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.
Fingerprints
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I don't know who I am
My fingerprints were missing
When I wiped away the jam
Yes I called my fingerprints all night
But they don't seem to care
The last time that I saw them
They were leafing through your hair
Fingerprints, fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
Yeah I thought I'd leave this morning
So I emptied out your drawer
A hundred thousand fingerprints
They floated to the floor
You know you hardly stopped to pick them up
You don't care what you lose
Ah you don't even seem to know
Whose fingerprints are whose
Fingerprints, fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
And now you want to marry me
You want to take me down the aisle
You want to throw confetti fingerprints
You know that's not my style
O sure I'd like to marry you
But I can't face the dawn
With any girl who knew me
When my fingerprints were on
Fingerprints, fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
Fingerprints, oh fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
The lyrics of Leonard Cohen's song "Fingerprints" seem to describe the aftermath of a relationship where the singer regrets having touched their partner too often. The line "my fingerprints were missing when I wiped away the jam" suggests that the absence of physical proof of their touch makes it harder for the singer to remember who they are. The next stanza acknowledges the singer's efforts to call out for their fingerprints, but they seem to have disappeared. The mention of their fingerprints "leafing through your hair" suggests that their touch was intimate and significant.
Later in the song, the singer tries to leave their partner, but as they empty out the drawer, "a hundred thousand fingerprints" fall to the floor. However, their partner doesn't seem to care about the loss or who the fingerprints belong to. The last stanza suggests that the partner wants to marry the singer, but they can't do so with someone who knew them when their fingerprints were on. The fingerprints can be interpreted as a metaphor for the singer's past actions and mistakes, which they are trying to leave behind.
The song is open to interpretation, but it shows the inner thoughts of someone who is struggling with their past actions and their impact on their present and future. It highlights the idea that one's actions and mistakes can leave a permanent mark on their life and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I touched you once too often
I overexposed myself to you.
Now I don't know who I am
I have lost my sense of identity.
My fingerprints were missing
I could not find any trace of myself.
When I wiped away the jam
When I tried to clean the mess I made.
Yes I called my fingerprints all night
I was searching for any signs of myself.
But they don't seem to care
But I couldn't find any clues to lead me to myself.
The last time that I saw them
The last time I could identify any trace of myself.
They were leafing through your hair
They were still attached to you.
Yeah I thought I'd leave this morning
I was thinking of leaving you this morning.
So I emptied out your drawer
I removed all my belongings from your drawer.
A hundred thousand fingerprints
Many of my belongings had evidence of me on them.
They floated to the floor
They scattered around the room.
You know you hardly stopped to pick them up
You didn't even care to clean up the room.
You don't care what you lose
You are careless with other people's belongings.
Ah you don't even seem to know
You are unaware of anything happening around you.
Whose fingerprints are whose
You don't care about the identity of the one whose belongings you misplaced.
And now you want to marry me
You want to take our relationship to the next level.
You want to take me down the aisle
You want to get hitched with me.
You want to throw confetti fingerprints
You want to celebrate our union.
You know that's not my style
You know that's not something I want.
O sure I'd like to marry you
Sure I'd also like to get hitched with you.
But I can't face the dawn
But I cannot imagine my future with you.
With any girl who knew me
With anyone who knows too much about me.
When my fingerprints were on
When I was too involved with them.
Fingerprints, fingerprints
I am searching for evidence of myself.
Where are you now my fingerprints?
Where can I find any signs that remind me of myself?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: COHEN, SPECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nirjecimzataby1997
I touched you once too often
Now I don't know who I am
My fingerprints were missing
When I wiped away the jam
Yes I called my fingerprints all night
But they don't seem to care
The last time that I saw them
They were leafing through your hair
Fingerprints, fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
Yeah I thought I'd leave this morning
So I emptied out your drawer
A hundred thousand fingerprints
They floated to the floor
You know you hardly stopped to pick them up
You don't care what you lose
Ah you don't even seem to know
Whose fingerprints are whose
Fingerprints, fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
And now you want to marry me
You want to take me down the aisle
You want to throw confetti fingerprints
You know that's not my style
O sure I'd like to marry you
But I can't face the dawn
With any girl who knew me
When my fingerprints were on
Fingerprints, fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
Fingerprints, oh fingerprints
Where are you now my fingerprints?
@james00779
This is what lenoard wanted at one time in his career. Country ! Can ya believe it? well yes it's true lenoard wanted to be a country & western musician. I love the guy !!!!!
@fiorellafenati5395
carino, il solito immenso beloved Leonard
@fishfired4819
Interesting and unique, I don't think I have heard anything else by him that sounded like this, it is quite good and I am glad to have gotten to hear it.
@matjazmazi8405
this is not him. this is cover.
@shachardave
@@matjazmazi8405 : Yes it is him, one of his first songs when he was a teenager in Montreal, where he was born.
@MeatyCoon
Diamonds in the Mine was kinda similar.
@james6401
Line Dancing Lenny
@haimarazy
@@matjazmazi8405 This is not a cover. It sounds different because the album was produced by Phil Spector.
@gustisupreme
now. this is eepiic
@Gabe-qd4gz
This is really interesting stuff coming from him