Rufus Wainwright was really upset when Donald Trump used his version of "Hallelujah" at a campaign event and called it the “height of blasphemy.”
Wainwright shared that Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah" stands for peace and truth, and he felt honored to be associated with it over the years. But seeing Trump and his followers enjoy it felt wrong to him. “The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth,” Wainwright said. “I’ve been supremely honored over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance. Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy.”
This campaign event was meant to be a Q&A with South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem. Things took a turn when some attendees needed medical help, so Trump scrapped the talks and played music instead, including tunes like “Y.M.C.A.”, Elvis hits, and Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond”.
Fans sometimes wonder if Trump’s choice in music could change his ways, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
Wainwright added, “Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he’s caused. I’m not holding my breath.”
Cohen’s music publishers, Sony, didn’t say anything about the incident. Earlier reports suggested they might have sent a letter asking Trump to stop using the song, but that wasn’t true.
"Hallelujah" being used like this isn’t new. Back in 2020, it was played during a big fireworks show at the Republican National Convention, which surprised Cohen’s family because they had already said no to its use.
A lawyer from Cohen’s estate even joked that if the RNC wanted to use Cohen’s other song, "You Want It Darker", they might have said yes.
Note: An earlier mistake regarding Cohen’s publishing company has been fixed.
