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.
Avalanche {from 1971 'Songs of Love and Hate' album}
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It covered up my soul;
When I am not this hunchback that you see,
I sleep beneath the golden hill.
You who wish to conquer pain,
You must learn, learn to serve me well.
You strike my side by accident
The cripple here that you clothe and feed
Is neither starved nor cold;
He does not ask for your company,
Not at the centre, the centre of the world.
When I am on a pedestal,
You did not raise me there.
Your laws do not compel me
To kneel grotesque and bare.
I myself am the pedestal
For this ugly hump at which you stare.
You who wish to conquer pain,
You must learn what makes me kind;
The crumbs of love that you offer me,
They're the crumbs I've left behind.
Your pain is no credential here,
It's just the shadow, shadow of my wound.
I have begun to long for you,
I who have no greed
I have begun to ask for you,
I who have no need.
You say you've gone away from me,
But I can feel you when you breathe.
Do not dress in those rags for me,
I know you are not poor
You don't love me quite so fiercely now
When you know that you are not sure,
It is your turn, beloved,
It is your flesh that I wear.
The song "Avalanche" by Leonard Cohen is a complex, poetic representation of the power struggle that exists in romantic relationships. In the first verse, the singer describes stepping into an avalanche that has covered up his soul - a powerful metaphor for the overwhelming weight of emotional pain and trauma that he has experienced in his life. He then asserts that he is not merely the hunchback that others see, but something much greater and more complex, symbolized by the sleeping beneath the golden hill. This suggests that the singer has a hidden depth and complexity that others may not see or understand, and that his true nature is only revealed when he is alone with himself.
The second verse of the song describes the dynamic between the singer and his lover in more detail. He appears to be warning the other person that they must learn to serve him well if they wish to conquer pain. This suggests that the singer sees himself as a teacher, offering the other person a path to spiritual growth and enlightenment by submitting to his authority. The other person strikes his side by accident, suggesting that they are careless and unpredictable, and that they do not understand or respect the power that the singer possesses. The final verse of the song reveals the singer's vulnerability and desire for connection, describing how he has begun to long for his lover, even though he has no need or greed. He asserts that he can feel his lover's presence even when they are apart, and that he is willing to wear their flesh as a symbolic act of union.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I stepped into an avalanche
I found myself being overwhelmed and consumed by an intense and destructive force
It covered up my soul;
This force caused me to lose touch with the essence of who I am
When I am not this hunchback that you see,
I am more than just the physical deformity that you perceive
I sleep beneath the golden hill.
I find calm and solace in hidden, undisturbed places
You who wish to conquer pain,
If you desire to overcome suffering,
You must learn, learn to serve me well.
you must first understand and meet my needs and desires.
You strike my side by accident
In your pursuit of wealth and success, you inadvertently harm me in passing
As you go down for your gold.
As you strive for material gain and personal objectives
The cripple here that you clothe and feed
The person you assist and care for, who appears to be disadvantaged
Is neither starved nor cold;
Is not lacking in basic needs, though others may perceive them as such
He does not ask for your company,
He has no desire for your companionship,
Not at the centre, the centre of the world.
And is content to exist away from the spotlight of the world's attention and ambition.
When I am on a pedestal,
If and when I find myself revered and idolized,
You did not raise me there.
It is not through your efforts or influence that I have ascended to that position.
Your laws do not compel me
Your rules and conventions do not have the power to dictate my actions,
To kneel grotesque and bare.
Nor do they require me to submit and debase myself for the sake of tradition or compliance.
I myself am the pedestal
I embody the qualities and traits that have elevated me to such a position,
For this ugly hump at which you stare.
Despite the physical deformity that is often associated with me.
You who wish to conquer pain,
In your quest to overcome suffering,
You must learn what makes me kind;
You must understand the driving forces and motivations behind my actions and decisions.
The crumbs of love that you offer me,
The small and insufficient gestures of affection that you provide,
They're the crumbs I've left behind.
Are the remnants of a greater love that I have given and shared in the past.
Your pain is no credential here,
Your own suffering and struggles are not enough to earn you status or recognition in my realm,
It's just the shadow, shadow of my wound.
Rather, they are a reflection and amplification of the pain and hurt that I have experienced.
I have begun to long for you,
Despite my self-sufficiency and independence,
I who have no greed
I, who am not driven by a desire for material wealth or possessions,
I have begun to ask for you,
Have found myself needing and desiring your presence and companionship.
I who have no need.
Though I have no explicit or tangible requirement for you in my life.
You say you've gone away from me,
Even though you may have physically left my sight and reach,
But I can feel you when you breathe.
I remain intimately connected to you and feel your presence in my life.
Do not dress in those rags for me,
I am aware that you are not truly impoverished and do not require your acts of charity.
I know you are not poor
I understand that you have resources and advantages beyond what you may let on.
You don't love me quite so fiercely now
Your passion and devotion toward me has lessened or weakened,
When you know that you are not sure,
As you now grapple with confusion or doubt surrounding your feelings.
It is your turn, beloved,
It is now your opportunity or obligation,
It is your flesh that I wear.
To become the embodiment of what I represent, and to be a vessel for my ideals and values.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
Well I stepped into an avalanche
It covered up my soul
When I am not this hunchback that you see
I sleep beneath the golden hill
You who wish to conquer pain
You must learn, learn to serve me well
You strike my side by accident
As you go down for your gold
The cripple here that you clothe and feed
Is neither starved nor cold
He does not ask for your company
Not at the centre, the centre of the world
🎵🎶
When I am on a pedestal
You did not raise me there
Your laws do not compel me
To kneel grotesque and bare
I myself am the pedestal
For this ugly hump at which you stare
You who wish to conquer pain
You must learn what makes me kind
The crumbs of love that you offer me
They're the crumbs I've left behind
Your pain is no credential here
It's just the shadow, shadow of my wound
🎵🎶
I have begun to long for you
I who have no greed
I have begun to ask for you
I who have no need
You say you've gone away from me
But I can feel you when you breathe
Do not dress in those rags for me
I know you are not poor
And don't love me quite so fiercely now
When you know that you are not sure
It is your turn, beloved
It is your flesh that I wear
@hugo888888888
Well I stepped into an avalanche
It covered up my soul;
When I am not this hunchback that you see
I sleep beneath the golden hill
You who wish to conquer pain
You must learn, learn to serve me well
You strike my side by accident
As you go down for your gold
The cripple here that you clothe and feed
Is neither starved nor cold;
He does not ask for your company
Not at the centre, the centre of the world
When I am on a pedestal
You did not raise me there
Your laws do not compel me
To kneel grotesque and bare
I myself am the pedestal
For this ugly hump at which you stare
You who wish to conquer pain
You must learn what makes me kind;
The crumbs of love that you offer me
They're the crumbs I've left behind
Your pain is no credential here
It's just the shadow, shadow of my wound
I have begun to long for you
I who have no greed;
I have begun to ask for you
I who have no need
You say you've gone away from me
But I can feel you when you breathe
Do not dress in those rags for me
I know you are not poor;
You don't love me quite so fiercely now
When you know that you are not sure
It is your turn, beloved
It is your flesh that I wear
@Ocean_Man
Man do I love it when a show exposes me to this profund of a piece that I propably would have never found
@adamsogbe
Invincible
@Dmog97
@@adamsogbeyessssirrrr
@AlexWajoe
The one used in invincible was a tribute tho, if you wanna go listen to that one
@Dmog97
@@AlexWajoe Yh we know that
@dalilarammstein8738
For me, it was Our Flag Means Death 🏴☠🖤
@elliart7432
Whoever was responsible for scoring ofmd deserves a raise for this decision alone
@alexarias5717
This isn't the score but the sound track
@elliart7432
@@alexarias5717 oh sorry, I didn't know there was a difference
@alexarias5717
@@elliart7432 no worries haha