Let Me Hear You Say Hallelujah

"It is the tale, not he who tells it."

Stephen King once wrote that in a short story of his. Ironic, given the fact that Stephen King could manage to make his grocery list a fascinating read. While I do believe the story counts for a great deal, the teller of the tale is equally important... if not more so.

The same could be said of music. Some people claim that it is the song, not he who sings it. And sometimes that's true. There are some songs that transcend all singers of it. But even those songs may be sung by someone who elevates it to a different level altogether. (There are also singers who can literally sing the dictionary and sound beautiful, but that's for another post.)

So let me tell you the story of when I found the singer who elevates Cohen's Hallelujah for me. Several years ago, a friend of mine who lives in my building mentioned that she was going to see this chick perform at a local music venue. This friend knew that I was into indie music and said that this was one performer I couldn't miss. I hear that a lot and it's not always true, but I go anyway just in case. And this time, it was not just true but TRUTH. The perfomer? Jasmine Whenham.

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So I went with my friend and several people that I didn't know to a venue that I'd never been to before. There was another musical act before Jasmine that sounded okay but I barely remember them. Then Jasmine came on. It wasn't an immediate opening of the heavens, light streaming down and the angel choir singing ahh-ahh's type of moment. But it was good, very good. And then she sang Hallelujah. A song that I already loved. A song whose definitive version I thought I'd already found in Jeff Buckley. But I changed my mind that night. All of the pain and pathos of that song was present in Jasmine's voice and suddenly I had tears in my eyes. I didn't break down sobbing because there were strange people in a strange place, but if I'd been alone...

I have since fallen in love with many of Jasmine's original songs, but that moment is one that will remain branded on my memory.

For a lyrical discussion of the song itself, you can read my Hallelujah post. To listen to Jasmine sing it, click on My Music Box in my sidebar.