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.
Field Commander Cohen
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wounded in the line of duty,
Parachuting acid into diplomatic cocktail parties,
Urging Fidel Castro to abandon fields and castles.
Leave it all and like a man,
Come back to nothing special,
Such as waiting rooms and ticket lines,
Silver bullet suicides,
And racial roller-coaster rides
And other forms of boredom advertised as poetry.
I know you need your sleep now,
I know your life's been hard.
But many men are falling,
Where you promised to stand guard.
I never asked but I heard you cast your lot along with the poor.
But then I overheard your prayer,
That you be this and nothing more
Than just some grateful faithful woman's favorite singing millionaire,
The patron Saint of envy and the grocer of despair,
Working for the Yankee Dollar.
I know you need your sleep now
Ah, lover come and lie with me, if my lover is who you are,
And be your sweetest self awhile until I ask for more, my child.
Then let the other selves be wrong, yeah, let them manifest and come
Till every taste is on the tongue,
Till love is pierced and love is hung,
And every kind of freedom done, then oh,
Oh my love, oh my love, oh my love,
Oh my love, oh my love, oh my love.
The song "Field Commander Cohen" by Leonard Cohen tells the story of a spy who parachutes acid into diplomatic cocktail parties and urges Fidel Castro to leave fields and castles behind. The spy is wounded in the line of duty, and the song touches on themes of loyalty, ennui, and the fraught relationship between wealth and spirituality. Cohen's lyrics describe the spy as a man torn between conflicting desires: on the one hand, he longs for the simple life of waiting rooms and ticket lines, but on the other, he is drawn to the messianic ocean tides and other forms of boredom that are often advertised as poetry.
The song's themes of loyalty and disillusionment reflect Cohen's own struggles with fame and success, as well as his tendency to empathize with outsiders and marginalized groups. The lyrics also echo some of the themes and motifs that appear throughout Cohen's work, such as the tension between earthly pleasures and spiritual transcendence, and the idea that love is both an all-consuming force and a kind of spiritual discipline. Ultimately, "Field Commander Cohen" is a haunting, poetic song that speaks to the enduring power of Cohen's music and his ability to capture the complexities of the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Field Commander Cohen, he was our most important spy.
The singer describes Field Commander Cohen as a significant spy within their organization.
Wounded in the line of duty,
Field Commander Cohen was injured while on a mission for the organization.
Parachuting acid into diplomatic cocktail parties,
Field Commander Cohen used unconventional tactics, such as using acid, to carry out his espionage work.
Urging Fidel Castro to abandon fields and castles.
Field Commander Cohen was involved in persuading Fidel Castro to change his ways.
Leave it all and like a man,
Cohen encouraged Castro to leave his past life behind and start anew in a more honest and genuine way.
Come back to nothing special,
Cohen implied that giving up one's former life may lead to a sense of emptiness.
Such as waiting rooms and ticket lines,
The mundane aspects of everyday life are unremarkable and unexciting.
Silver bullet suicides,
The artist may be referring to a quick and painless method of suicide.
And messianic ocean tides,
The artist alludes to the transformative power of the ocean tide, which can be compared to the revelation experienced by a messiah figure.
And racial roller-coaster rides
The subject matter may refer to the fluctuating nature of race relations or the tumultuous nature of a person's own experience with their racial identity.
And other forms of boredom advertised as poetry.
The singer possibly criticizes poetry that only appears to offer depth but in reality is mundane and boring.
I know you need your sleep now,
The artist addresses Field Commander Cohen and acknowledges his need for sleep, potentially as a form of comfort or farewell.
I know your life's been hard.
The singer recognizes that Field Commander Cohen has had difficult experiences.
But many men are falling,
The singer indicates that there are people who are failing or losing their way.
Where you promised to stand guard.
Field Commander Cohen may have had a commitment to protect others and may not have fulfilled that promise.
I never asked but I heard you cast your lot along with the poor.
The artist has heard that Field Commander Cohen aligned himself with those who are impoverished.
But then I overheard your prayer,
The artist may have listened in on Field Commander Cohen's private conversation with a higher power.
That you be this and nothing more
Field Commander Cohen may have prayed to be nothing more than what he already is.
Than just some grateful faithful woman's favorite singing millionaire,
Cohen could be described as someone who has the romantic attentions of a particular woman, but is also a successful singer.
The patron Saint of envy and the grocer of despair,
Field Commander Cohen is seemingly associated with negative emotions, potentially portraying him as someone who both provokes and quells such feelings.
Working for the Yankee Dollar.
The artist suggests that Field Commander Cohen is motivated by money, particularly American currency.
Ah, lover come and lie with me, if my lover is who you are,
The artist addresses an unspecified lover and suggests that true love requires honesty and authenticity.
And be your sweetest self awhile until I ask for more, my child.
The singer may be asking their lover to put on a facade of kindness and sweetness until such a time when the singer expects more from them.
Then let the other selves be wrong, yeah, let them manifest and come
The artist suggests that different aspects of a person's identity can be wrong, and that one should allow the true self to manifest.
Till every taste is on the tongue,
The singer suggests that a broad range of experiences or emotions should be had and tasted.
Till love is pierced and love is hung,
Love may involve intense, painful emotions according to the singer, but it is still worth experiencing.
And every kind of freedom done, then oh,
When a person has experienced every type of freedom imaginable, they may arrive at an understanding of true freedom.
Oh my love, oh my love, oh my love,
The artist repeats these words likely to emphasize the importance of their love.
Oh my love, oh my love, oh my love.
The artist repeats these words likely to emphasize the importance of their love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bartcreemers1 CREEMERS
This is one of his best albums where his voice is vibrant and really Cohen- like.
I know his music from where I was 16 and now I am 62.
A red line through my life, this music.
Master of the word, disparity and solitude,
Strongly missed)
Moon Dancer
I've been listening so long to the version on SOUVENIRS FROM THE GRAND TOUR that I think I might like it better?
R. Clock
My son doesn't get Leonards' music yet, but I will leave this comment for him to find after I'm gone. This song meant so much to me. Hopefully youtube survives. I love you. Keep searching. Carpe diem.
John Mc Cann
I learned every word of every song on this masterpiece of an album.Magnificent Leonard.Ah but I was so much older then I'm younger than that now.💚😉
tom
Bob Dylan once said that Cohen's songs were not songs, but prayers.
suzanned99
Incantions?
Moon Dancer
Well Bob Dylan sings a lot of Cohen's songs at his concerts.
Herbert Helmstreit
For me Cohen was more a poet than a singer. He has written so great poems and novels. The melodies are just vehicles into the soul.
Stogie Smoker
@Moon Dancer Really?!
Aniger Figueiredo
There is not death of the spirit and the music proves it. You Will always be ours, COHEN! 💞💃🏻💞💃🏻💞💃🏻