I Have A Dream
Cohen Lyrics


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If the sun would lose its light
And we lived an endless night
And there was nothing left
That you could feel
That's how it would be
My life would seem to me
If I didn't have your love
To make it real

If the stars were all unpinned
And a cold and bitter wind
Swallowed up the world
Without a trace
Oh well that's where I would be
What my life would seem to me
If I couldn't lift the veil
And see your face

And if no leaves were on the tree
And no water in the sea
And the break of day
Had nothing to reveal
That's how broken I would be
What my life would seem to me
If I didn't have your love
To make it real

If the sun would lose its light
And we lived an endless night
And there was nothing left
That you could feel
If the sea were sand alone
And the flowers made of stone
And no one that you hurt
Could ever heal
Well that's how broken I would be
What my life would seem to me




If I didn't have your love
To make it real

Overall Meaning

In Leonard Cohen's song "I Have a Dream," the singer tells us that without his love, his life would be meaningless. The lyrics describe a world without light, stars, or life, emphasizing the desolation he imagines feeling without the love of his partner. The imagery of an "endless night" and "cold and bitter wind" create a sense of emptiness, which contrasts with the warmth and comfort that come from the love he experiences. The lines "If the sea were sand alone / And the flowers made of stone / And no one that you hurt / Could ever heal" further suggest feelings of hopelessness, suggesting that without love, there can be no healing.


The lyrics become even more poignant when we consider that Cohen wrote them for his longtime partner, Marianne Ihlen. The song expresses the depth of his love, suggesting that without it, he would be lost. The moving imagery in the song, such as the dead trees and the stone flowers, add to the sense of despair he might feel without the hope and joy of love.


Overall, "I Have a Dream" is a powerful and emotional song that captures the importance of love and the emptiness we may feel without it. Leonard Cohen's sensitive lyrics create a vivid picture of a bleak world without light, life, or love. It reminds us how much we need the warmth and comfort that love can bring to our lives.


Line by Line Meaning

If the sun would lose its light
If everything that seemed constant and reliable suddenly ceased to exist


And we lived an endless night
And life as we knew it turned dark and unbearable


And there was nothing left
And all hope seemed to be gone


That you could feel
That you could find comfort in


That's how it would be
That's how it would feel to live without love


My life would seem to me
My existence would become meaningless to me


If I didn't have your love
If I didn't have the love of my significant other


To make it real
To give meaning and purpose to my life


If the stars were all unpinned
If even the stars in the sky disappeared


And a cold and bitter wind
And a harsh and hostile reality took its place


Swallowed up the world
Consumed everything that we hold dear


Without a trace
Leaving no remnants or memories of what was lost


Oh well that's where I would be
That's how I would feel if I were without you


What my life would seem to me
How my life would appear to me


If I couldn't lift the veil
If I couldn't break free from the darkness surrounding me


And see your face
And bask in the light that your presence brings


And if no leaves were on the tree
And if there was no sign of growth or change


And no water in the sea
And if the very essence of life ceased to exist


And the break of day
And the promise of a new beginning never materialized


Had nothing to reveal
Offered no hope or brightness for the future


That's how broken I would be
That's how devastated I would feel without you


What my life would seem to me
How purposeless and bleak my life would appear without love


If the sea were sand alone
If even the vastness of the ocean was stripped of its beauty


And the flowers made of stone
And even the delicate beauty of nature was turned to cold hardness


And no one that you hurt
And no matter how hard you try, you cannot fix any damage


Could ever heal
Could never be repaired or restored


Well that's how broken I would be
That's how utterly despairing I would feel


What my life would seem to me
What my existence would feel like without love


If I didn't have your love
If I didn't have the unconditional love and support of my significant other


To make it real
To give meaning, purpose, and hope to my life




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Leonard Cohen, Patrick Leonard

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Sonny Dofflemyer

Beautiful lyrics and hauntingly gorgeous voice there...

Sam Angel

This is absolutely beautiful. I found it on a site called 8tracks.com...thank you StumbleUpon!

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