I got to digging, and found it has been covered by a slew of people from Susan Boyle to Willie Nelson and over 300 versions exist ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallelujah_(Leonard_Cohen_song) ) It remains one of my favorite songs.
Absolutely... Cohen's own version is magnificent in it's own right - The gravel and the pain in him has always left it - the original - as the standard. But I do believe the Pentatonix version trumps the original, It is hugely different, with crescendo after crescendo, very much a different feel than the humble and simple Cohen arrangement. Hard to judge, I guess.... But I vote for the cover.
That hardly ever happens for me...
Whitney Houston beat the crap out of Dolly with her 'I will always love you'... Hands DOWN. I was literally weeping like a little girl and had to pull my truck over the first time I heard it
Disturbed's version of 'Sound of Silence' is a profound and better version than Simon and Garfunkel's - And that is no faint praise. NO ONE covers S&G because it is impossible to beat their most excellent harmonies and Simon's compilations and delivery are unique and beautiful every time. Impossible as it is, I think Disturbed pulled it off.
And Pentatonix - Hallelujah. No one ever beat Cohen at that game. Until now.
