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
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
You might not know it, but you are quoting Leonard Cohen, the writer of the song. I've always wondered what he meant. Was he saying that she'd paid so much in royalties based on her many performances of it? Or was he saying that she had sung it to perfection? My guess is the latter. In the 2010 Winter Olympics (held near Vancouver), Cohen was invited to perform. What I've heard is that when he heard that Lang was already signed, he said approximately "If you've got k.d. lang, you don't need me." And she did sing a great version of the song at the Olympics, but to my untutored ears, it wasn't quite as good as this 2005 performance.
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 ❤❤👏👏👏👏👏👏
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.
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.
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:)
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.
+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.
Me too. No one, herself included, is ever likely to nail this song the way she did at this performance. I listen to it often, and I usually cry. She had a lot going for her. She happened to have behind her an amazing small orchestra. I don't know who was conducting, a black guy from what I have seen, but who was he? Why don't we know about his talents, or do we know but I am just out of the picture?
Often do too, I first hear her studio version on Hymns of the 49th Parallel (I buy music). In the UA-cam search results is another version, Jeff Buckley, with an absurd 72.6 million views. Doesn't come close to kd's effort. Also listened to 2 or 3 other attempts made by all the others, and again, nothing even close to kd.
Hi Kim, I have heard her, I was referring to her among the others in my comment below. I couldn't find an upload with 18M views, one with 5.6 ad-laden VEVO item, and another w. 2.4M, and listened to both again. Sorry, but she sounds like a kid compared to kd. Her voice lacks maturity, especially for a titan like this piece, and I am not hearing anything in her voice soul-wise to make me think that she really feels these potent lyrics.This seems like much more than she can chew at such a tender age, but I'd be interested in hearing her do this in 25 years though.
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!
@@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,,
+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!!
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.
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.
aside from Cohen himself, this is definitive. Each hallelujah is sung in keeping with that versus lyrics. Perfect interpretation, nobody will ever improve on this.
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.
In my opinion, kd lang is the only person who does this song justice by Leonard Cohen. The symphony orchestra is brilliant.with her. So powerful. Brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. 💛💚💙❤️💜🧡🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦😍
I must admit that I'm not religious but geeeeze this rendition of Leonard Cohens classic gets my throat choking up. The power and intensity of KDs voice with the emotion is hard to find these days. A beautiful woman inside and out. You're really amazing KD!. 🔟🔟🔟🔟🔟
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.
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!
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.
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.
For you, Anna Ham. You loved every blade of grass in this beautiful world of ours. I' so glad we got to share Glacier Park time together many years. Rest in peace, my dear friend. Sheila, my heart goes out to you today.
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.
@@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'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.
Unfortunately, many of us are living, or are trapped, in cold and broken relationships. Where human companionship and love has long since been lost to work stress or old age. The words in this song resonate to the very core of one's being. Hallelujah.
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.
This song and K D's rendition of it gives me goosebumps every time I listen to her. She is amazing and I love her. Just look at her beaming smile when she gets a very well deserved standing ovation. God bless her. ❤
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
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.
STUNNING what a wonderful singer nobody in the world can sing like K. D. Lang my favourite artists of all time. The orchestra were magical loved every note and every moment. 🙋🙋🙋🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
16 years later, and no one still can sing that song like her.
She owns this song
still gives me chills
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!!
There is no other voice as pure and beautiful as KD Lang’s. This song truly sends shivers down my spine!! ❤
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
RIP Leonard Cohen. KD did you proud on this one.
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!
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.
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?
ua-cam.com/video/e1K-c3RSX0c/v-deo.htmlsi=WR5rH_sZrR8C6bVa
@@txtopaz7997 Yes. It's a NO.
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!!
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
My favorite version
ua-cam.com/video/A6Hbu_PHq78/v-deo.html
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
A barefoot K.D. Lang walked on stage and sang to my heart. Simply beautiful.
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! ❤
She OWNS this song!
You might not know it, but you are quoting Leonard Cohen, the writer of the song. I've always wondered what he meant. Was he saying that she'd paid so much in royalties based on her many performances of it? Or was he saying that she had sung it to perfection? My guess is the latter. In the 2010 Winter Olympics (held near Vancouver), Cohen was invited to perform. What I've heard is that when he heard that Lang was already signed, he said approximately "If you've got k.d. lang, you don't need me." And she did sing a great version of the song at the Olympics, but to my untutored ears, it wasn't quite as good as this 2005 performance.
Yes, and even Leonard thought so.
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
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 ❤❤👏👏👏👏👏👏
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!
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 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.
K.D., the orchestra and pianist created a masterpiece here. Incredible.
Even Leonard Cohen said she owned this song. She sure did.
Once KD sings a song, it stays sung! 🤍
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
Best version of this beautiful song I've ever heard.
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.
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.
And I return for the umpteenth time
Me too. No one, herself included, is ever likely to nail this song the way she did at this performance. I listen to it often, and I usually cry. She had a lot going for her. She happened to have behind her an amazing small orchestra. I don't know who was conducting, a black guy from what I have seen, but who was he? Why don't we know about his talents, or do we know but I am just out of the picture?
Me too! Love this gorgeous version from KD. :) :D
Often do too, I first hear her studio version on Hymns of the 49th Parallel (I buy music). In the UA-cam search results is another version, Jeff Buckley, with an absurd 72.6 million views. Doesn't come close to kd's effort. Also listened to 2 or 3 other attempts made by all the others, and again, nothing even close to kd.
Same. Lol so manyyyy times 😩💞
Hi Kim, I have heard her, I was referring to her among the others in my comment below. I couldn't find an upload with 18M views, one with 5.6 ad-laden VEVO item, and another w. 2.4M, and listened to both again. Sorry, but she sounds like a kid compared to kd. Her voice lacks maturity, especially for a titan like this piece, and I am not hearing anything in her voice soul-wise to make me think that she really feels these potent lyrics.This seems like much more than she can chew at such a tender age, but I'd be interested in hearing her do this in 25 years though.
No one sings this song better than KD Lang..Bless your voice and thank you for touching my soul
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.
Probably the best version ever.
I think you are right.
No. Not "probably" my friend. This is it. It's at the very top. Leonard would agree.
equalled only by her version at the Winter Olympics in 2010
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,,
2024 and this song still sung by KD leaves me breathless.
And in tears.
Opening ceremony 2010 winter Olympics in Vancouver first time I heard her sing this..
I was in awe!!!
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.
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.
Nobody can do this song like K D. !!!
KD Lang = the Stradivarius of human voices. And I got to hear her live!
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
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....
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.
aside from Cohen himself, this is definitive. Each hallelujah is sung in keeping with that versus lyrics. Perfect interpretation, nobody will ever improve on this.
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.
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've heard this song many times, performed by numerous artists. This is the first version that has brought me to tears.
Word.
Same
The orchestra is divinely perfect. Only this powerful music can support such a voice.
In my opinion, kd lang is the only person who does this song justice by Leonard Cohen. The symphony orchestra is brilliant.with her. So powerful. Brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. 💛💚💙❤️💜🧡🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦😍
Jeff Buckley
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.
I must admit that I'm not religious but geeeeze this rendition of Leonard Cohens classic gets my throat choking up. The power and intensity of KDs voice with the emotion is hard to find these days. A beautiful woman inside and out. You're really amazing KD!. 🔟🔟🔟🔟🔟
It moved you ...that is religion. ✌️❤
She's the only singer I've heard who "gets" this song. It's not supposed to be touchy feely or "spiritual"
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!
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 😍😍
I listen to this song every day and never get tired of it. Such a beautiful voice. Thank you.
The voice and song that still reaches deep into your soul. Simply magnificent !
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
RIP Leaonard. My favourite performance of my favourite Cohen song.
and Leonard's
Fred Matthews i
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.
Never get sick of replaying this. Still thinks it is the most heartfelt version of this song. Gives me goose bumps every time.
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.
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.
She is the most humble person and really has no idea of how her beautiful voice touches people to their soul. She is beautiful.... inside and out.
What do you admire most about Kd Land
For you, Anna Ham. You loved every blade of grass in this beautiful world of ours. I' so glad we got to share Glacier Park time together many years. Rest in peace, my dear friend. Sheila, my heart goes out to you today.
Hypnotic; one of the most powerful songs I've ever heard. K.D. does a magnificent job of showing us pain.
always makes my hairs stand on edge
RIP Sir...kd honored him beautifully with this.
Still in 2023 I watch this constantly its pure excellence
I've become obsessed with j.d. lang's singing. Who wouldn't?
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
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! :-) :-)
No one sings Hallelujah like K.D Lang !!!!!
I have seen this video at least twenty times and get the chills every time. This is the best version I’ve ever heard of this song.
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?
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
Manitoba chamber Orchestra. Wow. Just wow your music the hours your musicians put into this. Just no words can give it justice. Magnificent.
Thank you on behalf of this incredible orchestra with which I have no connection.
It’s 2023 and this is the best version of this song. It is true artistry!
Unfortunately, many of us are living, or are trapped, in cold and broken relationships. Where human companionship and love has long since been lost to work stress or old age. The words in this song resonate to the very core of one's being. Hallelujah.
AMEN
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!!!
To be gifted such a voice would be the utter fulfillment of my life.
I sa Leonard Cohen singing this song. It's 2023 and, except for him, this is the best rendition ever.
TO THE ORCHESTRA: THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH! Great accompaniment for KD’s singing, OUTSTANDING!
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.
April 2023 - she is so great . I love her she is a true singer not like today. Also a great band, they don’t drown out her singing.
What do you admire most about Kd Land
k.d Lang ...... I have 2 say by far one of the best rendiction of " Hallelujah" hands down
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
One of the most beautifully talented Canadian singers performing one of the best soulful Canadian songs...RIP Leonard...
she is a great singer
This song and K D's rendition of it gives me goosebumps every time I listen to her. She is amazing and I love her. Just look at her beaming smile when she gets a very well deserved standing ovation. God bless her. ❤
So talented... so humble. - short - k.d.
Best version of the tune. Thanks for posting.
Listening again and moved to tears in these darkest of days. Best performance ever of Leonard Cohen's iconic song.
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL best ever!!!!
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.
This should have millions of "likes" unbelievably awesome!!
K.D. Lang and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra? This is the most incredible version of Hallelujah on planet earth. Bravo!
K D Lang has the sweetest smile. Beautiful song!
To be given that voice our father must love her!
Never sung better, absolute perfection.
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.
Christmas Eve 2022
Non religious but searched for this.
Beautiful
Merry Christmas
STUNNING what a wonderful singer nobody in the world can sing like K. D. Lang my favourite artists of all time. The orchestra were magical loved every note and every moment. 🙋🙋🙋🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Nobody can sing this song like KD Lang, she makes me cry every time what an artist. We need more like her.
💕💕💕💕💕
There are no more…that’s it
Listen to Jeff Buckley.