Cohen pursued a career as a poet and novelist during the 1950s and early 1960s; he did not launch a music career until 1967, at the age of 33. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), was followed by three more albums of folk music: Songs from a Room (1969), Songs of Love and Hate (1971) and New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974). His 1977 record Death of a Ladies' Man, co-written and produced by Phil Spector, was a move away from Cohen's previous minimalist sound. In 1979, Cohen returned with the more traditional Recent Songs, which blended his acoustic style with jazz, Oriental, and Mediterranean influences. Perhaps Cohen's most famous song, "Hallelujah", was first released on his studio album Various Positions in 1984. I'm Your Man in 1988 marked Cohen's turn to synthesized productions and remains his most popular album. In 1992, Cohen released its follow-up, The Future, which had dark lyrics and references to political and social unrest.
Cohen returned to music in 2001 with the release of Ten New Songs, which was a major hit in Canada and Europe. His 11th album, Dear Heather, followed in 2004. Following a successful string of tours between 2008 and 2013, Cohen released three albums in the final four years of his life: Old Ideas (2012), Popular Problems (2014) and You Want It Darker (2016), the last of which was released three weeks before his death.
Leonard Cohen was born into a middle-class Jewish family in Westmount, Quebec, on September 21, 1934. His Lithuanian mother, Marsha Klonitsky ("Masha"; 1905–1978), was the daughter of a Talmudic writer, Rabbi Solomon Klonitsky-Kline, and emigrated to Canada in 1927. His paternal grandfather, whose family had moved from Poland to Canada, was Lyon Cohen, the founding president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. His father, Nathan Bernard Cohen (1891–1943), who owned a substantial clothing store, died when Cohen was nine years old. The family observed Orthodox Judaism, and belonged to Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, to which Cohen retained connections for the rest of his life. On the topic of being a Kohen, Cohen told Richard Goldstein in 1967, "I had a very Messianic childhood. I was told I was a descendant of Aaron, the high priest."
Cohen attended Roslyn Elementary School and completed grades seven through nine at Herzliah High School, where his literary mentor Irving Layton taught, then transferred in 1948 to Westmount High School, where he studied music and poetry. He became especially interested in the poetry of Federico García Lorca. Cohen involved himself actively beyond Westmount's curriculum, in photography, on the yearbook staff, as a cheerleader, in the arts and current events clubs, and even served in the position of president of the Students' Council while "heavily involved in the school's theater program". During that time, Cohen taught himself to play the acoustic guitar, and formed a country–folk group that he called the Buckskin Boys. After a young Spanish guitar player taught him "a few chords and some flamenco", Cohen switched to a classical guitar. He has attributed his love of music to his mother, who sang songs around the house: "I know that those changes, those melodies, touched me very much. She would sing with us when I took my guitar to a restaurant with some friends; my mother would come, and we'd often sing all night.
Cohen frequented Saint Laurent Boulevard for fun and ate at such places as the Main Deli Steak House. According to journalist David Sax, Cohen and one of his cousins would go to the Main Deli to "watch the gangsters, pimps, and wrestlers dance around the night". Cohen enjoyed the formerly raucous bars of Old Montreal as well as Saint Joseph's Oratory, which had the restaurant nearest to Westmount, for him and his friend Mort Rosengarten to share coffee and cigarettes. When Cohen left Westmount, he purchased a place on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, in the previously working-class neighbourhood of Little Portugal. He would read his poetry at assorted nearby clubs. In that period and that place, Cohen wrote the lyrics to some of his most famous songs.
06. bird on a wire
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a worm on a hook
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
If I, if I have been unkind
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you
Oh, like a baby, stillborn
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much"
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
Oh, like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
The lyrics to Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" are very poetic, describing the struggles of the singer in finding freedom and redemption. The first verse compares the singer to a bird on a wire or a drunk in a midnight choir, suggesting a feeling of being trapped or lost. He then goes on to say that he has tried in his own way to be free, indicating that he has been struggling to overcome some sort of obstacle.
In the second verse, the singer compares himself to a worm on a hook, showing a sense of being pulled along or controlled by something else. He then refers to himself as a knight from an old-fashioned book, referencing a sense of chivalry or honor, but also a sense of being out of place in the modern world. He has saved all his ribbons for someone, indicating that despite his struggles he has held onto some sort of love or passion.
The final verse gives a glimpse into a few encounters the singer has had with others, who give him advice on how to take life. The beggar tells him not to ask for too much, while the pretty woman encourages him to ask for more. In the end, the singer acknowledges his flaws and mistakes and swears to make it right, stating that he will make it all up to "thee," perhaps referring to the person he has saved his ribbons for or a higher power.
Overall, the song expresses a longing for freedom and redemption, acknowledging the struggles and mistakes made along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a bird on the wire
I feel trapped and helpless, like a bird perched on a wire unable to fly away
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I feel lost and hopeless, like a drunken member of a choir singing in the dark
I have tried in my way to be free
Despite feeling trapped and lost, I have made every effort to find freedom and independence in my own way
Like a worm on a hook
I have often felt like a helpless creature, completely at the mercy of those who control me
Like a knight from some old-fashioned book
I see myself as a chivalrous figure from a bygone era, willing to fight for what is right
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
All the love and devotion I have to give, I have saved for one special person
If I, if I have been unkind
If I have hurt others or been less than compassionate, I hope they can find it in their hearts to forgive me
I hope that you can just let it go by
I understand that forgiveness is not always easy, but I hope that others can look past my mistakes and move on
If I, if I have been untrue
If I have been dishonest or disloyal to anyone, please know that it was never intentional
I hope you know it was never to you
My actions were never meant to hurt or deceive you
For like a baby, stillborn
Despite my best efforts, some of my dreams and aspirations have been lost before they ever had a chance to live
Like a beast with his horn
At times I have lashed out like an angry, wild animal, harming those closest to me
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
I have hurt those who have tried to help me or show me kindness, often pushing them away when I need them most
But I swear by this song
This song is a promise to make amends and change my ways for the better
And by all that I have done wrong
I acknowledge my mistakes and declare my intention to make things right
I will make it all up to thee
I vow to show my commitment and make things right with those I have wronged
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
I have seen people endure unimaginable hardship, often with grace and dignity
He said to me, "you must not ask for so much"
I learned from a wise man that it is important to be content with what you have, and not always ask for more
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
I have also seen beauty and grace in the world, even in times of darkness and despair
She cried to me, "hey, why not ask for more?"
At the same time, I have heard others urge me to never settle for less and always strive for more
Oh, like a bird on the wire
Despite the mixed messages and conflicting advice I have received, I still feel trapped and uncertain, like a bird perched on a wire
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gillianbarker488
Like a bird on a wire
Like a drunk in an old midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a worm on the hook
Like a knight bent down in some old-fashioned book
It was the shape, the shape of our love that twisted me
If I have been unkind, ooh if I have been unkind
I hope that you can find a way to let it all go right on by
if I have been untrue, if I have been untrue
It’s just that I thought a liar… I thought a lover had to be some kind of liar too
Like a babe stillborn
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
But I swear by this song
I, I swear by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all, all up to thee
I saw this beggar, he was leaning on his wooden crutch
He says to me: "Leonard, you just can’t ask for all that much"
A pretty woman standing in her darkened door
She cries out to me: "Why not ask for just a little more?"
Like a bird on a wire
Like a drunk in an old midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
@avinghosh
Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a worm on a hook
Like a knight from some old-fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
If I, if I have been unkind
I hope that you can just let it go by
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you
For like a baby, stillborn
Like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
But I swear by this song
And by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
He said to me, "you must not ask for so much"
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
She cried to me, "hey, why not ask for more?"
Oh, like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
@robertleslie7359
Just commenting to observe he changed the lyrics in this version - the original goes:
"If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you"
and he changed it to:
"If I, if I have been untrue
it's just that I thought a liar, I thought a lover had to be some kinda liar too"
I think it's a very telling and lovely change and it probably makes the song more truthful... he had a lot of guilt saved up over his relationship with marianne, I reckon. writing later in his poem "days of kindness" he talks of his abandonment of “Marianne and the child”, and that he prays that “loving memory exists for them too / the precious ones I overthrew / for an education in the world”.
@fairenough7984
No one takes your soul, slice, dices,whips and purees it, then hands it back to you with love and understanding, like this man.
No one.
@marinafrancis8026
you nailed it!
@dgdl1954
Amen! Started listening in the 60s. Still listening and loving in 2023. Lucky to have seen him live in Halifax! Magical and emotional memory! ❤️❤️❤️
@jedediahjehoshaphat
Hearing this song makes me want to kneel down and pray, everytime
RIP Leonard Cohen 🙏
@sheilacarlson3569
He was the sexiest 80 something man ever. So sad he is gone.
@fairenough7984
Believe it
@cherisparling6740
Thats cuz he sang the human condition bw men and women
@tomkellycartoons
I encountered Leonard‘s music in the late 60s. I would lay in the dark, listening to “Bird on a Wire.”
It spoke to me and made me cry as I too was trying, in my way, to be free.
I still love him after all these years.
@pattikennington9887
That's beautiful! Born in 61.Never heard this!!!
@karencobley1862
felt the same but prefer the original - just his voice and my mind