Most folks would be quite happy to never, ever hear another cover version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah,' and we would normally be one of them. But not this time.
Irish priest Father Ray Kelly was officiating a wedding at Oldcastle church in Meath, Ireland earlier this month when he decided to surprise the happy couple, Chris and Leah O'Kane, with a revised version of Leonard Cohen's classic (and arguably blasphemous) "Hallelujah."
"We had the rehearsal on Thursday evening and at the end I said, 'Sure, maybe I'll sing a song for you myself,'" Father Kelly told the BBC. "Leah grinned and said, 'OK, sure,' but I don't think she was taking it too seriously."
24 million YouTube plays later...
Last Friday, Father Kelly was a guest on Irish TV channel RTE's "The Late, Late Show," where he received some kind words from the still-honeymooning O'Kanes: "We can't believe how special Father Ray has made our day."
He also discussed why he thinks people have been so won over by the clip. "It's that the couple wasn't expecting it, and the reaction of the congregation, because they weren't expecting it, either," he says. "They thought I was miming, until I mentioned the names Leah and Chris. There were a lot of elbows, 'it's the priest!'"
Then he performed his version of "Halleluljah" once again to rapturous applause.
Watch Father Ray Kelly discuss and again perform his viral smash
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