Saturday Night Live marks passing of Leonard Cohen with 'Hallelujah' tribute

Saturday Night Live marked the passing of Leonard Cohen in its own unique way, weaving its tribute into a message of hope in the wake of Donald Trump's stunning victory in the U.S. presidential election.

Cast member Kate McKinnon opened the NBC show in character as Hillary Clinton, sitting at a piano to perform a solo rendition of "Hallelujah,'' perhaps Cohen's best known tune.

At the end of the stark, emotionally uplifting song, McKinnon faced the camera and said, "I'm not giving up and neither should you.''

Watch the performance:

Every night since Trump's victory at the polls last Tuesday, thousands of Americans have taken to the streets in cities across the country in protests that have sometimes turned violent.

Cohen died at his home in Los Angeles on Monday and was buried in a family plot in Montreal on Thursday.

The singer, songwriter, poet and novelist who influenced so many other artists and whose fan base stretched around the world, was 82.

More on Leonard Cohen: 

• Leonard Cohen's Montreal: A tour of the city that shaped the world's moodiest songwriter
• Memorable lyrics, magnetic presence: Leonard Cohen's musical legacy