I had never watched American Idol before, but Jason Castro’s rendition of “Hallelujah” this season got me embarrassingly hooked on the show. It’s not that Jason’s version was particularly remarkable. The judges raved about it, but in my opinion, his cover of Leonard Cohen’s song pales in comparison with Jeff Buckley’s and Allison Crowe’s. Judge for yourself:
Jason Castro:
Jeff Buckley (Here is a link to the official music video which, unfortunately, cannot be embedded.):
Allison Crowe:
Even if Jason’s performance wasn’t amazing, it caught my attention because the song “Hallelujah” itself is absolutely stunning. And I wasn’t the only one who thought so. After Jason’s performance, Jeff Buckley’s cover of the song, which until this point had remained relatively obscure, shot to the #1 position on the iTunes singles chart.
Why did “Hallelujah” become so popular? Of course, any attempt to answer this question is mere speculation; trying to put one’s finger on America’s pulse is a near impossible task. I can’t help but wonder, though, if its success is due in part to its powerful biblical allusions: it references the stories of David and Samson as well as the “holy dove” or “holy ghost” (depending on the cover).
I suppose I could be cynical and say that the biblical allusions in the song skyrocketed it to fame because they appeal to America’s fundamentalist Christian leanings, but I think that the power of biblical allusion runs deeper than that. Besides, the way that the song bends and contorts biblical stories might not even be acceptable to the Christian right.
No, I think the references to scripture in “Hallelujah” appealed to America for other reasons. First, biblical stories are almost universally recognized, especially the well-known ones like those of David and Samson. Unlike allusions to Greek myth, say, or even allusions to many figures in pop culture who might only be known to a particular generation, references to the Bible can be recognized by pretty much all Americans.
Second, I think biblical allusions strike a chord for Americans because they are connected with important spiritual memories, whether positive or negative. We connect Bible stories with going to Sunday school, with listening to family members read or recite them to us, and with our own personal spiritual encounters. For sure, such Bible story memories may be unpleasant for many, but–good or bad–they are still tied to pivotal spiritual moments in our lives.
Which leads me to my third suggestion about biblical allusions. I think the references to scripture in “Hallelujah” had a particularly good reception because, unlike many references to scripture in the media today, they bring back memories of important spiritual moments without pressing a particular, black and white religious agenda. “Hallelujah” is no moralizing Christian pop song; instead, it bends and stretches the Bible in unusual ways–arguably even sacrilegious ways–that avoid “preachiness” and instead bring into focus the powerful complexity of the biblical stories. I think America appreciates this. Indeed, both of the two top finalists sang songs that might be categorized as “Christian pop”: David Archuleta chose many songs with a distinctly Christian flavor and David Cook even sang Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move.” However, none of their songs had the same impact as Jason’s “Hallelujah.” It seems that “Hallelujah” was able to connect with America in a special way because, unlike the Davids’ songs, it was able to tap into our spiritual sensibilities in an unobtrusive and yet thought-provoking way.
America’s preference for Jason’s song encourages me. Maybe I’m reading too much into one song or succombing to wishful thinking, but the popularity of “Hallelujah” gives me hope that maybe America is moving past literalistic, black & white conceptions of religion toward a more open and nuanced understanding of spiritual things.
