Adam Sandler crooned modified lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s oft-covered ‘Hallelujah’ when the actor/comedian performed Wednesday for the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief, one-upping rock stars who updated their lyrics for the occasion.
Sandler, who’s known for repeatedly updating his comedic holiday track “The Chanukah Song,” was accompanied by long-time David Letterman sidekick Paul Schaffer on piano at the charity concert. The resulting duet was unofficially titled “Sandy, Screw Ya.”
“New York, the world held its’ breath as the storm took it to ya,” Sandler sang as he took the stage at Madison Square Garden. “But you’ve been knocked down in the past. Taking shots they thought would last. But you always get right up shoutin’ Hallelujah!”
The former Saturday Night Live star then launched into his superstrorm-adapted chorus.
“Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya!” he sang. “We’ll get through ya, ‘cause were New Yorkers.”
Sandler wasn’t the only one updating song lyrics for the Sandy benefit show. The Who and Billy Joel both did the same.
But the Brooklyn native loaded his re-adaptation with examples of ‘tougher’ situations the tri-state are has endured. With the night filled of heavy visuals of the destruction of the storm, Sandler helped lighten the mood for the nearly two billion viewers worldwide.
Sandler revisited past New York calamities most would rather forget, such as the bed bug scare of 2010, squeegee man and Lindsay Lohan’s repeated run-ins with the law. In his ‘tough guy’ routine, he essentially likened Sandy to the list of temporary ailments New York has faced.
Here’s the lyrics to Hallelujah’ remade by Adam Sandler as ‘Sandy Screw Ya’:
The terror of the hurricane
The unforgiving wind and rain
New York, the world held its’ breath as the storm took it to ya
But you’ve been knocked down in the past
Taking shots they thought would last
But you always get right up shouting Hallelujah!
Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya!
We’ll get through ya, ’cause were New Yorkers
Yeah New York you’ve dealt with crap before;
Like squeegee man and tunnel whores
And restaurant delivery biking right through ya
The puke on your stoops every Sunday morn’
Times Square losin’ all its porn
Original Ray’s Pizza closing too ya
But Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya
We’ll get through ya, cause we’re New Yorkers
‘Cause we believe this too shall pass
Like when Sanchez fumbled into an ass
And during the play-offs A-Rod telling girls in the crowd ‘I wanna do ya’
The Mets have sucked since ‘86, Isaiah tried to ruin the Knicks
But now Jay and the Kidd and the boys can freakin’ school ya
Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya
We’ll get through ya, ‘cause we’re New Yorkers
The bed bug scare of 2010
The Lohans getting busted again and again
The lady who she said was a man right after she blew ya (sorry that was just me)
Trump’s comb-over always making us sick
The congressman who tweeted his dick
The mayors’ ban of 32-ounce Mountain Dew-ya
Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya
We’ll freaking kung-fu ya, ’cause we’re New Yorkers
And Jersey you’ve taken your share of hits
The Situation always showing his tits
The turnpike exit 13 stinking like poo-ya
Ya lost the Nets, and now they’re good
But we’re still the Hudson brotherhood
Together we’ll give Sandy a big fongoule
Hallelujah, Connecticut too ya
We’ll get through ya, ’cause we’re New Yorkers
