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.
11. Tower Of Song
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn't answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
And twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond
They tied me to this table right here in the Tower of Song
So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll
I'm very sorry, baby, doesn't look like me at all
I'm standing by the window where the light is strong
Ah, they don't let a woman kill you, not in the Tower of Song
Now, you can say that I've grown bitter but of this you may be sure
The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor
And there's a mighty judgment coming, but I may be wrong
You see, you hear these funny voices in the Tower of Song
I see you standing on the other side
I don't know how the river got so wide
I loved you baby, way back when
And all the bridges are burning that we might have crossed
But I feel so close to everything that we lost
We'll never, we'll never have to lose it again
Now I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'll be back
They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone
I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song
Yeah, my friends are gone and my hair is gray
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
In "Tower of Song," Leonard Cohen presents a wide array of emotions. He begins by lamenting his age and deteriorating physical state, acknowledging his years of playing music with a tinge of sadness. However, as the song's verses continue, he acknowledges that while he may no longer be in his prime, he is still a creative, emotionally-driven artist. The line "I ache in the places where I used to play" is both a metaphor for his aging body and a literal encapsulation of the physical cost of artistic creation. Cohen recognizes that his creative process, his 'payment', now happens in a new space in his mind, thoroughly situated within the "Tower of Song."
Cohen then references fellow artist, Hank Williams, questioning his silence beyond the grave. As Cohen hears him coughing overnight, you can guess that he has been communing with the dead artist's spirit. There is a sense of sadness and emptiness in this section, highlighting the gulf between the creative desire and the reality of aging bodies. Cohen admits that he is connected to the Tower of Song in more than just an artistic sense, however. He explains that he has been "tied" to a table by angelic forces beyond his comprehension, further underscoring the supernatural elements and weight he ascribes to the creative process.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, my friends are gone and my hair is grey
My old friends have left me and I have aged.
I ache in the places where I used to play
I feel pain in the areas where I used to enjoy myself.
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
Although I am deeply in love, I am keeping my distance.
I'm just paying my rent every day in the Tower of Song
I see myself as a permanent resident of the Tower of Song, where I pay my dues by creating music.
I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get?
I wondered aloud to Hank Williams about how much loneliness one can endure.
Hank Williams hasn't answered yet
Hank Williams has not responded to my query.
But I hear him coughing all night long
I hear the ghost of Hank Williams, who seems to be suffering.
Oh, a hundred floors above me in the Tower of Song
The Tower of Song is so tall and imposing that it seems to be a hundred floors above me.
I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with my natural gift for music, and I didn't have any say in the matter.
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
My singing voice is very special.
And twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond
Twenty-seven ethereal beings from another realm.
They tied me to this table right here in the Tower of Song
They bound me to a table in the Tower of Song.
So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll
You can try to cast spells on me, but they won't have any effect.
I'm very sorry, baby, doesn't look like me at all
Whatever you're trying to do to me doesn't appear to be working.
I'm standing by the window where the light is strong
I'm in a well-lit area near a window.
Ah, they don't let a woman kill you, not in the Tower of Song
Nobody wants a woman to kill them, particularly not in the Tower of Song.
Now, you can say that I've grown bitter but of this you may be sure
You might accuse me of becoming bitter, but one thing is certain.
The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor
The wealthy have control over the lives of the impoverished.
And there's a mighty judgment coming, but I may be wrong
There's a big reckoning coming, but I could be incorrect.
You see, you hear these funny voices in the Tower of Song
The Tower of Song is a place where strange and amusing things happen.
I see you standing on the other side
I see you standing across the river from me.
I don't know how the river got so wide
I don't understand how the river grew so large.
I loved you baby, way back when
I adored you, baby, back in the day.
And all the bridges are burning that we might have crossed
All the paths we could have taken are obstructed.
But I feel so close to everything that we lost
I still feel a deep connection to everything we missed out on.
We'll never, we'll never have to lose it again
We'll never have to lose it another time.
Now I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'll be back
I say goodbye to you now, but I'm not sure when I'll return.
They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
We're being relocated to a new tower tomorrow.
But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone
Even after I'm no longer here physically, you'll continue to hear from me.
I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song
I'll continue to create music from my window in the Tower of Song.
Yeah, my friends are gone and my hair is gray
My old friends have left me and I've aged.
I ache in the places where I used to play
I feel pain in the areas where I used to enjoy myself.
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
Although I am deeply in love, I am keeping my distance.
I'm just paying my rent every day in the Tower of Song
I see myself as a permanent resident of the Tower of Song, where I pay my dues by creating music.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Marcianna50
A poet, a truly gentle soul, a man with so much grace - he will live forever through his amazing gifts of words and music. I am grateful for the decades of this humble genius.
@angelahayes24
Amen
@anndownsouth5070
Something I noticed watching the videos of his live performances is the great respect he had for his audience and even more his respect for the musicians with him on stage. Truly a humble gentleman.
@sirhana
Yea, he changed after 10 years with buddism... But in 60s was not so much good human...
@dmgiova3788
You are SO right, Ann!
@heidiblake7957
@@sirhana Interesting. I'm 57 yrs old and I just discovered him a month ago. I haven't been able to find a really comprehensive biography of him. I would like on that is objective and not trying to push their own idea of who he was. He is such a sexy man, whether old or young. The lyrics of his songs are amazing, I think I appreciate the older man myself.
@tonyobrien6282
I saw him in 1980 at a time when I went to many concerts. He was outstanding, he was my greatest memory of that time. He was unique.
@heidiblake7957
@Zolar Czakl I will! Thank you very much!
@fairenough7984
I come back to this video every time I need my soul soothed, and comforted.
I am never disappointed.
@margiel2614
Doing that now...