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“Hallelujah” Leonard Cohen / Jeff Buckley Ukulele Chords

by Brett McQueen

The famous song Hallelujah is perfect to play on ukulele.

Hallelujah was originally written by Leonard Cohen but has been covered by artists for decades – most notably Jeff Buckley’s recording of it on his album Grace that debuted in 1994. Rufus Wainright also recorded a version of this song for the movie Shrek in 2001, and in recent years, renowned ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro has awed audiences around the world with his solo rendition of this song.

Hallelujah Jeff Buckley Leonard Cohen Ukulele Chords

You learn how to play Hallelujah with the ukulele chord chart and get some tips and tricks for how to play this song.

“Hallelujah” Ukulele Performance

The video below is my rendition of this song on the ukulele.

If you’re interested, I did a follow up video lesson on how to play the fingerpicking pattern I used to perform Hallelujah.

“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen (Jeff Buckley) Ukulele Chords

Tuning: Low G (what’s this?)

Intro:
C
  
Am
  
C
  
Am



   
C
                  
Am

I heard there was a secret chord
      
C
                  
Am

That David played and it pleased the lord
     
F
               
Fm
              
But you don’t really care for music, 
C
      
G

do you?
         
C
             
Well it goes like this 
    
F
           
G

the fourth, the fifth
    
Am
                 
F

The minor fall and the major lift
     
G
              
Em
          
Am

The baffled king composing hallelujah

      
F
          
Am
     
Hallelujah, hallelujah, 
     
F
           
C
    
G

hallelujah, hallelu-u-u-u…

          
C
                
Well your faith was strong 
        
Am

but you needed proof
    
C
               
Am

You saw her bathing on the roof
     
F
              
Fm
           
C
        
G

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
     
C
              
F
        
G

She tied you to her kitchen chair
    
Am
                        
F

She broke your throne and she cut your hair
    
G
                  
Em
            
Am

And from your lips she drew the hallelujah

     
F
           
Am
     
Hallelujah, hallelujah, 
     
F
            
C
   
G
    
C

hallelujah, hallelu-u-u-u-jah

C
  
Am
  
C
  
Am


       
C
              
Am

Well, maybe there’s a god above
    
C
              
Am

But all I’ve ever learned from love
     
F
               
Fm
          
C
       
G

Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
     
C
                  
F
       
G

It’s not a cry that you hear at night
     
Am
                 
F

It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
       
G
               
Em
          
Am

It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah

      
F
          
Am
     
Hallelujah, hallelujah, 
     
F
           
C
    
G
    
C

hallelujah, hallelu-u-u-u-jah

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