Baby, I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
Yeah, and I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But this ain't love, love is not some kind of victory march
No, it's a cold and it's a very broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah
There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
Ah, but now you never show it to me, do you?
Ah, but I remember, yeah, when I moved in you
And the holy dove she was moving too
Yes, and every single breath that we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Maybe there's a God above
As for me all I ever seem to learn from love
Is how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
Yeah, but it's not a complaint that you hear tonight
It's not the laughter of someone who claims to have seen Enlightenment
No, it's a cold and it's a very lonely Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come all this way to fool you
Yeah, and even tough it all went wrong
I'll stand right here before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
A bit of history : this song was originally released by Leonard Cohen in 1985 on "Various Positions", but re-released by the same author with alternative lyrics in 1994 on "Cohen Live - Leonard Cohen Live in Concert". An excellent cover combining the two versions of the lyrics was also released in 1994 by Jeff Buckley on "Grace".