The inclusion of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in the trailer for the Justice League Snyder Cut has tremendous significance for the movie and its long journey to being realized. After a short teaser earlier this week, an official trailer for the Snyder Cut was unveiled at the DC FanDome event to market the film's debut next year on HBO Max. By including "Hallelujah" in the trailer, Snyder is sending a number of messages, both blatant and subtle.
At face value, "Hallelujah" amounts to a jubilant celebration of the Snyder Cut being greenlit for release after the strenuous efforts fans made to make it happen — Snyder himself having boosted the campaign with his frequent social media teases along the way. Additionally, "Hallelujah" is also an obvious callback to the song's inclusion in Snyder's 2009 film Watchmen. However, in addition to the victory lap the song implies, the lyrics of "Hallelujah" are also highly illustrative of the struggles Snyder experienced in making Justice League.
The lyrics "Well I heard there was a secret chord / That David played, and it pleased the Lord" are where the hidden meaning of the song is applicable to Snyder's movie. The song describes a frustrated man trying to please a woman (referred to in the second person) with his music, comparing it to David's song of praise in the Bible. After commenting "But you don't really care for music do ya?" he breaks down the song: "Well it goes like this / The fourth, the fifth / The minor fall / The major lift." The lyrics describe the melody of the song, while also symbolically describing the cycle of loss and love at the heart of Cohen's music; collectively, the verse encapsulates the production difficulties Snyder experienced in making Justice League, along with his work overall in the DCEU.
Specifically, with the narrator of the song attempting to wow a lover who is unimpressed by his music, Snyder is referencing both the extremely polarized reception to Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but also the extensive re-tooling Justice League underwent after Snyder left the movie. For Snyder, Justice League is a source of loss and love — on many levels. While all of this is meta enough on its own, further lyrics in the song go even deeper.
The verse referencing the Biblical figures Samson and Delilah further demonstrates Snyder's experiences with Justice League. The lines "She tied you to her kitchen chair / She broke your throne and she cut your hair / And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah" reference the unfaithful Delilah who conspired to rid Samson of his powers, ending their love story in tragedy. Despite the trials Samson faces, however, he never loses faith in God, which eventually allows him to regain his strength. This further captures the hardships Snyder went through in making Justice League, which culminated in his departure from the film; his power was taken away, but his faith in his fans remained. With these lyrics, the trailer communicates the message that the Justice League film that will be presented on HBO Max is now definitively Snyder's. The term Hallelujah itself is Hebrew for "Glory to the Lord," and within the context of the song itself is also a broad affirmation of positive outcomes in life. The Snyder Cut is, in a way, Snyder's own "Hallelujah."
Overall, "Hallelujah" being incorporated into the Snyder Cut trailer carries much deeper meaning for the film and Snyder as a filmmaker than what is immediately clear. On the surface, it's a loving throwback to Watchmen and also a moment of celebration. However, examining the lyrics of Hallelujah on a deeper level, the song reflects both a sorrowful collage of Justice League's troubled production, along with Snyder reclaiming the property, stating the version being showcased is in no uncertain terms, his own.
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