Humbled in Love
Leonard Cohen Lyrics


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Do you remember all of those pledges
That we pledged in the passionate night
Ah they're soiled now, they're torn at the edges
Like moths on a still yellow light
No penance serves to renew them
No massive transfusions of trust
Why not even revenge can undo them
So twisted these vows and so crushed

And you say you've been humbled in love
Cut down in your love
Forced to kneel in the mud next to me
Ah but why so bitterly turn from the one
Who kneels there as deeply as thee

Children have takes these pledges
They have ferried them out of the past
Oh beyond all the graves and the hedges
Where love must go hiding at last
And here where there is no description
Oh here in the moment at hand
No sinner need rise up forgiven
No victim need limp to the stand

And you say you've been humbled in love
And look dear heart, look at the virgin
Look how she welcomes him into her gown
Yes, and mark how the stranger's cold armour
Dissolves like a star falling down
Why trade this vision for desire
When you may have them both
You will never see a man this naked
I will never hold a woman this close





And you say you've been humbled in love

Overall Meaning

"Humbled in Love" by Leonard Cohen is a profound reflection on how the promises of love can become faded, broken, and twisted over time. The song explores the theme of lost love in a deeply personal and introspective way. The lyrics ask the listener to remember the passionate pledges that were made in the past, promises that have now become soiled and torn. The imagery of moths fluttering around a still yellow light adds to the melancholic mood of the song. The singer acknowledges that there is nothing that can be done to renew these pledges, not even penance, trust, or revenge can undo the damage.


The song's chorus revolves around the idea of being humbled in love. The singer and his lover have been cut down and forced to kneel in the mud together. Despite this, the singer questions why his lover would turn from him so bitterly when they both share a similar experience of being humbled in love. The song suggests that these broken promises are not unique to the singer and his lover, but rather a common experience that is shared by all.


The song's second verse introduces the idea of children carrying these pledges out of the past, beyond the graves and hedges where love must go into hiding. Here, in the present moment, there is no description of what love should be, and no need for forgiveness or victimhood. The final verse reflects on the purity of love and desire, juxtaposing the virgin and the stranger to show how desire can be traded for a deeper vision. The song ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that it's possible to love deeply and to hold one another closely, even in the face of broken promises and faded vows.


Line by Line Meaning

Do you remember all of those pledges
Do you recall the promises we made to each other in the heat of passion?


That we pledged in the passionate night
The promises made when we were full of passion and heat.


Ah they're soiled now, they're torn at the edges
The promises made are now ruined and have become impure, with edges torn and frayed.


Like moths on a still yellow light
Like moths attracted to a stagnant yellow light, the promises made have lost their appeal and become unattractive.


No penance serves to renew them
No amount of punishment can redeem or bring the promises back to their original state.


No massive transfusions of trust
Even if huge amounts of trust is transferred or given, it cannot fix or repair the broken promises.


Why not even revenge can undo them
Not even revenge can undo the broken promises, they are beyond repair.


So twisted these vows and so crushed
The promises are completely ruined and crushed beyond recognition.


And you say you've been humbled in love
You confess that your past experiences in love have humbled you in one way or another.


Cut down in your love
Your love has reduced or diminished because of past experiences and broken promises.


Forced to kneel in the mud next to me
Your difficult experiences with love have brought you to your knees in humility beside me.


Ah but why so bitterly turn from the one
Why do you turn away bitterly from someone who is experiencing similar difficulties?


Who kneels there as deeply as thee
Someone who is also kneeling in deep humility beside you, experiencing the same difficulties.


Children have takes these pledges
The promises we made are similar to those made by children, innocent and unwise.


They have ferried them out of the past
These promises were made in the past, and have been carried over until now.


Oh beyond all the graves and the hedges
Beyond all the barriers and confines of life, the promises still exist.


Where love must go hiding at last
Where love must hideaway eventually due to the strong impact and effects of broken promises and difficulties.


And here where there is no description
Here in this moment, there is no suitable description for what we feel.


Oh here in the moment at hand
Here in the present moment, we face difficulties with our love.


No sinner need rise up forgiven
There are no wrongdoers who need to ask for forgiveness or to be forgiven.


No victim need limp to the stand
There is no need for any victims to present themselves in a defensive or vulnerable position.


And look dear heart, look at the virgin
Pay attention, my love, to the purity and innocence of the virgin.


Look how she welcomes him into her gown
Observe how she embraces and accepts the one she loves.


Yes, and mark how the stranger's cold armour
Notice how the stranger's detachment and defenses weakens.


Dissolves like a star falling down
Disappears like the dissipation of a falling star.


Why trade this vision for desire
Why exchange this vision of pure love for selfish desire?


When you may have them both
When you can have both pure love and your own selfish desires.


You will never see a man this naked
You will never witness a man this vulnerable and exposed.


I will never hold a woman this close
I have never held a woman so near and dear to my heart like this.


And you say you've been humbled in love
You admit that you have been humbled and made meek or submissive by the force of love.




Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Rogerio Silva

Muito bom.

Azmarina Tanzir

what beautiful lyrics!

Victory 539

As EverπŸ€—πŸ˜ƒπŸ˜†πŸ˜‰πŸ™βœŒ

BARN

GREAT SONG / THANKS

Viola.H

Very good song!! πŸ‘‰πŸΌβ€οΈπŸ‘ˆπŸΌ Beautiful!! Thank you!! πŸ‘πŸŽΌπŸ‘πŸŽΌπŸ‘πŸŽΆπŸ‘πŸŽΆπŸ‘πŸ˜

JΓΊlia Kiyan

❀️❀️❀️

Catherine Mitchell Murphy

Beautiful

Азиза

πŸ’πŸ’πŸ’πŸ’–πŸ’–

Ivaneia Rocatelli

OlΓ‘ πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‡§πŸ‡·

N Nguyen

πŸ’œπŸŒΉπŸ™

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