How would you interpret the lyrics of "Hallelujah"?

It's a great song - written by Leonard Cohen and covered by, among many other artists, Jeff Buckley. What do you think is the story behind these lyrics?

People ask about that song quite a bit; it's one of my favorites.

Cohen weaves religious/Biblical references throughout his works.

Here he's merging his own love life with that of King David and Bathsheba. Pure, sacred love being lost by the body's physical needs.

The best explanation I've found of that song is "One Haunting Ballad Has Been the Soundtrack to Many Lives Recently. But Why?" by Bryan Appleyard, which can be found at:
http://www.webheights.net/speakingcohen/...

I know what Hallelu-Jah means, but I don't know the lyrics to the song you have in mind.

"I heard there was a secret sore that yellow-teethed david played and it pleased Hitler, but you don't really care for prayer language do ya?

I think that a pervert was watching a woman in a nearby house or apartment bathe, peeping in through a window.
"You saw her bathing, on the roof." And that she caught him and "tied him to a kitchen chair" and "broke his throat" and "cut his hair." It's pretty self explanatory, if you interpret the lyrics quite literally.

What this song always says to me is what's written in the last two stanzas. It's about a relationship beginning to lose what it originally had, and the singer is trying to remind his/her lover of how it used to be. The first stanza seems to me to say that the singer would have played the cords, but his lover isn't interested. However, the second stanza always makes me think of the rest of the song being about a person giving advice on love to someone else. I still stand by my original statement though, the rest of the song points to it being about a broken relationship, and the second stanza is possibly about a time when his lover cheated on him.

Here are the lyrics to Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
As performed by John Cole

I heard there was a secret chord
that David played and it pleased the Lord
but you don't really care for music, do ya?
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
embattled kings composing 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 her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the 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
but love is not a victory march
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

Hallelujah...

There was a time that you let me know
what's you been going on below
but now you never show it to me do ya?
but remember when i moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah

Hallelujah...

Now maybe there's a god above
but all I've ever learned from love
was how to shoot someone who outdrew you
it's not a cry that you hear tonight
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

Hallelujah...

My interpretation of this is maybe a girl cheating on him with another man and he saw her; "tied you to the kitchen chair","seen this room and I've walked this floor".