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.
Dance Me To The End Of Love
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love" is a poignant love song that speaks to the enduring power of dance to connect us to each other across time and space. The song is an evocative ballad that uses rich metaphorical language to evoke both the pain and joy of human connection. The first verse, "Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin" seems to be a reference to the idea of the world as a stage, with the violin representing the instrument of creation. As the song progresses, the dancer and their partner are moved forward by a sense of urgency, with the final verse "Dance me to the end of love" indicating an almost feverish desire to experience the fullness of their connection before life comes to its inevitable close.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of urgency and desire that runs strong. The singer calls for the dance to continue "through the panic" and beyond the curtains of their kisses. They implore their partner to show them the beauty that exists beyond the eyes of others, to dance with them tenderly and lovingly. The final verses of the song speak to the deeper meaning behind the dance, as it becomes a way of creating new life and sheltering those who are yet to be born.
Overall, "Dance Me to the End of Love" is a complex and moving song that speaks to the incredible power of connection that exists between two people who are deeply in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Take me to your exquisite beauty with the sounds of a passionate violin.
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Guide me through the nerve-racking chaos until I am safely collected.
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Carry me up like an olive branch and be my guide back home, like a caring dove.
Dance me to the end of love
Lead me, dance with me until we reach the end of love.
Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Allow me to witness your beauty when we are in privacy, without any onlookers.
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Dance with me intensely, like the people do in Babylon.
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Reveal to me gradually, things I previously did not think were possible or imaginable.
Dance me to the end of love
Expire with me, after we have danced until the end of love.
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Accompany me to the wedding, then keep dancing with me incessantly.
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
Dance with me delicately and for a great amount of time.
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
We are both submerged in our love and above it, at the same time.
Dance me to the end of love
Move with me until the end of our love.
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Lead me to the unborn children that want to come into being.
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Take me beyond the cloth affected by our kissing.
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Set up a tent of security with me, even if only damaged threads keep it up.
Dance me to the end of love
Move with me until our love dies together.
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Guide me to your attractive beauty with the help of an intense violin.
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Steer me through the panic until I am rescued and secure.
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Contact me with your bare hand or covered one, whichever way you choose.
Dance me to the end of love
Lead me into the death of our love.
Dance me to the end of love
Guide me to the end of our love through dance.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Boston Dave
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Ron Shina
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand, touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
elian gomez
Bailame a tu belleza con un violín ardiente
Bailame a través del pánico hasta que esté reunido a salvo en
Levántame como una rama de olivo y sé mi paloma de regreso
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Oh, déjame ver tu belleza cuando los testigos se hayan ido
Déjame sentirte moviéndote como lo hacen en Babilonia
Muéstrame lentamente lo que solo conozco los límites de
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame hasta la boda ahora, bailame una y otra vez
Bailame muy tiernamente y bailame mucho
Ambos estamos debajo de nuestro amor, ambos estamos arriba
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame a los niños que piden nacer
Bailame a través de las cortinas que se han gastado nuestros besos
Levanta una carpa de refugio ahora, aunque cada hilo está roto
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame a tu belleza con un violín ardiente
Bailame a través del pánico hasta que esté reunido a salvo en
Tócame con tu mano desnuda o tócame con tu guante
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Bailame hasta el final del amor
Alain Pruchon
Perfect. The song is a great poem, the music is so moving, the musicians are great, the chorists ! Leonard is on the summits, Forever ...
Elena Lucescu
❤
Maciel Neto
Leonard Cohen,cantor,escritor, compositor,poeta, cristão acima de tudo,este homem faz muita falta aqui na terra.... Deus abençoe sua partida...
Boston Dave
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Emilija Sepsinac
Divna muzika.Hvala za reči pesme pozdrav
Boston Dave
@Emilija Sepsinac You're welcome.
Pinu'. 48.m .d.v.
La magia dell'amore eterno...♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️✝️
Paolo Provvedi
Semplicemente divina !!
Martha Matsuda
Boston Dave, your poem holds me quietly as I sit in gratitude for my life’s ups and downs; the ride of my life.
Jamie Holmes
Leonard always sends me to my knees. Don’t know why I write this. I guess humans always have a need to connect with others to share their mortality. 4 days ago I held my fathers hand as he died. I said let go now. You are gonna live inside me now. I have you. Don’t be afraid. I love you. You are in safe hands. Then he disappeared.