Recently, at a friend’s funeral someone sang Leonard cohen’s Hallelujah.

Afterwards at the reception my friends and I were discussing the ceremony and somebody remarked about the fact that they had changed the lyrics of hallelujah – omitted some lines, cut some verses.

A few others agreed and had noticed. Yet I, hadn’t noticed at all.

I realised that i hadn’t really tuned into the lyrics at the ceremony, that I hadn’t noticed that the lyrics had been altered and that I probably have never consciously digested the lyrics of hallelujah even though i’ve heard it a fair few times since the mid ’90s.

i realised that at some point for certain artists or possibly for any artist i just don’t tune in to the lyrics, but when i was in my teens i could recite whole albums by the jam or the clash or bowie or whatever.

and I’m trying to ascertain at what point did i stop remembering, – it’s not that i don’t like lyrics, i love them, I write them occasionally but do I care about them – probably not.

it is true that the music i most enjoy as i get older » Continue Reading.