she played in Anchorage back in the mid 2000's. I went SPECIFICALLY to hear this song and I was not disappointed. Many of us cried and she got a standing ovation.
As a matter of fact, it was played at the last funeral I attended, and it was very comforting and uplifting, definitely a departure from the usual funeral dirge. Might I suggest also, if you are not familiar with it, Faure's Requiem which is full of light and hope. Hope you find what you're looking for, sorry for your loss, if such is the case.
@@exgaming9337, I sure hate to say it but I would lay bets that “she’s” a castrato. That would explain “her” vocal range (including a woman’s) and “her” lung volume - which allows “her” to sing so long without running out of breath.. (Men have larger rib cages.) “Her” big hands and feet and broad shoulders too. Now I know why people did that to boys hundreds of years ago. Wicked. But it explains her “lesbianism” too. Whitney Houston as well. 😞
I was a camera assistant, positioned onstage to k.d.’s left, thrilled again to be so near such an incredible moment in music. I say "again" because I was in the same place the day before when she arrived on a cold day, straight from the airport, wrapped in a big, down-filled coat which she kept on while she rehearsed this song and Neil Young’s “Helpless”, the live performance of which is as good as this. (She was replacing Young who had to cancel his Juno appearance due to illness.) Everyone in the broadcast crew and the few spectators who were there gave her a standing ovation then, too.
Hi Cass and Martin... You’re welcome! Nice of you to comment. I’ve seen a lot of performers through my occupation as a camera operator and camera assistant and just on my own. k.d.’s breathtaking performances on those two days are certainly amongst the most memorable.
K. D.'s phrasing of the musical line is stunning. She colors each note with just the right amount of subtle shading, never allowing her voice to overpower the poetic beauty of the lyrics. Truly magnificent!
Every time I hear this I still get goose bumps 😄😄 K. D. takes this song to a whole new level. She reached down to the very depths of her soul for this performance. Absolutely amazing ❤❤👏👏👏👏👏👏
I've just read all the comments....all of the praising adjectives.... not one person, but myself, has the nerve to admit to another adjective........ ORGASMIC !
I've been on this planet for a very long time and heard way too many renditions of this song but there will never be one with as much soul as this one. She IS the one meant to sing this!
Remember she realizes it is not just her rendition it is the orchestra also. They are wonderful together they are gods way of telling us there is hallelujah all around us.
You can tell when musicians know that something special is happening. Every member of the orchestra is focused on giving k.d. the best possible support. Thanks for helping to create a performance for the ages.
KD Lang has a voice of velvet. The tone is hauntingly stunning and her emotional commitment to the song is unparalleled. The orchestra is excellent as it accompanies her beautifully without upstaging her voice or her performance.
Well said…..at the Olympics in 2010, no one, no one, has ever done a performance like that! She is clear, controls her voice, amazingly beautiful. Awesome.
I found this today. Never heard of her before, but won’t forget. Listened at least 30x. Her voice literally dances up and down and all about like a powerful ballerina and the orchestra was her equally talented partner. This is a work of art.
When my only grandchild was about two months old, I introduced him to this video. He lay on my big bed and watched it on my laptop. He never took his eyes off the screen. We have watched it together at least once a week since then. He will be a year old next month, and I have my own videos of him in front of the laptop. Nothing else captures his attention in the same way. When he was small, he watched and listened. At eleven months, his mouth moves in a careful attempt to sing. As I sat this Easter morning, the baby lying quietly against my chest, watching the video again, it suddenly came to me that, whatever my religious beliefs, on this first Easter of his life, this small boy is my Hallelujah. March 2015. Dean Robertson
It’s a beautiful thing that you did for your grandchild , to bring about an awareness of something so beautiful at such an early age and may stand hi. In good stead when he is a man. Thankyou for sharing
The orchestra accompaniment to this phenomenal piece is quite remarkable. They didn’t overshadow the beauty of the song in any way, but had the mastery & the finesse to complement every emotion that was expressed through KD’s version of it.
I am right there with you! I’ve seen her 3 times live and her voice and the orchestra is AMAZING!! My partner bought us tickets for her last US concert in Akron, Ohio. My partner decided to take her life on 1-18-2018. So, we never made it to Akron. My life will never, EVER be the same.
@@kimperry835 wow, lucky you! I love love love KD Lang as well. Now I’m far away from Canada, in FL. Years ago I was live close to Montreal, where a fantastic jazz festival and fireworks competition was held.
It’s almost as if she’s both singing this song and living it at the same time. As if she’s telling you her life story while performing a song written by someone else. Christ almighty what a performance...
@@angelawilliams4239 the 1st time that I heard this was by a very dear friend of mine--it made me cry & the fellow that sang it Observed my emotions and sang it every time I was around to hear it. K.d.lang makes it her own & it continues to cause me to become very emotional each time that I hear it.....
Cat Mackenzie Yes it is extraordinary. Many people besides you and I have noticed this, one of the major noticers being Roy Orbison. He invited her to sing with him on a re-release of his song "Crying". You want to guess whether his original or re-release is better? He knew talent when he heard it. As for this song, she has recorded it numerous times. Its author, Leonard Cohen, said some years ago that she owns it. Yes, she does. She has taken it to places he could never have gone. A little off the point, but when Cohen was invited to sing at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and heard that k.d. was already committed, he said, paraphrasing, "If you've got Lang, why do you need me?" He declined the invitation. And k.d. sang this song, and you can find it on youtube, but, imo, her rendition is nowhere near as good as the Juno performance we are listening to here. There are things that happen only once in a lifetime, whether for the performer or the listener. They are called virtuoso performances. I heard a couple live when I was rich enough to subscribe to the symphony (Itzaak Perlman and Emanuel Ax, come to mind. Lang's Juno version of "Hallelujah" is the "ne plus ultra", the "you're not going to get any better" version of her several renditions. I cry when I listen to this perforrmance, just as I do listening to Perlman playing Brahms and Ax playing Liszt.
Thanks for the comment. I do also love Crying. Bird on a Wire is fantastic too. In fact the entire hymns album! The only other vocalist that I rate in the same vein is Eva Cassidy x
(Bows in humility) For most of my life, I was straight-laced, unforgiving, uncompromising and very specific in my views. KD Lang started the transition with this unbelievable performance. I knew she was lesbian and I hated her for that. To my great shame, I called her "Ugly" and "Dyke". This incredible performance rocked me to the core; it opened my eyes to the stupidity and narrow-mindedness of my life. At 50 years of age, I'm finally starting to learn about the wonderful complexity and love of people not exactly like myself - and I'm learning how wrong I've been for half a century. To learn that I have, in fact, been the thing I hated most: a bigot - shamed me so completely I've had to relearn and reconsider everything I've held "true". Who cares about gender? Who cares about type? Those are categories, nothing more. What matters - as I learned at this moment (which I saw live) is love; and love is more powerful than any self-appointed false beliefs. True love blasts through stereotypes, ignorance and prejudice like a tidal wave; love sweeps away all false notions of gender-specified sex. I'm totally straight, I will never experience interest an any male companion but at last I at least understand why another man might - in emotional terms at least. I'll never understand the alternate orientations, but I do understand they are as powerful, loving and true as the biblically-determined love between man and woman.I may not be a new man, nor a well-educated one, but I must admit I'm having a lot more fun. :)
KD did this to you? I'm 70, but I think had a more open mind from the get-go. My first wife was gay. I knew this. It was a marriage of convenience by which I would become her guardian. We did have sex a couple of times, desultory, I thought I could cure her. I was very young. She wanted me to sleep with her and her girlfriend, but at the time I didn't like her girlfriend. A couple of years later I changed my mind, but she was long gone to France and never came back. You have made one of the most powerful statements I have ever seen re changing sexual perceptions. KD is a dyke, and is proud of being so. And stripping away sexuality, what have you got? You've got a woman with an amazing voice who would enjoy mostly hanging out with other women. [I've been in love with her for at least 20 years.]
Well, to be clear this performance didn't complete the journey, it STARTED it. At the time, all I was was a person rocked by an astounding, emotional performance. It took a lot more exposure, which CBC gave, to not only open my eyes but educate me. It gave me the impetus to open my eyes and actually look around at what was around me. I'm glad of it.
Dave-- what a pleasure to read your post. Your humility and receptivity is moving. You nailed it on the head so beautifully-- as simplistic as it sounds, it does boil down to love. Music often transforms me in the same way-- I'll be wound up in my thoughts and sometimes, in negativity; then I will hear/see a performance that taps into this universal energy and the next thing i know, I'm weeping, and my heart has opened up. Thanks for putting it out there so courageously.
John after reading your comment I listened to Jeff Buckly - the Official video (Vevo version) and the original studio version. It is true he has an amazing voice. He is not equal or better than this video. The depth of the emotion she puts into the songs elevates it above any other version I have heard, including the one by Leonard Cohan himself. Even he said it was the best performance of his song.
George Gentry Well, the song was taken out of obscurity by John Cale and Jeff Buckley. Jeff's version was at # 259 (Rolling Stones) greatest songs of all time, and Jeff's version was placed or was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. I've worked with some of the best singers-artists in the biz, and his version was always mentioned as a favorite. It's always considered to be one of the absolute best versions, and he was only the second person, after John Cale to record his version of the song. To each his own, but Jeff definitely and deservedly "owns" this song.
As one of my last remaining heroes, I'm kinda hoping and assuming she will outlast me (I'm 50) and therefore has maaaany years to come. If I had a penny in this world, I would *so* book her to sing this at the funeral I can't afford to pay for or insure against. Meanwhile, this lifts me often.❤️
@@jadezee6316 A great song speaks to the heart in the profound and expressive tone, personalizing and validating our humanity. Feelings and emotions beyond words live infinitely. Enjoy your life fully, Jade Zee.
In my humble opinion and I'm just a simple guitarist, KD sang her heart out here and produced one of the best versions of this wonderful number we shall ever hear. What a night that must have been.
One of? This is the immortal version of this song as far as I'm concerned, never to be bettered. I tear up Every. Single. Time. at "But I saw your flag on the marble arch / Our love is not a victory march / It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah!"
I've watched this so many times that I can't even count. This is her absolute best performance of this song. It gives me chills every single time. I always end up listening to it at least twice before I move on. The orchestra plays it perfectly, doesn't overpower the words or her voice. Perfection! ❤
I really knew almost nothing about k.d. lang, maybe remembered the magazine covers with Cindy Crawford, had I even heard her sing? I don't know. But I was a Leonard Cohen groupie since the 1960's. Then one day a friend sent this video in an email--sometime between 2000-2005. I turned it on. And again. And again. I couldn't move and believe I watched it 20+ times before I could get up from the chair. I'm sure by now I have seen nearly all her performances of it. This is still my favorite but the one at the MAX awards is a close second. There are so many but close your eyes and there is always the voice.
@@MsCullimore ..the audience appreciation at the end is a wonderful part of it. She is just so graceful in accepting it. ..but I will have a listen to it though.
Leonard Cohen was in the audience for this recording at the Juno awards. After hearing KD Lang, he reportedly said he never needed to hear another cover of the song, and that the song should be retired for he had heard PERFECTION. We all have our favorite versions of Hallelujah, but "I", well I wouldn't argue with Leonard Cohen. This is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard.
Love your name !!!!! I wish I could of seen Leonard Cohen's face as KD sang the song. It's amazing how music can move you right to your very soul ! Where Can I find that piece or Juno award?
I saw the video version showing Mr. Cohen in the front row. As KD Lang finished the song, her hand motion was directed at Leonard and her bow was to his authorship. I often compare this version to Mr. Cohen singing the song. Not sure if true, but I think I read that he wrote over 700 lines for a 'pick and choose' your version of this song.
Kate Ingram Deaf. ears. Not to listen to music with JeffBuckly??!! You have a right to your opimiom,however My law dropped and I let out shudder when I read your comment. Good Lord!!
I totally concur. She is the finest singer on the planet in my opinion. She is not a vocal showoff like so many today. Just pure vocal musicality of the highest order.
THE masterful performance and interpretation by a true treasure . I'll play this and listen to her till time is gone. Seems like well done is not enough..... Thank you Ms. Lang
KD Lang = the Stradivarius of human voices. And I got to hear her live.
Beautifully put!
❤
I saw her live too. She is fabulous!
I was fortunate to see her twice. Lovely every time.
Me too,
To those below who deny Leonard loved this version of k.d.’s above all others, you’re both right and wrong. He wasn’t present for this particular show, but she sang it again, one year later at the 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards. We attended the show together and sat in the front row, next to Helen Reddy (another recipient of honors). Leonard and I- and the rest of the audience- were brought to tears by k.d.’s performance, and he whispered to me, “I think we can lay that song to rest now.” I nodded in agreement. He repeated that to her, when she stepped off stage afterward to bow before him directly…it was a gorgeous mutual acknowledgment of musical artistry…and rightly so.
Thank you for this. Of the hundreds of times I've watched this performance in awe ... I've always wondered if KD was nodding to Leonard at the end. I immediately looked up her performance at the 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards after reading your post here ... and cry every time when I watch the interaction of mutual acknowledgment in musical artistry. Many, many thanks. God Bless.
so wonderful to read this, thank you!
He loved Jeff Buckleys version too! All that said, Cohen had the most emotional version.
@@kathyhoof8224
As, Leonard himself said ... It's a great song, he just wished so many people didn't sing it ....
It’s 2023 and this rendition of this song by KD Lang still gives me shivers ♥️
Same!
I saw her 7 years ago perform this song live and I had tears rolling down my cheeks from the emotion she put into it and simultaneously had goosebumps all over my body. If she comes to Australia again, I will definitely be going again!
Me too! I've never seen this amazing lady in a live performance, but my life is not over yet. Someday...!
She catched every Single Person who saw this Performance. On Screen and in the Stadion. Still always amazing
Same. I’m estranged from my mother and this song reminds me of her and my heart hurts every time.
Breathtaking! Emotionally wrecks me every time. Extraordinary talent!
After so many years and different renditions, this one is still one of the best versions ever made.
TRUE❤
I haven't heard one that I did NOT love!!
This is the best Hallelujah ever! This touch the soul!,,,,
not "one of the best"... the best... it stands alone... above and beyond any other version... Cohen himself said as much... he was there that night... it moved him deeply
OMG That woman can sing like a angel...You go girl!
Still the best performance ever of Leonard’s greatest song ever. No contest!
Agree
Absolutely the best!!! Love it always Brilliant ♥ ♥ ♥
He gave her the best accolade, he' never seen or heard it sung so beautifully ❤
Absolutely untouchable performance!
Yes, I need to listen to it every couple of months or so because it's the most powerful version ever recorded of this magnificent song.
Even Leonard Cohen said she owned this song. She sure did.
Once KD sings a song, it stays sung! 🤍
Proof that angels do indeed live among us..
Thank goodness I have my guardian angel to help protect me… Namely St. Michael the Archangel who defeated Satan from Heaven & sent him to hell.
It's September 1st, 2024, and believe it or not this is the first time I've heard this song sung by this artist. It's absolutely amazing!
I come to listen now & then just to experience the beauty once again. Today I saw my comment from 8 yrs ago. Never tire of this.
Yes..... I am back tonight, Sept. 14th, 2024.... because I really need this today.
Me too
Just like me!😂
I check in on k.d. lang's version of this song every once in a while just to reassure myself I'm still alive.....Yep, I am. God, this is beautiful and powerful! What a treasure she is!
Well said
Indeed!!!!
This song is about sex. You may want to research lol
Agree, well said. And what KD does that is rare, she doesn't oversing. LOVE THIS.
I do the same, and it gives me hope for a little while.
She sang it at the Juno Awards at the MTS centre at the time. We were running the Budweiser Lounge, we all left to watch , some staff were crying.... about 30 seconds in it seemed as the entire building stopped, we knew we were witnesses to incredible moment in time...
Between the clapping you could here a pin drop. Thank you Ms Lang..... your humility and talent was unmatched that night, God Bless you
The crowd disrespects the amazing singing by cheering, clapping and whistling. Sometimes a song demands silence to appreciate the timing and delivery from the singer. KD deserves that for her amazing performance!
yep I agree
RIP Leonard Cohen. KD did you proud on this one.
To me KD Lang has one of the most incredible singing voices - absolute perfection! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
❤ 1:27
Me toot too truth tru
Oh my goodness YES!!!
❤❤❤❤thank you !
Let's not forget Leonard Cohen and Josh Groban. They are all beautiful in their own right.
One of the best covers in history. She really pays homage to Leonard Cohen. She does just as well with Roy Orbison and "Crying."
Yes.
Yes indeed.
Agree
I agree! I put her in the Top covers w Disturbed’s rendition of Sound of Silence. Very few covers are better than the original. KD Lang and Disturbeds, David Draiman Are the only 2 that nailed it and hit it out of the park.
She is shy and humble...and probably has no idea just how great she really is...
One of the best voices Canada has ever had...
I would add one of the best voices the world has ever seen ❤
Don't know about shy, she once accepted a Juno award in 1985 wearing a wedding dress & cowboy boots cuz everyone assumed her as an Albertan bumpkin.
@@mohmoony3918 I still lived in Toronto in the 90s, she was *huge* in the small venues there.
The western aesthetic was considered campy, but there was also a big rockabilly resurgence in the west end, she built a faithful following
Hardly shy. KDL emote so much confidence and artistry, there isn't anything shy about her. Which makes this all the more powerful.
Oh Yes, We are Blessed to Live during a Time of K D Lang.. I play this Song every time, I want to feel Sad, Or Happy, or Uplifted,
I played this, this Time when I found out about The Passing, of another Gem in Our Lives ,, Vale' Celine Dion,
Rest and Sing in Peace,,
at 95 I can still appreciate this magnificent performance. Thank you Leonard and KD!
Jack are you still with us buddy?
We’re pulling for you, Jack. Even if you left us right after posting that, God bless you for making it to 95! ❤
This is THE BEST version EVER sang by anyone🏆🏆
KD Lang blows it right out of the park--AMAZING🏆🏆💝
Who listening in 2020
The best version by far, wow.
I am. It's the 8th Jan right now. I just love her mighty voice. and that Orchestra!!! Wow
@@iamlennii6791 i love it 😁
I've been a fan for over twenty years. She leaves me speechless.
I listen to this every few days. I also think it’s the best version. This was the first time I ever heard kd sing, and it is what hooked me forever. When I die, I hope to hear her singing this in my head! 😘
I am Jan 19 2020 Ive been a fan for many years she sings with perfection can never hear her beautiful voice enough ❤
About 10 days before my big brother died, he insisted I listen to this before I left that day. Said it might be the best ever song. Realized he was also telling me what music to play at his service. Listen to I at least 2x each year... on his birthday and the date of his passing. This song is so moving.
I don't know when you brother passed but I am so sorry for your loss but Jehovah God has him in his memory again I'm so sorry
K.D. Lang is by far the greatest singer of this song..my heart literally is filled with love each time I hear it, and it is often that I hear it! I have a couple things on my bucket list..seeing and hearing K.D.Lang live singing this song is number 1!
Hugs from a sister missing her heavenly brother.
Wow, that made me tear up...
This rendition was my soul mate, the love of my life absolute favourite He passed away a year ago and it brings me to tears every time
She truly deserved that standing ovation. What an interpretation and voice.
It goes on for what feels like forever and couldn’t be more deserved… her voice is so moving you can’t help but cry it’s unstoppable…
Yes so talented
Her response to the standing ovation is pure and genuine. I've never seen someone as thankful. The absolute best version of this song, EVER!!
100% agree !
The first time I heard K.D. Lang sing this song was for a Sports Event happening in Vancouver BC .. many many years ago .. I still need to take a few deep breathes as I listen .. riveting !! Soul changing .. Awesome !!!
Rings tears to the eyes
how can you sing one word.... more than 30 or so times in a few minutes.....and give it a different emotion, a different colour, a different meaning and most importantly a different "feeling" every single time. she gives us a plea, a prayer, a cry, a shout, a scream and everything in between in just a small slither of time. This is just stunning musicianship, right the way through and cuts through to the heart. Thank you thank you KD for explaining this song like nobody before. Amazing, just amazing.
Heartfelt artistry.❤️
Wondrous
I love your comment. It’s filled with appreciation
Your comment helped me hear and appreciate her rendition more deeply, listening closely for each variation. Thank you.
Very well said!
Best version of this beautiful song I've ever heard.
How many times she has sung this song and still manages to make it sound like it is the first time performing it. THAT is a professional!!! One of Canada's greatest singers by far!!!
THAT is genuine talent and sincere emotion:) There are few who have that ability. Her cover of "Helpless" by my favorite, Mr.Neil Young, is simply incredible. I'm not a big fan of covers, but she is one of a handful that I've seen who can add her own personality to a song without taking anything out of it. She honors it.
Yes, and I want to hear every single version she does. Gives me chills every time. She is without question the greatest female vocalist of our generation.
Melanie Deysenroth Music is so subjective, but I agree with you. She is the greatest of our generation. She has such command and control of her voice. That in itself is a most difficult thing. And her voice is simply beautiful but those things are only part of what makes her the best. No matter what she sings, she puts her entire self into it. She could sing the phone book and it would probably sell millions. It's the emotion, the feeling and the love she allows us to share with her that makes her the best. She is who she is and doesn't try to be anyone or anything she isn't. We see the true person she is and we love her. We as the audience, are not easy to fool. KD Lang is Sincerely genuine and humble. These are character traits which are hard to fake. She is the real deal and ALL of these things reflect in her music. We know her and we love her. Of course this is just my opinion but I think it's a good one:) :) It's not too humble, but it's good:)
MissDistarr60
Asfgh
....one of the worlds greatest singers, by far...
KD, I will NEVER tire of your voice and your BEAUTIFUL rendition of this masterpiece of a song!!!!!!!! I love you!!!!!💜💜💜💜💜💜
This is the voice Leonard had in mind when he wrote this. There's nothing better.💗
Actually, no. When he heard K.D. Lang's interpretation he discovered much more in the song than the usual versions. He said he was "honored" by her performance of his greatest song.
In these darkest of days, this is hope.
Where there is darkness, there is always light - if you just want to see it. I love you KD - your voice is a ray of feelings that not many artists manage to convey.
❤️
`there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.` Leonard Cohen
Thank you Melvin I needed your comment tonight, it seems so dark these days.
@@crystalbutterfly4812, Melvin and all , we need to remember that we are all brothers and sisters. I love all of you. Have faith, it will get better
Of all of the various renditions by so many other artists I've heard, no one and I mean absolutely no one sings this ballad with such complete perfection. It brings me to tears, sends shivers down my spine and gives me goosebumps every single time I listen to it. I LOVE this rendition.
❤ My thoughts and emotions exactly. Well articulated and clearly understood. I never heard of her! Peace and love in Christ Jesus 🌹
Have you heard the Pentatonix cover?
ruclips.net/video/e1K-c3RSX0c/видео.htmlsi=WR5rH_sZrR8C6bVa
@@txtopaz7997 Yes. It's a NO.
She's the best!!!❤
One of the MOST underrated singers!!!!
thats one of the MOST overrated comments. kd is a legend adored by everyone including her peers.
Not underrated. She is legendary
One of the most famous underrated then
Nobody says she's underrated. You're using that word incorrectly. Kids on youtube... I expect NOTHING less.
@DanMnz dude, I'm 63...not a kid. Watch your word...
This might be the best version of this incredible song ever performed.
+somegalfromcan I think so. She has yet to do it better.
+somegalfromcan She got a standing O, and how could she not? And I'm afraid she has not done it better since, which doesn't in any way reflect on how she did it then.
+FirstUsedBooks not only was it a standing ovation, the crowd was compromised of mostly musician at the Juno Awards, Canada's version of the Grammy's. To get a standing ovation from any crowd is wonderful, but to get one from your peers is another level altogether!!
+William Hawthorne Sadly she said recently that she is going to take it out of her repertoire. I hope she doesn't do that, it would be a shame.
+Irish Fancy that would be a shame. She does one of the best.
So delighted that so many people are enjoying this performance. We're the orchestra that performs with K.D. in this video. Would you mind crediting us in some way?
Thanks for your beautiful work!
I would love to know who you are or were. I have asked who was conducting, without achieving an answer. Lang could not have done this without you or him. I think I have said as much several times in the course of this thread. I think this is her pinnacle performance of this song, and it could not have happened without the accompaniment. I would love to credit you, not that it will accomplish a hill of beans, but for my own satisfaction, I'd like to know who were instrumental to her success.
Manitoba Chamber orchestra?
DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!
brilliant all - its stunning thank you!
2024 and this song still sung by KD leaves me breathless.
And in tears.
@@shantitanna8033- 👌🏼🥹❤️
2024 me to. Shes beautiful. Please come back Katie
Yes!!
Me too,
Whenever I'm feeling down, I listen to her sing this song and everything is right with the world again..beautiful...
K.D. Lang, how has she not won every recording award out in the world?? HOW IS THAT?
+Missditabomb Good question. I suspect it's because to win these kinds of awards you have to have people promoting and politicking on your behalf, and I suspect that KD doesn't give a shit about them (awards). She knows she has a gift. She has probably always known this. No doubt it didn't hurt that someone like Roy Orbison with his own vocal gifts recognized hers. I think she does not think that she needs these awards. She's not collecting trophies. She has this amazing ability and she's happy to share it when she can. Look at her in this piece. She dresses in a gown that conceals her figure, it could almost be called a tent. She does not have an unattractive figure, I'm willing to bet. She has put on a bit of weight as do most other women when they age. She is saying that we don't need to concentrate on her looks. She is not performing to show off her bod. Notice that she doesn't wear shoes. I have heard her explain that she feels more in touch with her environment when she is barefoot. She is giving her audience the best that she can give, and in this particular performance she delivers virtuoso. I sometimes ask myself how much of my anatomy I'd have been willing to part with if I could have been there live. She is an absolute treasure. One day she will be recognized far and wide. But just as with many other important artists who don't promote themselves, she'll probably be dead by that time. In the meantime it's just you and me and the 40,000 other people who have thumbed this video.
+Missditabomb Other thing to think about. She's Canadian. She's singing this song written by another Canadian named Leonard Cohen. Cohen at some point in the last five years has said that KD owns this song, meaning he cannot hope to sing it better. This is great praise. If you don't know Cohen, you might want to google him. He's a pretty fine singer in his own right. Like Orbison, he knows greatness when he sees it.
+FirstUsedBooks Agree with both of your comments. And I am Canadian and do know who Leonard Cohen is.
+FirstUsedBooks I remember reading that Leonard Cohen thought k.d.'s version was the best he had heard and I was so pleased that he thought that this most beloved song should be sung most brilliantly by another Canadian. I totally agree - and think her performance of this song at the Olympics in Canada was just out of this world.
+FirstUsedBooks One reason she doesn't wear shoes when performing is that she is a vegan and it's difficult to find dress shoes not made from leather.
One of the best renditions ever performed. I know she's a stage veteran but I get the feeling she still doesn't know how great she really is.
Yeah I agree wholeheartedly with what you said 👏
Best I ever heard
Cohen said her rendition was the best as well. You can’t get any better than the songwriter singing your praises.
you had to be there to really appreciate her singing this song. My daughter and i were here to see the Junos front row seats. front stage. We had tears running down our faces,. Totally awesome. I will never forget her singing this Rick Moisio Kd is a very humble person. she sure should it when she go a standing ovation i think about 3 times just amaizing.
Well said. Her humility always gets me somehow. Since I heard her first live rendition I still haven't found anyone who I think comes close. I never run out of comparisons but it's fun trying.
I read somewhere that when Leonard Cohen heard her sing this, he said it sounded like he wrote it just for her. A masterpiece!
Ruth Rapp, I'm pretty sure I saw that video of KD singing that with Leonard in the audience. If you search for it, I believe she was at the Lodges,
in Austrlia, and she was dressed in white. She was well loved there too. I've heard many sing this song but none can do it the justice it deserves except KD. 💞
He mentioned her performance in an interview saying that he was very moved by it.
I can see why Leonard Cohen reacted as he did.
Leonard Cohen said that this was her song 🎵. No one else even comes close to this performance.
@@Jacob32905 Anyone who isn't needs their ears cleaned.
If you are butch, you dont get your due. This woman is a once in a lifetime talent.
You said a mouthful, my friend. If she was dainty and performed in a sparkly dress and a face full of makeup, people would be falling all over themselves. But if you are perfection personified with the kind of voice that comes along maybe once every millenium, and just happen to not fit the social norms of femininity, you get bubkes. For me, ms. lang is gorgeous and no one touches my soul like she does. Actually, she reminded me that I actually HAVE a soul.
You're right. KD is one of the best interpreters of our generation. She was one of my husband's all time favorites, and mine too. I still adore her. Her voice is beyond awesome.
I agree. I love her interpretation. She is the BEST!.
I do think she was highly revered and loved...because of her authenticity, and her blessed gift
I am falling all over myself for this butch woman; this incredibly talented, breathtaking woman.
The most beautiful rendition of this song I have ever heard
Same. She is a genius; her soul pours out and covers us all. We are so lucky.
The best rendition even Leonard thought so
Agreed, just beautiful!
When she sang this at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she was all dressed in white and when she sang I cried because it was all just so beautiful. You could almost feel it coming from her soul.
@@Pville78 I recorded her performance at the Olympics. Still enjoy that magical appearance.
This is my favorite rendition of this song. I think I read that even Leonard Cohen loved the way K.D. Lang sang this song, almost as if he wrote it with her in mind to sing it.
RIP to a great poet
Wow.This is the first time Ive heard a tune that seems to say it and Mr Cohen were waiting for her to sing it.What SOUL!
Ian Payton amen to that ian !
Ian Payton listen to Jon Bon Jovi his version is great as well
KD first sang this song for Leonard. When she finished he had a lump in his throat and tears down his face. He was in awe. For the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics he was originally asked to sing this song, he told them to get KD to sing it as it was her song now. Beautiful man, beautiful song.
I hope she keeps singing for a long time. We have lost too many of the best singers like Whitney Houston, and now George Michael.
It's impossible not to come back and play this song over and over again. She's so incredible in so many ways. I feel she invites me to be calm, to be at peace, to be held still, and just admire her performance. Thank you K.D. Lang for such a masterpiece.
k.d. lang's version of Hallelujah is the best I have ever heard. Achingly beautiful.
God given talent given to a beautiful person.
Why is it that some music makes me cry
K.D. Lang has the voice of an angel. I love her version of this amazing song.
@@maryclingman1127 me too.
Fully agree, if you haven't heard it yet also check John cales version.
Leonard Cohen was in the audience once when she sang this and he commented that this song can now be put away. No one will ever sing it better than that.
+Durchlacht Yes he was in the audience of one of her versions, I think around 2006. I think his comment about Lang's mastery of the song came later, when he was invited to sing at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. When he heard that Lang had already signed, he said something along the line of (keep in mind this is all anecdotal) "If you've got Lang, what do you need me for? She owns this song."
The woman was born with the perfect DNA for a voice that induces goosebumps . Wow!
amen to that
may I just second that AMEN..k.d. is truly amazing and incomparable
She is amazing.
There are none better.
How many times am I allowed to like this?
This is one of the great versions of this beautiful song.
@@jamessmith4924 as many times as you want to until the 12th of Never, and that’s a long, long time.
She deserved that standing ovation 👏
And her humbleness at the end. So moving!
Yes. Yes, she did. And I watch to the end of the video to be able to see her amazement and humbleness at the audience's reaction to her performance. That ain't fake and that ain't hay.
@@Fos3texyes
Look at her all embarrassed at being cheered, adorable, love that. Love her voice, fantastic job as always.
I've seen her perform twice and she is very humble and almost surprised when she brings the audience to its feet over and over. I spent pretty much the entire two concerts in tears, she is that damn good.
Yeah, you could see her on the brink of crying towards the end of that standing ovation when she raised her head from bowing. Her peers love her too!
There are a handful of singers, well performers, who bring me to tears, she is definitely in the top five, Freddy Mercury is another one who can bring me to tears, and Dinah Washington
I love her
I'm really not sure there was ever or will ever be again, a voice as pure and perfect as K.D. Lang.
+Theresa F There are other perfect voices, but they most often sing opera.
Agree!!
I saw her when she played in Anchorage back in the mid 2000's. I went SPECIFICALLY to hear this song and I was not disappointed. Many of us cried and she got a standing ovation.
RIP Leaonard. My favourite performance of my favourite Cohen song.
and Leonard's
Fred Matthews i
If there was one song I had to choose as I lay dying, this would be it.
Jocelyn Rogers I am here looking for funeral songs ❤️
As a matter of fact, it was played at the last funeral I attended, and it was very comforting and uplifting, definitely a departure from the usual funeral dirge. Might I suggest also, if you are not familiar with it, Faure's Requiem which is full of light and hope. Hope you find what you're looking for, sorry for your loss, if such is the case.
Jocelyn Rogers nn
Make those bitches cry with Ave Maria
Jocelyn Rogers I agree fully.
Best version. So close to tears here.
adele
+Judy Wagg
Adele is wonderful. BUT, she doesn't compare to kd. I would love to hear them do a duet, however.
me too....
+ellaphx OK but nothing to beat Leonard Cohen's original.
K.D., the orchestra and pianist created a masterpiece here. Incredible.
Stunning version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. I've never heard it done better. k.d. lang has such a stunning voice.
+Marsha Rupe I have. By Rufus Wainwright
+Marsha Rupe This is on Hymns of the 49th Parallel, a CD well worth listening to (again and again).
+Shannon Benzing 💜💜
+Marsha Rupe Gives you chills, doesn't it? :D Amazing!
+Marsha Rupe Jeff Buckley....
She compelled the audience out of their seats. Me too had I had the privilege and pleasure of being there.
Wow it must have been amazing being there.
😊
She is just amazing
@@exgaming9337, I sure hate to say it but I would lay bets that “she’s” a castrato. That would explain “her” vocal range (including a woman’s) and “her” lung volume - which allows “her” to sing so long without running out of breath.. (Men have larger rib cages.)
“Her” big hands and feet and broad shoulders too.
Now I know why people did that to boys hundreds of years ago. Wicked.
But it explains her “lesbianism” too.
Whitney Houston as well. 😞
When/where was this?
There is sanctuary in her voice...an inescapable feeling
Most beautiful comment on the internet ever
@@rhomahno8878 Agreed. I am going to pay Ms. Wilhelm the ultimate compliment and steal it!
BEAUTIFULLY SAID!
That's exactly it - there is sanctuary in her voice. Yes.
trajsmith me too.
There is no other voice as pure and beautiful as KD Lang’s. This song truly sends shivers down my spine!! ❤
I was a camera assistant, positioned onstage to k.d.’s left, thrilled again to be so near such an incredible moment in music. I say "again" because I was in the same place the day before when she arrived on a cold day, straight from the airport, wrapped in a big, down-filled coat which she kept on while she rehearsed this song and Neil Young’s “Helpless”, the live performance of which is as good as this. (She was replacing Young who had to cancel his Juno appearance due to illness.) Everyone in the broadcast crew and the few spectators who were there gave her a standing ovation then, too.
Thank you so much for this in person memory.
Thank you for sharing your memorable experience.
Hi Cass and Martin...
You’re welcome! Nice of you to comment. I’ve seen a lot of performers through my occupation as a camera operator and camera assistant and just on my own. k.d.’s breathtaking performances on those two days are certainly amongst the most memorable.
John Mc Clure you are one lucky man!
Amazing awesome .....best ever rendition of this song! IT WILL BE PLAYED AT MY FUNERAL!!!
Well it don't get any better than that.
It doesn't you know 👌
Jeff Buckley.
+Ohshitwaddupitsdatboi Not even Jeff Buckley's version is better than this.
oh it doe's... never heard of jeff buckley, don't cha?
K. D.'s phrasing of the musical line is stunning. She colors each note with just the right amount of subtle shading, never allowing her voice to overpower the poetic beauty of the lyrics. Truly magnificent!
I love the detail you go into. Thank you.
She does to singing what Van Cliburn did to the piano.
I think she is praying
What i tried to say but this describes what her voice does and the music backs it up
A perfect rendition 0f a most beautiful song 😍😍
Every time I hear this I still get goose bumps 😄😄 K. D. takes this song to a whole new level. She reached down to the very depths of her soul for this performance. Absolutely amazing ❤❤👏👏👏👏👏👏
this performance makes me so emotional!! love you kd
Me too... it's a magnificent love song... which reaches right down into the bottom of my Jewish soul.
I've just read all the comments....all of the praising adjectives....
not one person, but myself, has the nerve to admit to another adjective........
ORGASMIC !
Never sung better, absolute perfection.
I've been on this planet for a very long time and heard way too many renditions of this song but there will never be one with as much soul as this one. She IS the one meant to sing this!
I agree with you 100%!!!!
Brings me to tears every time
I totally agree she is the perfect person to sing it.
1’23/2023 magnificent !
Oh I agree whole heartedly. The best version of this special song.and I adore Leonard Cohen.
Her response to the audience’s ovation is so humbling.
Yes, KD does indeed remain humble. What an incredible performance.
Remember she realizes it is not just her rendition it is the orchestra also. They are wonderful together they are gods way of telling us there is hallelujah all around us.
You can tell when musicians know that something special is happening. Every member of the orchestra is focused on giving k.d. the best possible support. Thanks for helping to create a performance for the ages.
Indeed. Agree 🌹💜🌹
The modern nwo ukraine nazi will fall.
An era has ended with your passing. RIP dear Leonard Cohen.
If this doesn’t produce some kind emotion in you, check your pulse.
🙏🙏. Or... They possibly don't have one 😂
@@KajunMs39 I
how true Eric
Agree
KD Lang has a voice of velvet. The tone is hauntingly stunning and her emotional commitment to the song is unparalleled. The orchestra is excellent as it accompanies her beautifully without upstaging her voice or her performance.
Well said…..at the Olympics in 2010, no one, no one, has ever done a performance like that! She is clear, controls her voice, amazingly beautiful. Awesome.
Perfectly put, Ilona.
🎯❗️♥️ I couldn’t have said it better!
Listening to this song again, six years later. K.D. Lang has an absolutely awesome voice. Spectacular, thank you K.D.!
I've been a fan since the first time I heard her sing crying with Roy Orbison. Her voice is amazing !!!
Shirley D j
Phil Smith
I found this today. Never heard of her before, but won’t forget. Listened at least 30x. Her voice literally dances up and down and all about like a powerful ballerina and the orchestra was her equally talented partner. This is a work of art.
Listen to her tribute to Roy Orbison with Crying
Completely agree..
So glad you discovered K.D. Amazing talent and YES to everything you said 💗
"A work of art" such an apt description.
It made me cry
For me, hands down best version of this song I've ever heard.
Absolutely
YES !
Larry Kirkendall. Yes!!!
Larry Kirkendall Yes she so did right
Nobody sings it better
NO ONE WILL EVER SING THIS
SONG. !!! BETTER !!!
Amazing voice, spectacular and yet still humble about it ... what a performance
Great voice, Perfect perfomance
Bad company
Her appreciation of the audience is so beautiful.
Mark Sadofsky ?????
When my only grandchild was about two months old, I introduced him to this video. He lay on my big bed and watched it on my laptop. He never took his eyes off the screen. We have watched it together at least once a week since then. He will be a year old next month, and I have my own videos of him in front of the laptop. Nothing else captures his attention in the same way. When he was small, he watched and listened. At eleven months, his mouth moves in a careful attempt to sing.
As I sat this Easter morning, the baby lying quietly against my chest, watching the video again, it suddenly came to me that, whatever my religious beliefs, on this first Easter of his life, this small boy is my Hallelujah. March 2015. Dean Robertson
Dean Robertson ...that’s just plain beautiful.
Yes. What a beautiful story.
Beautiful and touching story. You and your grandson keep well.
BEAUTIFUL .🙏🏼❤️
It’s a beautiful thing that you did for your grandchild , to bring about an awareness of something so beautiful at such an early age and may stand hi. In good stead when he is a man. Thankyou for sharing
The orchestra accompaniment to this phenomenal piece is quite remarkable. They didn’t overshadow the beauty of the song in any way, but had the mastery & the finesse to complement every emotion that was expressed through KD’s version of it.
Janet, you articulated that so beautifully.
I saw in the comments it was The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
❤️❤️
I am right there with you! I’ve seen her 3 times live and her voice and the orchestra is AMAZING!! My partner bought us tickets for her last US concert in Akron, Ohio. My partner decided to take her life on 1-18-2018. So, we never made it to Akron. My life will never, EVER be the same.
@@kimperry835 wow, lucky you! I love love love KD Lang as well. Now I’m far away from Canada, in FL. Years ago I was live close to Montreal, where a fantastic jazz festival and fireworks competition was held.
Thank you to the beautiful orchestra
It’s almost as if she’s both singing this song and living it at the same time. As if she’s telling you her life story while performing a song written by someone else. Christ almighty what a performance...
I totally agree with your view on this...goosies for real!!!
So well said. It makes me cry, every time, but the meaning, and the way KD sings the words.......amazing!
@@angelawilliams4239 the 1st time that I heard this was by a very dear friend of mine--it made me cry & the fellow that sang it
Observed my emotions and sang it every time I was around to hear it. K.d.lang makes it her own & it continues to cause me to become very emotional each time
that I hear it.....
!!!!!
It was performance, Christ Almighty. HALLELUJAH!!!!
RIP Leonard Cohen! Love this song!
Her vocal control is just extraordinary and she kicks it out the ballpark as a live perfomer. Plain awesome.
Cat Mackenzie Yes it is extraordinary. Many people besides you and I have noticed this, one of the major noticers being Roy Orbison. He invited her to sing with him on a re-release of his song "Crying". You want to guess whether his original or re-release is better? He knew talent when he heard it.
As for this song, she has recorded it numerous times. Its author, Leonard Cohen, said some years ago that she owns it. Yes, she does. She has taken it to places he could never have gone. A little off the point, but when Cohen was invited to sing at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and heard that k.d. was already committed, he said, paraphrasing, "If you've got Lang, why do you need me?" He declined the invitation. And k.d. sang this song, and you can find it on youtube, but, imo, her rendition is nowhere near as good as the Juno performance we are listening to here.
There are things that happen only once in a lifetime, whether for the performer or the listener. They are called virtuoso performances. I heard a couple live when I was rich enough to subscribe to the symphony (Itzaak Perlman and Emanuel Ax, come to mind. Lang's Juno version of "Hallelujah" is the "ne plus ultra", the "you're not going to get any better" version of her several renditions. I cry when I listen to this perforrmance, just as I do listening to Perlman playing Brahms and Ax playing Liszt.
Thanks for the comment. I do also love Crying. Bird on a Wire is fantastic too. In fact the entire hymns album! The only other vocalist that I rate in the same vein is Eva Cassidy x
Cat Mackenzie totally agree
I was there. My entire row was crying when she finished.
I will NEVER get tired of listening to this most beautiful voice!!!
I've heard this song many times, performed by numerous artists. This is the first version that has brought me to tears.
Word.
Same
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ YESSSS!!!!!
(Bows in humility) For most of my life, I was straight-laced, unforgiving, uncompromising and very specific in my views. KD Lang started the transition with this unbelievable performance. I knew she was lesbian and I hated her for that. To my great shame, I called her "Ugly" and "Dyke". This incredible performance rocked me to the core; it opened my eyes to the stupidity and narrow-mindedness of my life. At 50 years of age, I'm finally starting to learn about the wonderful complexity and love of people not exactly like myself - and I'm learning how wrong I've been for half a century. To learn that I have, in fact, been the thing I hated most: a bigot - shamed me so completely I've had to relearn and reconsider everything I've held "true". Who cares about gender? Who cares about type? Those are categories, nothing more. What matters - as I learned at this moment (which I saw live) is love; and love is more powerful than any self-appointed false beliefs. True love blasts through stereotypes, ignorance and prejudice like a tidal wave; love sweeps away all false notions of gender-specified sex. I'm totally straight, I will never experience interest an any male companion but at last I at least understand why another man might - in emotional terms at least. I'll never understand the alternate orientations, but I do understand they are as powerful, loving and true as the biblically-determined love between man and woman.I may not be a new man, nor a well-educated one, but I must admit I'm having a lot more fun. :)
KD did this to you? I'm 70, but I think had a more open mind from the get-go. My first wife was gay. I knew this. It was a marriage of convenience by which I would become her guardian. We did have sex a couple of times, desultory, I thought I could cure her. I was very young. She wanted me to sleep with her and her girlfriend, but at the time I didn't like her girlfriend. A couple of years later I changed my mind, but she was long gone to France and never came back.
You have made one of the most powerful statements I have ever seen re changing sexual perceptions. KD is a dyke, and is proud of being so. And stripping away sexuality, what have you got? You've got a woman with an amazing voice who would enjoy mostly hanging out with other women.
[I've been in love with her for at least 20 years.]
Well, to be clear this performance didn't complete the journey, it STARTED it. At the time, all I was was a person rocked by an astounding, emotional performance. It took a lot more exposure, which CBC gave, to not only open my eyes but educate me. It gave me the impetus to open my eyes and actually look around at what was around me. I'm glad of it.
Uh, thanks. I think you'll notice that was the entire point of my post and for the record, I was one of those soldiers through four tours of duty.
Dave-- what a pleasure to read your post. Your humility and receptivity is moving. You nailed it on the head so beautifully-- as simplistic as it sounds, it does boil down to love. Music often transforms me in the same way-- I'll be wound up in my thoughts and sometimes, in negativity; then I will hear/see a performance that taps into this universal energy and the next thing i know, I'm weeping, and my heart has opened up. Thanks for putting it out there so courageously.
Ditto +Sara Mackeen!
She could sing the field manual for stripping jet engines for rebuild and I’d still cry.
Same!!
Good on you... Great comment.
Possibly one of the best RUclips comments ever! lmao
Me too..as I type this with tears rolling down my face!
Sean Vedell.....I have no idea what that even means but totally agree❤️
I absolutely love k.d. Lang's version of this beautiful, inspirational song. ❤
Absolute best performance of Hallelujah I've ever heard - don't need to hear anyone else sing it now! Amazing talent, humble heart
Cohen has said that she owns this song. I'm not sure what this means. Does it means she doesn't have to pay him royalties anytime she sings it?
I've said she owns it too. I'm pretty much sure he means she sings it better than anyone else, including him.
I think Jeff Buckley's is equally as good, if not better, and heart wrenching also!
John after reading your comment I listened to Jeff Buckly - the Official video (Vevo version) and the original studio version. It is true he has an amazing voice. He is not equal or better than this video. The depth of the emotion she puts into the songs elevates it above any other version I have heard, including the one by Leonard Cohan himself. Even he said it was the best performance of his song.
George Gentry Well, the song was taken out of obscurity by John Cale and Jeff Buckley. Jeff's version was at # 259 (Rolling Stones) greatest songs of all time, and Jeff's version was placed or was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. I've worked with some of the best singers-artists in the biz, and his version was always mentioned as a favorite. It's always considered to be one of the absolute best versions, and he was only the second person, after John Cale to record his version of the song. To each his own, but Jeff definitely and deservedly "owns" this song.
Mr. Cohen, you can rest easy knowing that one of the greatest songs you ever wrote is safe as long as kd lang has the strength to sing it.
Right On!
tell us why this is a great song
@@jadezee6316 Does it really need explaining to you,if you don't like this you don't like music
As one of my last remaining heroes, I'm kinda hoping and assuming she will outlast me (I'm 50) and therefore has maaaany years to come. If I had a penny in this world, I would *so* book her to sing this at the funeral I can't afford to pay for or insure against. Meanwhile, this lifts me often.❤️
@@jadezee6316 A great song speaks to the heart in the profound and expressive tone, personalizing and validating our humanity. Feelings and emotions beyond words live infinitely. Enjoy your life fully, Jade Zee.
RIP Sir...kd honored him beautifully with this.
No one sings this song better than KD Lang..Bless your voice and thank you for touching my soul
In my humble opinion and I'm just a simple guitarist, KD sang her heart out here and produced one of the best versions of this wonderful number we shall ever hear. What a night that must have been.
And why can't we have MORE nights like this with her? Concert tours in the offing? Albums being released?
One of? This is the immortal version of this song as far as I'm concerned, never to be bettered.
I tear up Every. Single. Time. at "But I saw your flag on the marble arch / Our love is not a victory march / It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah!"
Absolutely beautiful!!! the emotion simply carries me to the heavens. She's great!
+Theodore Biele I am with you on that trip!
Me too...
ME THREE! :-) :-)
Beautiful song, beautiful voice, beautiful woman, beautiful soul.
This is the absolute best version of this iconic song.
NL Moss Agreed.
NL Moss Agreed
Kd lang sings this song like no other lve heard other versions but she is simply the besr❤
she nailed it
Then she screwed it down, glued it and battered everyone with it. Gives me a lump in my throat.
+Paul Butler Well put
I've watched this so many times that I can't even count. This is her absolute best performance of this song. It gives me chills every single time. I always end up listening to it at least twice before I move on. The orchestra plays it perfectly, doesn't overpower the words or her voice. Perfection! ❤
I really knew almost nothing about k.d. lang, maybe remembered the magazine covers with Cindy Crawford, had I even heard her sing? I don't know. But I was a Leonard Cohen groupie since the 1960's. Then one day a friend sent this video in an email--sometime between 2000-2005. I turned it on. And again. And again. I couldn't move and believe I watched it 20+ times before I could get up from the chair. I'm sure by now I have seen nearly all her performances of it. This is still my favorite but the one at the MAX awards is a close second. There are so many but close your eyes and there is always the voice.
You then should find the St Lukes London version....the same depth but no audience intervention.
@@MsCullimore ..the audience appreciation at the end is a wonderful part of it. She is just so graceful in accepting it. ..but I will have a listen to it though.
Me too!
I cry with the first line, Everytime. And I'm a crazy old man
Absolutely, hands down, best version ever! I cannot believe I never heard it before.
LC agreed when he heard her sing it.
I Like LC add Jeff Bucley' s version but this one is ten places above other, asvell
Oh yes touches the soul.the 👼 and the Almighty would smile. KD Lang
So far, NO ONE comes even close to K.D.'s rendition of Hallelujah. Brings chill every time!!!
Perhaps: out, out, scamble of strengths
Marshall your forces ; sing: GAEL: LAST of MOHICANS.
Leonard Cohen was in the audience for this recording at the Juno awards. After hearing KD Lang, he reportedly said he never needed to hear another cover of the song, and that the song should be retired for he had heard PERFECTION. We all have our favorite versions of Hallelujah, but "I", well I wouldn't argue with Leonard Cohen. This is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard.
Love your name !!!!! I wish I could of seen Leonard Cohen's face as KD sang the song. It's amazing how music can move you right to your very soul ! Where Can I find that piece or Juno award?
Thanks, Cheryl. THIS rendition with KD Lang was the version Leonard C. loved.
How great to know this because every time I watch this video my tears start to flow. KD Lang is simply amazing!
QueerAndUnplugged I was there that night too. Do you know where Leonard Cohen was quoted saying this? What a fantastic quote!
I saw the video version showing Mr. Cohen in the front row. As KD Lang finished the song, her hand motion was directed at Leonard and her bow was to his authorship. I often compare this version to Mr. Cohen singing the song. Not sure if true, but I think I read that he wrote over 700 lines for a 'pick and choose' your version of this song.
K.D. Lang and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra? This is the most incredible version of Hallelujah on planet earth. Bravo!
This isn't just the best performance of Cohen's masterpiece, but, I believe the greatest solo vocal musical display of all time.
Kate Ingram Deaf. ears.
Not to listen to music with JeffBuckly??!! You have a right to your opimiom,however
My law dropped and I let out shudder when I read your comment. Good Lord!!
Absolutely!!! The power in her voice!
I totally concur. She is the finest singer on the planet in my opinion. She is not a vocal showoff like so many today. Just pure vocal musicality of the highest order.
@@patriciaanderson3649 Jeff Buckley kinda just rehashed Leonard. But in that vein the Rufus Wainright version is probably better
THE masterful performance and interpretation by a true treasure . I'll play this and listen to her till time is gone. Seems like well done is not enough..... Thank you Ms. Lang