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New Ryan Adams & Willie Nelson – “Hallelujah”

10:51 AM EDT on October 27, 2006

We were just talking Rufus and Buckley and conversation inevitably steered toward their covers of Leonard Cohen (for the record, Rufus's cover was inspired by John Cale's -- as was Jeff's). So check this, the quadrabillionth take of Cohen's '84 classic, from Willie's Ryan Adams-produced record Songbird. It's a departure from Cale, and it has The Cardinals on backing band duty (as does the rest of the record) -- but no signs of those ill, Ry raps.

Listen to it here.

We're with Leonard in thinking Jeff's was the definitive take -- but feel free to make us think otherwise. For your argumentative aid, here's the Wiki-fueled list of known "Hallelujah"ers:

  • Elisa
  • Bono
  • Bob Dylan
  • Clare Bowditch
  • Allison Crowe
  • Jackie Greene
  • Julie Felix
  • Anthony Michael Hall
  • Bettie Serveert
  • Custard
  • k.d. lang
  • Kevin Max
  • Gord Downie
  • Steffen Brandt/Tina Dico (in Danish translation)
  • Street to Nowhere
  • Wayne Whittaker
  • The Prayerbabies
  • Kathryn Williams
  • Lucky Jim
  • And those performing it live:

  • Ari Hest
  • Brandi Carlile
  • Gavin DeGraw
  • Dave Dobbyn
  • The Dresden Dolls
  • Chris Clonts
  • Damien Rice
  • David Ford
  • Jay Clifford
  • Regina Spektor
  • Starsailor
  • Donna Lynne Champlin
  • Alter Bridge
  • Sheryl Crow
  • Chris Botti
  • Even more aid: MOKB has the MP3s! Dodge, we're gonna need you to find that Anthony Michael Hall cover like now.

    Songbird is out 10/31.

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