“Hallelujah” is Leonard Cohen’s 1984 masterpiece. It’s a song that took years to
find its audience and has since become one of the most covered songs in
popular music. It’s built on five chords in C major, and the lyrics famously
spell out the progression as it happens: “the fourth, the fifth, the minor
fall, the major lift.”
That line is a genuine roadmap. The fourth is F, the fifth is G, the minor
fall is Am, and the major lift is the E7 that pulls you back around. Very few
songs teach you their own harmony while you play them. Let’s dive in!
The Chords You’ll Need
Chord Chart
Intro C G Verse 1 C Am Now I've heard there was a secret chord C Am That David played, and it pleased the Lord F G C G But you don't really care for music, do you? C F G It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth Am F The minor fall, the major lift G E7 Am The baffled king composing, hallelujah Chorus 1 F Am F C G C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu - jah Verse 2 C Am Your faith was strong, but you needed proof C Am You saw her bathing on the roof F G C G Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya C F G She tied you to a kitchen chair Am F She broke your throne, and she cut your hair G E7 Am And from your lips she drew the hallelujah Chorus 2 F Am F C G C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu - jah Verse 3 C Am Baby, I've been here before C Am I know this room, I've walked this floor F G C G I used to live alone before I knew you C F G I've seen your flag on the marble arch Am F Love is not a victory march G E7 Am It's a cold, and it's a broken hallelujah Chorus 3 F Am F C G C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu - jah Verse 4 C Am There was a time when you let me know C Am What's really going on below F G C G But now you never show it to me, do you? C F G And remember when I moved in you Am F The holy dove was moving too G E7 Am And every breath we drew was hallelujah Chorus 4 F Am F C G C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu - jah Verse 5 C Am Maybe there's a God above C Am And all I ever learned from love F G C G Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you C F G It's not a cry you can hear at night Am F It's not somebody who has seen the light G E7 Am It's a cold, and it's a broken hallelujah Chorus 5 F Am F C G C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu - jah Verse 6 C Am You say I took the name in vain C Am Though I don't even know the name F G C G But if I did, well really, what's it to ya? C F G There's a blaze of light in every word Am F It doesn't matter which you heard G E7 Am The holy or the broken hallelujah Chorus 6 F Am F C G C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu - jah Verse 7 C Am I did my best, it wasn't much C Am I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch F G C G I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool ya C F G And even though it all went wrong Am F I'll stand before the Lord of Song G E7 Am With nothing on my tongue but hallelujah Outro F Am F C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah F Am F C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah F Am F C G Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah F Am F C G C Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
About E7 (the “major lift”)
E7 is the chord Cohen calls the major lift — it sits right before Am and pulls
hard toward it, which is exactly what a dominant 7th chord does. Play E major and
lift finger 3 off the D string; that’s E7. If you’d rather keep it simple, plain
E major works too, but the 7th chord sharpens the pull.
Practice Tips
- The lyrics narrate the chords: “the fourth” is F, “the fifth” is G, “the minor fall” is Am, “the major lift” is E7. Play that line slowly while singing it — it’s the fastest way to lock the progression into memory.
- Every verse uses the same six lines of chords. Learn Verse 1 and you’ve learned all seven verses; only the words change.
- The chorus is one line repeated — F, Am, F, then C and G. It’s the simplest part of the song, which is why it lands so hard after each verse.
- Since we have to transition often between F and Am in the chorus, that shift needs to be simplified. For the Am chord shape in the chorus, I recommend using fingers 2, 3, and 4. That way, finger 1 (index) can be available to land the barre again on F major.
- If the F major to G major transition is giving you trouble, maintain the F major shape and slide the whole thing up two frets so that the barre lands on fret 3. This is another position for playing G major, and way easier than having to swap every finger!