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…

Just heard this on an episode of QI I’d recorded:

“…and I use the word book very loosely… like the Da Vinci Code. It is complete loose stool-water, it is arse-gravy of the worst kind.”

😀

Hello! Its been a while since i last blogged!

Not much has happened of note though. Went to my first traditional Japanese garden the other day. I was delightful. very calm and artfully constructed. The trees especialy looked resplendant in brilliant reds and browns. the only bad point was a group of Japanese Tourists (oddly enough) which was led by an officious woman brandishing a microphone, her bellowing voice eminating from a speaker strapped to her ample stomach. dispite this we had a jolly time. then the sun went down and it turned bitterly cold. the temperature difference is extrordinary. In the mornings the sky is clearn and the sun beams down and its nice and toasty. around five the sun sets behind a collosal skyscraper and frost starts to appear in ones beard. last night i was cought without my leathern jacket and if it wasnt for Mayumi lending me her scarf i might have cought a nasty cold. That is to say, if i didnt already have a nasty cold nestling in my lungs.

The house is still ticking along nicely with everyone pulling thier wait in some fashion. A few of us went to a local resturaunt the last saturday. It was my first time there but Carol and Bart have been there so often that they are now regarded as minor celebraties. everyone was brimming with good cheer and the food was delicious. and in vast quantaties. First we had Sashimi and i managed to take too much Wasabi with my slab of chuna and gave everyone a good chortle as i coughed and spluttered, eyes streaming. then we had many courses of varying tastiness. Every one was really nice and helped us translate the menu. There was a fairly drunk chappy who took a shine to the females in the group and kept on afforing everyone a slurp from his bottle of Sho Chu (a deeply horrible alcohol). His kind offer was slightly mared by the light rain of spit that issued forth wenever he spoke, which was often. This repulsant mist landing indiscriminatly on food and people. luckily i was out of range though i had a good view of him broadsiding the girl oposite me. It didnt help that his mouth contained fangs that would have made even the most unselfconsious horse feel bad about itslef and head to a dentist. Undismayed by our refusals he bought us a pot of pickle vegetables for out table. I took a bite from something long and purple. It tasted like paint thinner. Smilling weakly around the mouthfull and advised the others to tuck in. They declined.
We ate absurd amounts and paid a pittance becourse the owner likes us. Fantastic place! ill take some pictures next time. speaking of pictures, here are some crummy ones from my phone of the garden.

A truly epic film. Perhaps Liv and i are the only people to have watched it

Me at work

Asuka and Mike at the garden

setting sun streaming through the trees

some nicely juxtaposed rocks and trees

the sun setting the trees afire