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.
Came So Far for Beauty
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I left so much behind
My patience and my family
My masterpiece unsigned
I thought I'd be rewarded
For such a lonely choice
And surely she would answer
I practiced all my sainthood
I gave to one and all
But the rumors of my virtue
They moved her not at all
I changed my style to silver
I changed my clothed to black
And where I would surrender
Now I would attack
I stormed the old casino
For the money and the flesh
And I myself decided
What was rotten and what was fresh
And men to do my bidding
And broken bones to teach
The value of my pardon
The shadow of my reach
But no, I could not touch her
With such a heavy hand
Her star beyond my order
Her nakedness unmanned
I came so far for beauty
I left so much behind
My patience and my family
My masterpiece unsigned
The lyrics to Leonard Cohen's song, Came So Far for Beauty, are a poignant reflection on the sacrifices that one is willing to make for the pursuit of beauty. The first verse speaks of the singer's abandonment of their life and family in pursuit of something greater, which they believe to be worth the sacrifice. The second verse speaks to the singer's faith in their own abilities and their belief that their efforts will be rewarded, while the third and fourth verses highlight the singer's feelings of rejection and isolation in the face of what they perceive as the world's indifference to their hard work and dedication.
Throughout the song, the singer's tone shifts from one of hopefulness and determination to frustration and disillusionment, as they come to realize that their efforts may not be enough to achieve their goals. They go from being willing to abandon everything in pursuit of beauty to becoming increasingly desperate and even violent in their attempts to force their will upon the world.
The final lines of the song reiterate the central theme of the piece, with the singer lamenting their decision to pursue a path that has left them with nothing to show for their efforts. They have come so far for beauty, only to find that it is still beyond their reach, and as they reflect on their journey, they are left with nothing but regret for the things they have left behind.
Overall, the beauty that the singer is pursuing in this song can be seen as a metaphor for success or artistic achievement, and their struggles and sacrifices can be seen as a reflection of the struggles that many artists face in trying to create something that is truly meaningful and lasting.
Line by Line Meaning
I came so far for beauty
I have traveled a great distance to obtain beauty in my life.
I left so much behind
I have abandoned much of my former life in order to pursue this beauty.
My patience and my family
In particular, I have forsaken both my patience and family for this beauty.
My masterpiece unsigned
In leaving so much behind, I have yet to fully craft a masterpiece (perhaps my life story) that others would deem fit to sign.
I thought I'd be rewarded
I imagined that I would be rewarded for having made such a difficult and lonely choice.
For such a lonely choice
This choice to pursue beauty was indeed lonely and came at a great cost to me.
And surely she would answer
I had hoped that the person or entity representing 'beauty' in my life would dutifully and loyally respond to my pursuit.
To such a very hopeless voice
But alas, my voice and cries for beauty may have been too hopeless and desperate to make a difference.
I practiced all my sainthood
I attempted to follow virtuous and humble principles in my pursuit of beauty.
I gave to one and all
I was generous and giving to all those I encountered in my path.
But the rumors of my virtue
Unfortunately, even rumors of my pure and virtuous character failed to make an impact on the representation of beauty in my life.
They moved her not at all
My reputation of virtue failed to sway the entity of 'beauty' in my life at all.
I changed my style to silver
Desperate for beauty, I altered my appearance by changing my style to a more elegant and possibly expensive tone.
I changed my clothed to black
In addition to altering my style, I changed my clothing to a darker, perhaps more mysterious color.
And where I would surrender
I once surrendered to the pursuit of beauty, but now I am determined to fight for it.
Now I would attack
I am no longer surrendering, but attacking the concept of beauty to obtain it.
I stormed the old casino
I audaciously and recklessly charged into a risky and potentially dangerous situation.
For the money and the flesh
In my reckless pursuit, I used extreme measures to acquire material and physical pleasures.
And I myself decided
I have taken the power and control of this pursuit into my own hands.
What was rotten and what was fresh
I am now the judge of what is good and bad, rotten or fresh in my pursuit.
And men to do my bidding
I have even resorted to using people as tools to carry out my plans and desires.
And broken bones to teach
My pursuit has even led to violence and bloodshed, causing injury and suffering to others in order to achieve my goals.
The value of my pardon
Despite my extreme actions, I still believe that the value of my pursuit of beauty is worth forgiving.
The shadow of my reach
I have extended my reach over others and their actions, actively controlling and sometimes obstructing them in order to gain beauty.
But no, I could not touch her
Despite all my efforts and sacrifices, I was still unable to attain beauty.
With such a heavy hand
Perhaps my approach to obtaining beauty was too forceful or brutish, crowding the very thing I longed for out of my reach.
Her star beyond my order
The beauty I seek is far beyond my control and ability to command.
Her nakedness unmanned
Beauty cannot be tamed or captured by mere human desire, as it is purely natural and unbridled.
Lyrics © RELENTLESS MUSIC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LISSAUER, LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@monica.fl.
I came so far for beauty
I left so much behind
My patience and my family
My masterpiece unsigned
I thought I'd be rewarded
For such a lonely choice
And surely she would answer
To such a very hopeless voice
I practiced on my sainthood
I gave to one and all
But the rumours of my virtue
They moved her not at all
I changed my style to silver
I changed my clothes to black
And where I would surrender
Now I would attack
I stormed the old casino
For the money and the flesh
And I myself decided
What was rotten and what was fresh
And men to do my bidding
And broken bones to teach
The value of my pardon
The shadow of my reach
But no, I could not touch her
With such a heavy hand
Her star beyond my order
Her nakedness unmanned
I came so far for beauty
I left so much behind
My patience and my family
My masterpiece
J'ai cherché si loin la beauté
derrière moi j'ai tant laissé
ma patience et ma famille
et mes chefs-d'oeuvre non signés
J'espérais une récompense
pour la solitude de mon choix
et qu'elle répondrait à coup sûr
au désespoir de ma voix
J'ai pratiqué la sainteté
j'ai donné à tous et à tout
mais la rumeur de ma vertu
ne l'a pas émue du tout
J'ai mis des vêtements noirs
j'ai changé mon style en argent
Et là où je capitulais
je deviendrais attaquant
J'ai pris dans le vieux casino
chair et argent qui m'étaient dus
et tout seul j'ai décidé
du sain et du corrompu
Et des hommes pour mes ordres
des os brisés pour faire voir
la valeur de mon pardon
et l'ombre de mon pouvoir
Mais je n'ai pas pu la toucher
de ma main lourde comme la pierre
son étoile hors de ma portée
et sa nudité solitaire
J'ai cherché si loin la beauté
derrière moi j'ai tant laissé
ma patience et ma famille
et mes chefs-d'oeuvre non signés
@j.c7719
Breathtaking, beautiful and serene. This album is incredible. ❤
@yukihyostar
One of his most beautiful songs.
@sainthaidar4642
Oh Cohen!
@bartokbel
Just poetry!
@dwaynewladyka577
This is so cool and so awesome. Cheers! ✌️🇨🇦
@oliviatrue2907
Perfect. So glad this happened <3
@terminatina8065
Thank you
@jadromladin
Beautiful 💞
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Magnífico
@germanquintero10121946
ESPLENDIDA