Rufus Wainwright is ‘mortified’ Trump played his version of ‘Hallelujah’ at bizarre town hall
Numerous high-profile musicians like Beyoncé and Rolling Stones have previously complained of Trump campaign’s use of their songs
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Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright said it amounts to “blasphemy” that Donald Trump used his version of the Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah” at a recent campaign event in Pennsylvania that turned into a bizarre collective singalong.
“Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was height of blasphemy,” Wainwright wrote in a statement.
He added that he hoped Trump and his supporters might take the song’s message “dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of truth” to heart.
“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.”
The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
“Hallelujah” was just one of a number of well-known tracks Trump queued up on Monday during a town hall event in Oaks, Pennsylvania, which drifted into strange territory, as the former president largely stopped answering questions after two audience members collapsed in need of medical attention and pivoted to playing songs from his Spotify playlist.
The crowd watched for nearly 40 minutes as Trump and moderator Kristi Noem, governor of South Dakota, stood awkwardly onstage swaying to songs like Luciano Pavarotti’s rendition of “Ave Marie,” Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” , Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” and James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s World.”
A variety of musicians have previously complained about Trump using their music at rallies and other events.
In September a judge ordered the campaign to stop playing the song “Hold On, I’m Coming,” written by Isaac Hayes, after the late soul musician’s estate threatened an expensive lawsuit.
The month before, Beyoncé sent a cease and desist letter to stop the Trump campaign from using her song “Freedom,” which has become a signature track for the Harris 2024 effort.
That same month, Celine Dion accused Trump of using her 1997 song “My Heart Will Go On,” at an event in Montana. In addition to arguing he hadn’t legally sought permission to use the song, Dion also mocked the choice of tune, which famously appears in Titanic, as a campaign pump-up jam. “And really, THAT song?” Dion asked in a statement.
Other musicians who have opposed Trump’s use of their music include the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Guns ‘N Roses, and the states of Prince and Tom Petty.
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