Hallelujah, I Love Her So

Song facts

From Wikipedia:

“Hallelujah I Love Her So” is the debut single from American musician Ray Charles. The rhythm and blues song was written and released by Charles in 1956 on the Atlantic label, and in 1957 it was included on his self-titled debut LP, also released on Atlantic. The song peaked at number five on the Billboard R&B chart and much like “I Got a Woman” and “This Little Girl of Mine“, it was based on a gospel hymn with lyrics altered to fit a secular blues format. These songs predated the groundbreaking success Charles enjoyed near the end of the 1950s with “What’d I Say“, but they significantly contributed to his increasing popularity within the R&B community.

“Hallelujah I Love Her So” is a testament to the joyous release of love, featuring a sophisticated horn arrangement and memorable tenor sax solo by Don Wilkerson. Several artists, including Stevie Wonder, Peggy Lee, Eddie Cochran, and Humble Pie have successfully covered the song.

Beatles Cover Version

According to biographer Mark Lewisohn (in “The Complete Beatles Chronicle” p. 362), The Beatles (first as The Quarrymen) regularly performed the song, from at least 1960 through 1962 with Paul McCartney on lead vocal. A very early home recording rehearsal (dated tentatively to May 1960) of it was included on Anthology 1 as well as on previous unauthorized releases. They continued playing it regularly including at the The Star-Club in Hamburg through the end of 1962, an audience recording was made there which is included in the album Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany, 1962. Additionally according to author Doug Sulpy (in “Drugs, Divorce And A Slipping Image” sec. 22.25) on Jan. 22, 1969 during the massive Get Back sessions they cut a version with John Lennon doing a “loose” lead vocal of it, that version has never been officially released. […]

From Anthology 1 liner notes:

Hallelujah, I Love Her So was first recorded by Ray Charles in 1956 but the clear influence here is Eddie Cochran’s cover version. This had been a minor hit on the British singles chart in February 1960, helped there by Paul who bought the record and sings lead on this recording.

From Beatles Bible:

The group’s version of Hallelujah, I Love Her So had appeared on bootlegs for some time, in a version lasting 2’22”. The Anthology 1 version sped up the recording, changing the key from A to B flat, and reducing the running time to 1’13”. It also omitted the second verse, a middle eight and the somewhat ramshackle guitar solo – presumably played by Harrison.

There is at least one instance where Paul McCartney sang Hallelujah, I Love Her during his solo period, during the ‘Take It Away’ promotional video filming in 1982.

Last updated on January 30, 2016

Lyrics