Genius folk singer Jeff Buckley, "a pure drop in the sea of noise," was described by U2's Bono. He was impossible to ignore: a bright, sweet voice, handsome looks, striking lineage, and innate talent.

Born on November 17, 1966, in Southern California, he discovered his grandmother's guitar at the age of five and began to teach himself. At 17, Buckley left home to finish high school and started his career in Hollywood. After ten years as a hired guitarist in Los Angeles, he moved to New York in the early 1990s, performing with local bands and gaining popularity in Manhattan's East Village. After firmly rejecting several record labels and his father's manager, Herb Cohen, Buckley chose to sign with Columbia Records, formed a band, and began recording songs. In 1994, Buckley released an EP, Live at Sin-e, and his only studio album, Grace.

On May 29, 1997, during a break from recording, Jeff Buckley went swimming in the Wolf River Harbor of the Mississippi River and then disappeared. Even after an official rescue team was dispatched, he could not be found. It wasn't until a few days later that his body was discovered near a boat, confirming his death. He drowned in the Mississippi River near Memphis at the age of thirty, and his body was found five days later. His father, Tim Buckley, also a singer, died young at 28 from a drug overdose. Both father and son were exceptionally talented musicians, and their tragic endings evoke deep sorrow.

In 1998, Sony released a two-CD set, Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk, which included songs that were originally meant for Buckley's second CD. Grace received critical acclaim from both critics and musicians; the album indeed possesses an unusually strong emotional impact and is a deeply personal introspective work. Although Jeff Buckley had some fame during his lifetime, he became a sensation posthumously when the record label released all his previously unpublished songs.

Grace is one of Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time"; Buckley's musical talent and unique voice shine brilliantly across these ten tracks. In this album, you can hear the ever-changing structures of jazz, the complex yet fluid improvisation of blues, the tones of heavy metal guitar, and the deepest, saddest emotional flows of folk music.

Grace is the only studio album recorded by the prematurely deceased Jeff Buckley. The first track, Mojo Pin, immerses listeners in a dreamlike atmosphere, with a rhythm that gradually intensifies, as the curtain of tragedy slowly rises, beckoning one into a realm of nothingness. That painfully enchanting voice effortlessly controls the tone and melody of each song. The title track, Grace, and Dream Brother bear traces of psychedelic rock from the 1960s and 70s. His cover of Hallelujah is heart-wrenching, and his rendition even surpasses those of the original creators, Leonard Cohen and John Cale.

Hallelujah is a term of praise for God in the Bible and also a choral piece from German composer Handel's oratorio Messiah, often compared to the triumphant opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This piece has been passed down for nearly 260 years. Once, Queen Victoria of England was so moved by its grandeur that she felt very small and respectfully stood up to listen. The audience followed suit and stood up as well. Subsequently, whenever the Hallelujah chorus played, the audience would stand in reverence to the King of Kings (the Messiah).

Later, Leonard Cohen rewrote the lyrics and music for Hallelujah, interpreting the song as: all perfect imperfections have equal value. It does not stem from biblical doctrine but from one's inner passion and emotions, affirming faith in life. There are two main allusions here: One day, King David of Solomon happened to glimpse a very beautiful woman bathing. Upon inquiring, he learned that the enchanting woman was Bathsheba, the wife of his soldier Uriah. Driven by desire, David brought Bathsheba into the palace, and soon she became pregnant with David's child. The anxious king hurriedly summoned Uriah back from the front lines, intending to have Uriah spend time with his wife to confuse the child's paternity. Uriah, a loyal warrior, calmly told David, "The nation is in crisis; how can I return home to enjoy myself with my wife?" He requested to return to the battlefield. With no other options, David conspired with the front-line commander Joab to have Uriah killed. Afterward, he brought Bathsheba into his harem, thus rightfully possessing her. God was displeased with this and punished David by causing the child born to Bathsheba to die. David fasted and isolated himself, pleading with the Lord and composing penitential psalms (see 2 Samuel in the Old Testament).

The lyrics state: "When a man looks back on life, the only word to say is Hallelujah." The Hallelujah that King Solomon shouted is indistinguishable as praise for the Lord or for this unparalleled beauty and love. His love is not a victorious march but a series of sincere and faithful Hallelujahs. He repents for the great sins committed in the name of love, seeking to continually praise God and ask for forgiveness. In contrast, the Israelite strongman Samson was granted the divine power to tear a lion apart with his bare hands, instilling great fear in his enemies. Samson fell in love with a woman from the enemy tribe, Delilah. The enemies offered Delilah a great deal of money to seduce Samson and extract the secret of his innate strength. In the end, out of love, Samson revealed his secret to Delilah. One day, while Samson was asleep, the enemies cut his hair, causing him to lose his strength. He was captured, blinded, and imprisoned in a mill. Here, Hallelujah carries a sense of lament. For the listener, every breath represents Hallelujah, encompassing praise for God, a thirst for life, confusion about death, and a longing for love.

Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah interprets gratitude, thanking for blessings, suffering, loneliness, and even death. After Jeff Buckley's death, the record company compiled 20 of his posthumous works into a double album. He was subsequently highly regarded by fellow musicians; David Bowie included Grace in his list of "ten albums to take to a deserted island," and Bob Dylan called him "one of the greatest songwriters." Brad Pitt met Jeff Buckley through his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston and strongly urged the late singer's mother to allow a biopic about Jeff Buckley to be made. However, his mother, still grieving the loss of her son, firmly rejected the proposal. Subsequently, two music documentaries were released, and we can only find solace in his albums and influence, realizing that we gain and lose every moment, and we will sincerely shout Hallelujah, hoping for a chance to start over.