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.
Iodine
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of losing what I used to think was mine
You let me love you till I was a failure,
You let me love you till I was a failure
Your beauty on my bruise like iodine
I asked you if a man could be forgiven
And though I failed at love, was this a crime?
You said, Don't worry, don't worry, darling
There are many ways a man can serve his time
You covered up that place I could not master
It wasn't dark enough to shut my eyes
So I was with you, O sweet compassion
Yes I was with you, O sweet compassion
Compassion with the sting of iodine
Your saintly kisses reeked of iodine
Your fragrance with a fume of iodine
And pity in the room like iodine
Your sister fingers burned like iodine
And all my wanton lust was iodine
My masquerade of trust was iodine
And everywhere the flare of iodine
The lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s song “Iodine” are complex and multilayered, yet deeply emotional and relatable. The song speaks of a failed love affair, and the singer of the song reflecting on their relationship with the lover who “let [them] love [them] till [they] was a failure”. The singer acknowledges that they were in danger of losing what they used to think was theirs, likely referring to their sense of self or sense of purpose. However, the lover’s beauty on the singer’s bruise was like iodine, suggesting that their presence brought healing and relief to the singer’s pain.
The song then takes a somewhat introspective turn, with the singer asking if a man can be forgiven, even if they have failed at love. The lover responds with reassurance, that there are many ways for a man to serve his time. The lines “You covered up that place I could not master / It wasn't dark enough to shut my eyes” suggest that the lover was able to cover up some sort of emotional wound or trauma that the singer was struggling with. The song ends with the repetition of the phrase “iodine”, which seems to represent the sting of the failed relationship and the pain that came with it.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal experience of failed relationships and the pain that comes with them. The use of the metaphor of iodine to describe both the beauty and pain of the relationship is particularly powerful, as it suggests that even in painful situations, there can be moments of healing and redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I needed you, I knew I was in danger
I relied on you and knew my wellbeing was at stake
Of losing what I used to think was mine
What I had previously believed to be mine may no longer be the case
You let me love you till I was a failure,
I loved you to the point of my own downfall
Your beauty on my bruise like iodine
Your beauty had a painful effect on me, like iodine on an open wound
I asked you if a man could be forgiven
I asked for your opinion on whether I could be absolved of my mistakes
And though I failed at love, was this a crime?
Is it truly wrong to fail at love?
You said, Don't worry, don't worry, darling
You reassured me that everything would be alright
There are many ways a man can serve his time
There are numerous paths one can take to redemption
You covered up that place I could not master
You hid the area that I was unable to control
It wasn't dark enough to shut my eyes
The environment was not dim enough to prevent me from seeing
So I was with you, O sweet compassion
As a result, I found solace in your kindness
Compassion with the sting of iodine
Your compassion had a painful effect
Your saintly kisses reeked of iodine
Even your affectionate gestures had a bitter quality
Your fragrance with a fume of iodine
Your scent was overpowering and potent like iodine
And pity in the room like iodine
The atmosphere was filled with a sense of pity, like the stench of iodine
Your sister fingers burned like iodine
Even your fingers had a burning touch like iodine
And all my wanton lust was iodine
My intense desire was corrosive like iodine
My masquerade of trust was iodine
My facade of confidence was insincere and harmful
And everywhere the flare of iodine
The painful presence of iodine was ubiquitous
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: LEONARD COHEN, PHIL SPECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@otaviomagnani6622
I needed you, I knew I was in danger
Of losing what I used to think was mine
You let me love you till I was a failure,
You let me love you till I was a failure
Your beauty on my bruise like iodine
I asked you if a man could be forgiven
And though I failed at love, was this a crime?
You said, Don't worry, don't worry, darling
You said, Don't worry, don't you worry, darling
There are many ways a man can serve his time
You covered up that place I could not master
It wasn't dark enough to shut my eyes
So I was with you, O sweet compassion
Yes I was with you, O sweet compassion
Compassion with the sting of iodine
Your saintly kisses reeked of iodine
Your fragrance with a fume of iodine
And pity in the room like iodine
Your sister fingers burned like iodine
And all my wanton lust was iodine
My masquerade of trust was iodine
And everywhere the flare of iodine
@No_Avail
Can't believe it took me this long to fully accept that this is my favorite record of his. A couple of other records have higher highs, admittedly, but top to bottom, the charm and sublimity here is unmatched. And no lows!
@househosted
Is it crazy to say this is my favourite Leonard Cohen song?
@jorgeskuf
I love this song, it was on my discover weekly and it ended up as my most listened song of the year. I was shocked to see all the hate this album has, but this song is so good
@stephaniescott424
Not at all; it's near the top of my list!
@passionofthechrist2563
First song I heard from him
@TheSeveralist
Yes. And it's a credit to the institution.
@stephaniescott424
Edit: I think this is my favourite as well. I've become so hooked on it!
@alongfortheride1597
Will this album ever get the respect it deserves?
@AliSubhi-xs4rn
It's good. But it slightly falls short compared to his other richer albums
@GladwynS
Probably will now Phil's died. It'll suddenly be elevated to a work of genius.