A couple of explanations for the greatest song ever written, from a John Cale forum.

King David saw Bathsheba bathing from his roof. He fell in love & got Bathsheba pregnant. David arranged a furlough for her husband the soldier, Uriah, but he was saving himself for war and wouldn’t touch her. So David had him put in the front line of battle where he would be killed. The people could count and figured it out, causing political problems, but the son Absolom died later. David grieved famously for the boy, but I think it was just too convenient. It was Sampson who got his hair cut. David played the harp and composed most of the Psalms. I think the secret chord was Em.

Actually, in the story of David and Bathsheba, I believe that Bathsheba’s husband was already out of town when David slept with her. David confessed his sin to the priest Samuel after marrying Bathsheba and truly regretted having the husband killed. The son died, but David and Bathsheba had another son, who grew up to become King Solomon.

The part about the hair is indeed from the story of Samson. Before he was born, an angel came to his mother and told her that he would grow up to become a great and powerful man, but that he must never cut his hair or consume alcoholic beverages, or he would lose his strength. He followed these rules and was tremendously powerful and had many adventures smiting Philistines. However, his lover Delilah betrayed him to his enemies, the Philistines, pestering him until he told her the secret of his strength and then cutting his hair so that the Philistines could capture him. This story is in the book of Judges in the Bible, and the story of David is in either 1 or 2 Kings.

A recap of the lyrics:

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Baby I’ve been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
love is not a victory march
it’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What’s really going on below
but now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above
but all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s no complaint you hear tonight
It’s not some pilgrim who’s seen the light
it’s a cold and it’s a lonely(/broken )Hallelujah

You say I took the Name in vain
I don’t even know the Name
But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?
There’s a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah…