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.
Ballad of the Absent Mare
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His mare's run away
And he'll walk til he finds her
His darling, his stray
But the river's in flood
And the roads are awash
And the bridges break up
In the panic of loss.
And there's nothing to follow
There's nowhere to go
She's gone like the summer
Gone like the snow
And the crickets are breaking
His heart with their song
As the day caves in
And the night is all wrong
Did he dream, was it she
Who went galloping past
And bent down the fern
Broke open the grass
And printed the mud with
The iron and the gold
That he nailed to her feet
When he was the lord
And although she goes grazing
A minute away
He tracks her all night
He tracks her all day
Oh blind to her presence
Except to compare
His injury here
With her punishment there
Then at home on a branch
In the highest tree
A songbird sings out
So suddenly
Ah the sun is warm
And the soft winds ride
On the willow trees
By the river side
Oh the world is sweet
The world is wide
And she's there where
The light and the darkness divide
And the steam's coming off her
She's huge and she's shy
And she steps on the moon
When she paws at the sky
And she comes to his hand
But she's not really tame
She longs to be lost
He longs for the same
And she'll bolt and she'll plunge
Through the first open pass
To roll and to feed
In the sweet mountain grass
Or she'll make a break
For the high plateau
Where there's nothing above
And there's nothing below
And it's time for the burden
It's time for the whip
Will she walk through the flame
Can he shoot from the hip
So he binds himself
To the galloping mare
And she binds herself
To the rider there
And there is no space
But there's left and right
And there is no time
But there's day and night
And he leans on her neck
And he whispers low
"Whither thou goest
I will go"
And they turn as one
And they head for the plain
No need for the whip
Ah, no need for the rein
Now the clasp of this union
Who fastens it tight?
Who snaps it asunder
The very next night
Some say the rider
Some say the mare
Or that love's like the smoke
Beyond all repair
But my darling says
"Leonard, just let it go by
That old silhouette
On the great western sky"
So I pick out a tune
And they move right along
And they're gone like the smoke
And they're gone like this song
Leonard Cohen's "Ballad of the Absent Mare" is a haunting but beautiful poem of a cowboy's unrelenting search for his beloved mare that has gone astray. The cowboy sets out to find her, but the forces of nature hinder his journey. The river is in flood and the roads are awash, and there's nowhere to go. The lyrics seem to hint that this cowboy's journey is more than just about finding his mare; it's about his search for meaning, purpose, and possibly even love. The crickets sing a song that breaks his heart, and the day caves into the night, leaving him feeling lost and hopeless.
The cowboy recalls moments he shared with his mare, and in a dream-like sequence, wonders if she had been the one who galloped past and had left a trail of iron and gold in the mud. As he continues his journey, the cowboy finally finds his mare, and they reunite in a way that reminds us of how powerful a connection between a human and an animal can be. He declares that they are bound to each other, and his mare belongs to him as much as he belongs to her. They journey on as one, but the song ends with the question of what will happen to this union. Will it be broken the next night? Will the rider or the mare be the reason for the separation?
Line by Line Meaning
Say a prayer for the cowboy
Start by praying for the cowboy who is searching for his missing mare.
His mare's run away
The cowboy's mare has escaped and he is searching for her.
And he'll walk til he finds her
He will be tirelessly looking for her until he finds her.
His darling, his stray
The mare is important to the cowboy as she holds emotional significance for him.
But the river's in flood
The overflowing river causes obstacles on his path to finding her.
And the roads are awash
The roads have been washed away because of the flood, making it harder to continue his search.
And the bridges break up
Bridges are destroyed because of the flood, causing him to lose hope in finding his mare.
In the panic of loss.
The cowboy is in a panic, feeling the loss of his beloved mare intensely.
And there's nothing to follow
He has no leads to follow.
There's nowhere to go
He is stranded with no direction.
She's gone like the summer
His mare is gone just like the summer season passes away.
Gone like the snow
Winter snow disappears without a trace, similar to how his mare disappeared without a trace.
And the crickets are breaking
The sounds of the crickets—the night's soundtrack as he searches—are worsening his pain.
His heart with their song
The crickets' song is breaking his heart.
As the day caves in
The end of the day brings despair and darkness.
And the night is all wrong
The night is restless with no peace, and he feels lost without his mare.
Did he dream, was it she
He questions if he's dreaming or if he actually saw her in the distance.
Who went galloping past
He sees a figure in the distance and wonders if it could have been his mare.
And bent down the fern
The figure in his dream or imagination bent the fern.
Broke open the grass
The figure broke the surface of the grass which covered the ground.
And printed the mud with
The figure left footprints in the mud.
The iron and the gold
She left a trail of iron and gold, which was nailed to her feet.
That he nailed to her feet
The cowboy had nailed iron and gold to his mare's feet prior to her escape.
When he was the lord
He was, metaphorically speaking, the lord of the mare.
And although she goes grazing
His mare roams free and grazes, but she's still in his mind.
A minute away
She hasn't gone far away, only a minute's walk away, but she is still difficult to find.
He tracks her all night
He spends the whole night tracking her.
He tracks her all day
He continues to track her all throughout the next day.
Oh blind to her presence
He is unable to locate her.
Except to compare
The only thing that he can do is keep comparing his pain to hers.
His injury here
He is injured and going through mental anguish at the loss of his mare.
With her punishment there
Mentally, he feels that his mare is being punished as well, as if both of them are suffering in different ways.
Then at home on a branch
In the comfort of home, he sees a songbird on a branch.
In the highest tree
The bird is on the highest tree that he can see.
A songbird sings out
The songbird begins to sing.
So suddenly
The bird starts singing suddenly without any warning.
Ah the sun is warm
The sun's warmth feels good.
And the soft winds ride
Soft winds are blowing, moving him and his pain.
On the willow trees
He can hear the wind blowing through the willow trees.
By the river side
He's sitting next to the river when he sees the bird and feels the wind.
Oh the world is sweet
He realizes that the world is lovely, despite the pain he's going through.
The world is wide
He realizes that the world is vast and has room for both pain and joy.
And she's there where
His mare is somewhere, even though he can't see her.
The light and the darkness divide
She could be anywhere, whether in the brightest of light or the darkest of shadows.
And the steam's coming off her
He imagines that steam is coming from her body, as if she is close by.
She's huge and she's shy
In his imagination, she has transformed into a shy and majestic creature.
And she steps on the moon
She is so grand that her feet touch the moon.
When she paws at the sky
As she playfully strikes at the sky with her hooves.
And she comes to his hand
Suddenly, he feels her presence in the palm of his hand.
But she's not really tame
She may have come to him, but she's wild, a free soul that cannot be tamed.
She longs to be lost
She has a longing to be free and away from confinement.
He longs for the same
The cowboy also wishes to be free of his pain and suffering.
And she'll bolt and she'll plunge
If given the chance, the mare will run as far and as fast as she can.
Through the first open pass
She'll go through any possible opening to be finally free.
To roll and to feed
She desires to live life on her own terms, perhaps to feed herself and enjoy rolling through the grass.
In the sweet mountain grass
The sweet scent of mountain grass is what she looks forward to in her imagined escape.
Or she'll make a break
The mare will make a run for it without any warning if given the chance.
For the high plateau
She'll run to where she can reach the highest point and escape.
Where there's nothing above
In such high places, there is nothing above her, where she can feel the freedom she desires.
And there's nothing below
The place she desires to escape into is a place where there is nothing below her.
And it's time for the burden
It's time for the cowboy to face the reality that he'll never see his mare again.
It's time for the whip
He should begin using the whip to lash himself for harboring unrealistic fantasies of ever seeing his mare again.
Will she walk through the flame
He wonders if he can still attract her like flame attracts moths.
Can he shoot from the hip
He doubts if he can still make a blind shot at hitting his target.
So he binds himself
He commits himself fully to his pursuit of finding his mare.
To the galloping mare
He takes control by riding and being one with the mare.
And she binds herself
He imagines that the mare is willingly and lovingly allowing herself to be bound to him.
To the rider there
She is bound to the cowboy with her heart and soul.
And there is no space
Once they are together, there is no distance between them.
But there's left and right
Although there is no physical space or distance, there are still different directions to follow.
And there is no time
When they're together, there is only the eternal present moment.
But there's day and night
Even though there are no time constraints, there are still different phases of light and darkness.
And he leans on her neck
He finds comfort and support by leaning on her strong neck.
And he whispers low
He whispers something soft, as if sharing a secret with her.
Whither thou goest
The words he whispers could be from the Bible verse that assures God's presence: 'Whither thou goest, I will go.'
I will go
The cowboy will follow her wherever she goes.
And they turn as one
Together, the cowboy and the mare move and turn in perfect sync.
And they head for the plain
They go towards a wide open and what seems like a barren plain.
No need for the whip
The mare is moving willingly, so the whip isn't necessary.
Ah, no need for the rein
The cowboy has complete trust in her, so there is no need for a rein to direct her.
Now the clasp of this union
Now that they're joined together, the union feels natural and right.
Who fastens it tight?
What makes this bond so strong, unbreakable, and beautiful?
Who snaps it asunder
Who would break such a strong and beautiful bond?
The very next night
It could unexpectedly happen any day at any time.
Some say the rider
Some people say it is the cowboy who will break the bond.
Some say the mare
Others believe it is the mare who will break the bond.
Or that love's like the smoke
Love is often compared to smoke, with the meaning that it could disperse in many ways.
Beyond all repair
Love could be unrecoverable and beyond repair.
But my darling says
However, someone close to the singer tells them otherwise.
Leonard, just let it go by
They advise the singer to let the loss go and move on.
That old silhouette
They reference an 'old silhouette,' likely referring to the image of the cowboy's mare as a memory.
On the great western sky
This image of the mare is still in the cowboy's head as he glares at the western horizon.
So I pick out a tune
The singer changes his thoughts and decides to hum a tune for the moment.
And they move right along
He moves along with the song he's humming.
And they're gone like the smoke
Just like the smoke, the song ends and everything disappears into the wind, signaling the end of this tale.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BrunoGrazianoG
Say a prayer for the cowboy
His mare's run away
And he'll walk til he finds her
His darling, his stray
But the river's in flood
And the roads are awash
And the bridges break up
In the panic of loss.
And there's nothing to follow
There's nowhere to go
She's gone like the summer
Gone like the snow
And the crickets are breaking
His heart with their song
As the day caves in
And the night is all wrong
Did he dream, was it she
Who went galloping past
And bent down the fern
Broke open the grass
And printed the mud with
The iron and the gold
That he nailed to her feet
When he was the lord
And although she goes grazing
A minute away
He tracks her all night
He tracks her all day
Oh blind to her presence
Except to compare
His injury here
With her punishment there
Then at home on a branch
In the highest tree
A songbird sings out
So suddenly
Ah the sun is warm
And the soft winds ride
On the willow trees
By the river side
Oh the world is sweet
The world is wide
And she's there where
The light and the darkness divide
And the steam's coming off her
She's huge and she's shy
And she steps on the moon
When she paws at the sky
And she comes to his hand
But she's not really tame
She longs to be lost
He longs for the same
And she'll bolt and she'll plunge
Through the first open pass
To roll and to feed
In the sweet mountain grass
Or she'll make a break
For the high plateau
Where there's nothing above
And there's nothing below
And it's time for the burden
It's time for the whip
Will she walk through the flame
Can he shoot from the hip
So he binds himself
To the galloping mare
And she binds herself
To the rider there
And there is no space
But there's left and right
And there is no time
But there's day and night
And he leans on her neck
And he whispers low
"Whither thou goest
I will go"
And they turn as one
And they head for the plain
No need for the whip
Ah, no need for the rein
Now the clasp of this union
Who fastens it tight?
Who snaps it asunder
The very next night
Some say the rider
Some say the mare
Or that love's like the smoke
Beyond all repair
But my darling says
"Leonard, just let it go by
That old silhouette
On the great western sky"
So I pick out a tune
And they move right along
And they're gone like the smoke
And they're gone like this song
@alwaysfourfun1671
So beautiful! Couldn't stop playing the record, back in 1980. Leonard has a way to capture everything that is important in all of humanity.
@jeremysphincter1094
The cowboy song to end all cowboy songs. God it’s just beautiful.
@ArcoZakus
Jeremy Sphincter,
This is beautiful. Emmylou Harris also recorded it in her unique way.
As for it being "The cowboy song to end all cowboy songs", I think Ed Bruce wrote that one:
"Ed Bruce - The Last Cowboy Song" -- James Stiltner
https://youtu.be/lJC22eSXeXA
@johnnysalter7072
@@ArcoZakus Leonard wrote her a letter congratulating and thanking her for making it.
@moondancer4660
Yes it is beautiful
@user-zo7mr3op8i
Nobody else could bring this off.
And the backing singers!...
@Magaboon
Cohen songs are sweet and sad. This man really understood the emotional turmoils one can live, great poetry
@mayoly9030
Why does this song always make me cry?
@larrasket
And they are gone like the smoke, and they are gone like this song.
Rest in peace, Leo.
@user-ol9mz7kk9t
Can't read now, misplaced the glasses ; Everytime listening to this song, reminds me. : how lucky we are to exist in the world ❤
Wish, we all ( humans) use every opportunity to love all our siblings ( all the creatures, starting with ourselves ) and our very home, lap of maamaa EARTH 🌎 ❤