'Taking every song captive' progress report

YouTube now has four sung versions of my reworked lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s great melody “Hallelujah.” (We posted the first two on New Year’s Day).

The two new ones are by John-Mark Sheppard playing the kora, a 21-string African harp, and Mike Pueschell on the electric guitar.

Four guys, four distinct sounds. Excellent—and I’m looking forward to hearing a female singer. This is fun. Thank you.

If you want to see my lyrics, read my column from the Dec. 29 issue of WORLD. But the other news, at least to me, is that one singer and one band have also recorded other new words to the tune.

My thanks to the reader who let me know that Lincoln Brewster in 2005 wrote a praise song called “Another Hallelujah” and included it on his album All to You Live.

It has two stanzas:

I love you Lord with all my heart You’ve given me a brand new start And I just want to sing this song to You It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift My heart and soul are praising Hallelujah

I know that You’re the God above You’re filling me with grace and love And I just want to say thank you to You You pulled me from the miry clay You’ve given me a brand new day Now all that I can say is Hallelujah

Also, two readers told me that the band Cloverton late last year came out with a nativity-focused rendition on its album A Hallelujah Christmas.

Here are the lyrics:

I’ve heard about this baby boy Who’s come to earth to bring us joy And I just want to sing this song to you It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift With every breath I’m singing Hallelujah Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem Expecting child, they searched the inn To find a place for You were coming soon There was no room for them to stay So in a manger filled with hay God’s only Son was born, oh Hallelujah Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night To see this baby wrapped in light A host of angels led them all to You It was just as the angels said You’ll find Him in a manger bed Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east To Bethlehem, the wisemen three Came many miles and journeyed long for You And to the place at which You were Their frankincense and gold and myrrh They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me This baby boy would grow to be A man and one day die for me and you My sins would drive the nails in You That rugged cross was my cross, too Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah Hallelujah

Listen to a report on reader response to Marvin Olasky’s “Hallelujah” challenge on WORLD’s radio news magazine The World and Everything in It.