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.
Bird on the 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
Leonard Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" is a poetic piece that explores themes of love, freedom, and personal responsibility. The opening lines, "Like a bird on the wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free," suggests that the singer is someone who is constantly searching for freedom but finds himself tangled up in his own desires and doubts. While the bird on the wire is free, he is also exposed and vulnerable, while the drunk in the midnight choir is seeking liberation through his own pain and numbness.
The lyrics continue to describe the singer’s journey of self-discovery, as he compares himself to different figures throughout the song. He likens himself to a worm on a hook, a knight from an old-fashioned book and a stillborn baby. These comparisons allude to his feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability, despite his best efforts to be free. The vow in the final lines of the song, "But I swear by this song, and by all that I have done wrong, I will make it all up to thee," suggest that the singer is aware of his shortcomings and is committed to making amends.
Overall, "Bird on the Wire" is a haunting song that captures the complexity of human experience. It speaks to the ways in which our desires and fears can hold us back, but also to the resilience and strength that reside within us to strive towards a better self.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a bird on the wire
I feel exposed and vulnerable. I am in a precarious, dangerous position and I have nowhere to go.
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I feel like I am stumbling through life, searching for something but never quite finding it. I am surrounded by others who are equally lost and confused.
I have tried in my way to be free
Despite my struggles and failures, I have attempted to live life on my own terms, free from the expectations and pressures of others.
Like a worm on a hook
I feel helpless and trapped, as though someone or something is controlling my every move.
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I see myself as a romantic hero, fighting for a cause or a person, even if it means sacrificing my own well-being.
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
I have kept a piece of myself, my love or my loyalty, for someone special, even though they may not deserve it.
If I, if I have been unkind
If I have hurt you or caused you pain, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
I hope that you can just let it go by
I understand that my actions have consequences, but I hope you can move past them and focus on the positive aspects of our relationship.
If I, if I have been untrue
If I have acted dishonestly or betrayed your trust, I want you to know that it was not intentional and that I regret my actions.
I hope you know it was never to you
My mistakes were not a reflection of how I feel about you. I care deeply for you and would never want to hurt you intentionally.
Oh, like a baby, stillborn
I feel a deep sense of loss and emptiness, as though something important has been taken from me before it ever had a chance to grow.
Like a beast with his horn
I am filled with anger and aggression, lashing out at anyone who gets too close.
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
Despite my desperate need for love and connection, I have pushed everyone away, unwilling or unable to let them in.
But I swear by this song
Music is the only way I know how to express myself fully. I can't promise anything else, but I can promise that this song comes from the heart.
And by all that I have done wrong
I recognize that I am not perfect and that I have made mistakes in the past that have hurt others.
I will make it all up to thee
I am committed to making amends and fixing the damage I have caused. I want to make things right between us.
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
I have witnessed firsthand the struggles of those less fortunate than myself, and it has given me perspective on my own problems.
He said to me, "You must not ask for so much"
The beggar's words were a wake-up call, reminding me that the things I desire may not necessarily make me happy or fulfilled.
And a pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
I have been tempted by the allure of beauty and sex, only to realize that it is not a substitute for love and connection.
She cried to me, "Hey, why not ask for more?"
The woman's words were a challenge, encouraging me to pursue my desires and not settle for less than I am worth.
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