A collection of Leonard Cohen’s powerful song lyrics
Posted November 11, 2016 2:08 am.
Last Updated November 11, 2016 4:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Even Leonard Cohen himself seemed to know his lyrics were one of his greatest assets.
As he stepped onto the stage to accept a 1993 Juno Award he couldn’t help but crack a joke about the scene.
“Only in Canada could somebody with a voice like mine win vocalist of the year,” he told the audience.
With a gritty mumble that forced listeners to focus on every word, Cohen waxed poetic on everything from relationships to politics.
Here are some examples of the singer-songwriter’s memorable lyrics:
“From the wars against disorder. From the sirens night and day. From the fires of the homeless. From the ashes of the gay. Democracy is coming to the USA.” — “Democracy” from 1992’s “The Future.”
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“Give me back the Berlin wall, give me Stalin and Saint Paul. I’ve seen the future, brother: it is murder.” — “The Future” from the album of the same name.
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“And it’s not a cry that you hear at night. It’s not somebody who’s seen the light. It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.” — “Hallelujah” from 1984’s “Various Positions.”
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“And you won’t make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night. We weren’t lovers like that and besides, it would still be all right.” — “Sisters of Mercy” from 1967 album “Songs of Leonard Cohen.”
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“Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play. And I’m crazy for love but I’m not coming on, I’m just paying my rent every day in the tower of song.” — “Tower of Song” from 1988’s “I’m Your Man.”
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“Everybody knows that the boat is leaking. Everybody knows that the captain lied. Everybody got this broken feeling. Like their father or their dog just died.” — “Everybody Knows” from “I’m Your Man.”
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“Like a bird on the wire. Like a drunk in a midnight choir. I have tried in my way to be free.” — “Bird on a Wire” from 1969’s “Songs from a Room.”
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“There’s a lover in the story, but the story’s still the same. There’s a lullaby for suffering, and a paradox to blame. But it’s written in the scriptures, and it’s not some idle claim. You want it darker. We kill the flame.” — “You Want it Darker,” title track from the 2016 album.
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“Going home, without my sorrow. Going home, sometime tomorrow. Going home, to where it’s better than before.” — “Going Home” from 2012’s “Old Ideas.”
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