Hallelujah ~ Jeff Buckley
(originally by Leonard Cohen)
Well, I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well, 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 her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
You know, I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do you?
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Maybe there is a god above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
"Hallelujah" uses multiple Bible allusions throughout its lyrics. The first verse alludes to the story of King David, and the second to the story of David and Bathesba, then Sampson and Delilah. And of course, "hallelujah" is a very religious term alluded to a lot in this song, but with a different connotation than may be used in church.
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Ambiguity:
You Found Me ~ The Fray
I found God on the corner of 1st and Amistad
Where the West was all but won
All alone, smoking his last cigarette
I said, "Where you been?", He said, "Ask anything"
Where were you, when everything was falling apart?
All my days were spent by the telephone that never rang
And all I needed was a call that never came
To the corner of 1st and Amistad
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait, where were you, where were you?
Just a little late, you found me, you found me
But in the end everyone ends up alone
Losing her, the only one who's ever known
Who I am, who I'm not and who I want to be
No way to know how long she will be next to me
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait, where were you, where were you?
Just a little late, you found me, you found me
The early morning, the city breaks
And I've been calling for years and years and years and years
And you never left me no messages, you never sent me no letters
You got some kind of nerve taking all I'm worth
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor
Where were you, where were you?
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait, where were you, where were you?
Just a little late, you found me, you found me
Why'd you have to wait, to find me, to find me?
This song uses ambiguity because it is one of those songs that is open to interpretation. Some may find it to be about depression ("lost and insecure, you found me, you found me/Lying on the floor"). Some may find it to be a conversation with God. Or some could find it to be about heartbreak. Either (or any other) way the song was written as, the song is definitely ambiguous (in a good way) because it allows the listener to interprete and relate to the song on their own personal level.
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Allegory:
Viva La Vida ~ Coldplay
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world
It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever want to be king?
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know Saint Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
This song is an allegory because, literally, it is telling the story of a fallen leader of the past (probably Napoleon) who has fallen from power and is dying. It is allegorical because it can actually be applied to any leader who once had a lot of power but has now fallen, even on a scale much smaller than literally "ruling the world" like Napoleon. It could even be applied to someone who has fallen in love.
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