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.
A Singer Must Die
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is it true you betrayed us? The answer is "yes"
Then read me the list of the crimes that are mine
I will ask for the mercy that you love to decline
And all the ladies go moist, and the judge has no choice
A singer must die for the lie in his voice
And I thank you, I thank you for doing your duty
You keepers of truth, you guardians of beauty
I'm sorry for smudging the air with my song
Oh, the night it is thick, my defences are hid
In the clothes of a woman I would like to forgive
In the rings of her silk, in the hinge of her thighs
Where I have to go begging in beauty's disguise
Oh goodnight, goodnight, my night after night
I am so afraid that I listen to you
Your sun glassed protectors they do that to you
It's their ways to detain, their ways to disgrace
Their knee in your balls and their fist in your face
Yes and long live the state by whoever it's made
Sir, I didn't see nothing, I was just getting home late
In "A Singer Must Die," Leonard Cohen presents an image of a singer on trial, accused of betraying his audience. The singer is willing to face his crimes and ask for mercy, but in the end, he knows that he must die for the lie in his voice. This image is a metaphor for the burden that artists carry - their work is always subject to interpretation and criticism, and their every move is scrutinized by the public. The singer's apology for "smudging the air with his song" implies that he sees himself as unworthy of the beauty and truth that the guardians of beauty and truth - the judges and critics - are supposed to uphold.
The second part of the song presents a contrast to the courtroom setting, with the singer hiding behind the clothes of a woman he wants to forgive, and begging for mercy in beauty's disguise. Here, Cohen seems to suggest that, despite the harsh judgment of the judges and critics, the singer's art has a power that cannot be denied. The image of the singer in the clothes of a woman is also a metaphor for the fluidity and ambiguity of artistic expression, which can transcend the boundaries of identity.
Overall, "A Singer Must Die" is a complex and multi-layered reflection on the role of the artist in society, and the price that must be paid for creative freedom and authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the courtroom is quiet, but who will confess
The courtroom is silent, and no one is willing to confess
Is it true you betrayed us? The answer is "yes"
There is a belief that you have betrayed us, and you confess to it being true
Then read me the list of the crimes that are mine
Please provide me with the list of crimes that I am guilty of
I will ask for the mercy that you love to decline
Although I will request mercy, I know that you will not grant it to me
And all the ladies go moist, and the judge has no choice
The female audience is moved by my performance, and the judge is compelled to sentence me to death
A singer must die for the lie in his voice
The singer must die because his voice contains false statements
And I thank you, I thank you for doing your duty
I express gratitude to you for fulfilling your obligation
You keepers of truth, you guardians of beauty
You are the protectors of beauty and truth
Your vision is right, my vision is wrong
Your perception is correct, and mine is incorrect
I'm sorry for smudging the air with my song
I apologize for polluting the air with my song
Oh, the night it is thick, my defences are hid
The night is dark, and I am vulnerable
In the clothes of a woman I would like to forgive
I am dressed as a woman I desire to forgive
In the rings of her silk, in the hinge of her thighs
I am drawn to the texture of her clothing and the curves of her body
Where I have to go begging in beauty's disguise
I must beg for forgiveness while hiding behind a façade of beauty
Oh goodnight, goodnight, my night after night
I bid farewell to each night, night after night
I am so afraid that I listen to you
I am so scared that I heed your advice
Your sun glassed protectors they do that to you
Your protectors, who wear sunglasses, enforce oppressive measures upon you
It's their ways to detain, their ways to disgrace
They use detention and humiliation to exert control
Their knee in your balls and their fist in your face
They use physical force and violence to maintain power
Yes and long live the state by whoever it's made
The state endures, regardless of who created it
Sir, I didn't see nothing, I was just getting home late
I did not witness anything and was preoccupied with returning home
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
purple hamid
Now, the courtroom is quiet but who will confess?
Is it true you betrayed us? The answer is yes
Then read me the list of the crimes that are mine
I will ask for the mercy that you love to decline
And all the ladies go moist and the judge has no choice
A singer must die for the lie in his voice
And I thank you, I thank you for doing your duty
You're keepers, you keepers of truth, you guardians of beauty
Your vision is right, my vision is wrong
I'm sorry for smudging the air with my song
Oh the night, it is thick, my defenses are hid
In the clothes of a woman I would like to forgive
In the rings of her silk, in the hinge of her thighs
Where I have to go begging in beauty's disguise
Oh goodnight, goodnight, my night after night
My night after night, after night
After night, after night
I am so afraid that I listen to you
Your sun glassed protectors they do that to you
It's their ways to detain, their ways to disgrace
Their knee in your balls and their fist in your face
Yes, and long live the state by whoever it's made
Sir, I didn't see nothing, I was just getting home late
Helio Gonzalez
His music reminds me of a cold blue gloomy afternoon after a rain fall anywhere in the world. bless you Leonard Cohen any were you are I'll still be listening to your music
Rozina Jeffreys
He is the bomb, stay with us for as long long as you can. I'm you are. I as a female now have a voice like yours. Kodus to you. The Rose 🌹
Chris Lopez
Leonard.
This is wonderful.
His voice, the tender arrangement, the words pull you into Leonard's beautiful world.
I miss Leonard Cohen. But his music fills me with hope.
fred houpt
This one lingers deeply in the heart. One of his finest creations.
Gunnar Rundblad
One more special favourite of mine. Beautifully arranged, with the lightest touch by John Lissauer, probably the best producer he ever worked with IMHO.
purple hamid
Now, the courtroom is quiet but who will confess?
Is it true you betrayed us? The answer is yes
Then read me the list of the crimes that are mine
I will ask for the mercy that you love to decline
And all the ladies go moist and the judge has no choice
A singer must die for the lie in his voice
And I thank you, I thank you for doing your duty
You're keepers, you keepers of truth, you guardians of beauty
Your vision is right, my vision is wrong
I'm sorry for smudging the air with my song
Oh the night, it is thick, my defenses are hid
In the clothes of a woman I would like to forgive
In the rings of her silk, in the hinge of her thighs
Where I have to go begging in beauty's disguise
Oh goodnight, goodnight, my night after night
My night after night, after night
After night, after night
I am so afraid that I listen to you
Your sun glassed protectors they do that to you
It's their ways to detain, their ways to disgrace
Their knee in your balls and their fist in your face
Yes, and long live the state by whoever it's made
Sir, I didn't see nothing, I was just getting home late
Olga Athaniti
Beloved and immortal Leonard Cohen
Lyrics so profound !
John Mc Cann
What a genius!This is perfect poetry.He nails it!💚
Ex Nihilo
The best kind of immortality.
Aniger Figueiredo
The voice more deepest and passinate of all time. Cohen, Forever! 🌍🌷🌍