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.
Joan of Arc
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As she came riding through the dark;
No moon to keep her armour bright,
No man to get her through this very smoky night.
She said, I'm tired of the war,
I want the kind of work I had before,
A wedding dress or something white
To wear upon my swollen appetite.
Well, I'm glad to hear you talk this way,
You know I've watched you riding every day
And something in me yearns to win
Such a cold and lonesome heroine.
And who are you? she sternly spoke
To the one beneath the smoke.
Why, I'm fire, he replied,
And I love your solitude, I love your pride.
Then fire, make your body cold,
I'm going to give you mine to hold,
Saying this she climbed inside
To be his one, to be his only bride.
And deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of joan of arc,
And high above the wedding guests
He hung the ashes of her wedding dress.
It was deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of joan of arc,
And then she clearly understood
If he was fire, oh then she must be wood.
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
I saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long for love and light,
But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?
The lyrics of Leonard Cohen's song Joan of Arc contain a narrative element that revolves around the interaction between the historical figure Joan of Arc and a mysterious man, who is metaphorically portrayed as fire. The first stanza sets the scene for the encounter, as Joan rides through the dark with flames following her. She expresses her desire to leave the war behind and return to a more peaceful life, symbolized by a wedding dress. The second stanza reveals the man's admiration for Joan as a hero, while also confessing his attraction to her. He identifies himself as fire and expresses his love for her solitude and pride. In response, Joan invites him to make her body cold and takes on the role of his bride, leading to an act of symbolic consummation, as the man takes the dust of Joan's ashes into his heart, while hanging the ashes of her wedding dress above the wedding guests. The final stanza sees Joan make a realization about her own nature, as she becomes aware that if fire represents the masculine, she must correspondingly represent the feminine, symbolized by wood. The song ends with a bittersweet reflection on the cruelty of love and its ability to bring both light and darkness into our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the flames they followed joan of arc
As Joan of Arc rode through the dark, flames literally followed her, symbolizing the intense passion and drive she embodied.
As she came riding through the dark;
Joan of Arc was riding in the darkness, which could be taken to mean that she was surrounded by uncertainty, danger, and mystery.
No moon to keep her armour bright,
The moon, associated with light and guidance, was not present to make Joan's armor shine, signifying that there were forces working against her efforts to rise above darkness and confusion.
No man to get her through this very smoky night.
Joan was alone and unsupported on this risky journey, with no one to help guide her through the obstacles in her way.
She said, I'm tired of the war,
Joan was weary of the fighting and conflict that marked her life up to this point, and sought a reprieve from the violence and danger.
I want the kind of work I had before,
Rather than participating in war and violence, Joan wanted to return to the kinds of work she had engaged in before, which we can assume were peaceful and fulfilling for her.
A wedding dress or something white
Joan desired purity and beauty, as symbolized by a wedding dress or anything white.
To wear upon my swollen appetite.
Joan was hungry for this kind of purity and beauty, and longed to adorn herself with it in order to satisfy this desire.
Well, I'm glad to hear you talk this way,
Joan's interlocutor was happy to hear her express a desire for peace and beauty, which he saw as valuable and worthy of support.
You know I've watched you riding every day
The artist had been following Joan's journey and was familiar with her striving and struggle, which he admired.
And something in me yearns to win
The singer had a deep-seated desire to be victorious in his aims, which may have been the same as Joan's or entirely different.
Such a cold and lonesome heroine.
Despite his admiration for Joan, the artist recognized that she was a solitary figure, isolated by her quest for peace and beauty in the midst of war and danger.
And who are you? she sternly spoke
Joan challenged the singer to reveal his identity and purpose, wary of being misled or tricked.
To the one beneath the smoke.
The singer was obscured by smoke, indicating that he was mysterious and possibly dangerous.
Why, I'm fire, he replied,
The singer identified himself with fire, which can symbolize passion, danger, and transformation.
And I love your solitude, I love your pride.
The artist was drawn to Joan's independent spirit and admired her strength and self-reliance.
Then fire, make your body cold,
Joan commanded the artist to cool his passion and become less threatening, perhaps hinting at a desire to find common ground or peace with him.
I'm going to give you mine to hold,
Joan offered her own body to the singer, implying a willingness to merge with him or to sacrifice herself for the sake of peace or beauty.
Saying this she climbed inside
Joan physically placed herself under the singer's influence, demonstrating her trust and commitment.
To be his one, to be his only bride.
Joan offered herself to the artist in the form of a bride, which could represent commitment, submission, or sacrifice.
And deep into his fiery heart
Joan penetrated the artist's passionate and powerful heart, which may have been symbolic of his true nature or purpose.
He took the dust of joan of arc,
The artist physically altered Joan, taking her ash or dust and transforming her into something else, such as a symbol or an idea.
And high above the wedding guests
Joan was elevated above the other guests, which could symbolize her place as an icon or a martyr for a cause.
He hung the ashes of her wedding dress.
The artist preserved Joan's beauty and purity, even after transforming her into a symbol or an idea.
It was deep into his fiery heart
The singer's transformation of Joan was a reflection of his own inner passions and desires, which motivated his actions.
And then she clearly understood
Joan gained insight and knowledge through her interaction with the singer, which may have helped her resolve inner conflicts or clarify her goals.
If he was fire, oh then she must be wood.
Joan recognized that she was not the singer's equal, since she was not filled with the same intense passion or force of will.
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
Joan experienced pain and sorrow as a result of her realization, which may have shattered her illusions or exposed her vulnerabilities.
I saw the glory in her eye.
Despite her pain, Joan still retained her inner strength, resilience, and beauty, which shone out of her eyes.
Myself I long for love and light,
The singer revealed his own desire for beauty, purity, and goodness, which he had recognized in Joan.
But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?
The singer questioned whether the pursuit of beauty and purity always had to be so painful and intense, perhaps hinting at his own doubts or conflicts.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD WEBB, DAVID JONATHAN COHEN, CAROLINE NORRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yexiliada
Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc
As she came riding through the dark
No moon to keep her Armour bright
Then no man to get her through this darkest very smoky night
She said, "I'm tired of the war
I want the kind of work I had before
With a wedding dress or something white
To wear upon my swollen appetite"
Well, I'm glad to to hear you talk this way
You see I've watched you riding all most every single day
And theres something in me yearns to win
Such a very cold and such a very lonesome heroine
? Well then, who are you?" she sternly spoke
To the one beneath the smoke
"Why, I'm, I'm fire, " he replied
"And I love your solitude, how I love your sense of pride"
"Well then fire, make your body cold
I'm gonna give you mine to hold"
Saying this she climbed inside
To be his one, to be his only bride
It was deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of a Joan of Arc
And high above all these assembled wedding guests
He hung the ashes of her very lovely wedding dress
It was deep deep into his fiery heart
That he took the dust of all precious Joan of Arc
Then she clearly clearly understood
If if he was fire, oh she must be wood
I saw her wince, I saw her cry
I saw the glory in her eye
Myself I long, I long for love and light
But must it come so cruel, and must it must it be so very bright?
@stephencoomer5692
Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc
as she came riding through the dark;
no moon to keep her armour bright,
no man to get her through this very smoky night.
She said, "I'm tired of the war,
I want the kind of work I had before,
a wedding dress or something white
to wear upon my swollen appetite."
Well, I'm glad to hear you talk this way,
you know I've watched you riding every day
and something in me yearns to win
such a cold and lonesome heroine.
"And who are you?" she sternly spoke
to the one beneath the smoke.
"Why, I'm fire," he replied,
"And I love your solitude, I love your pride."
"Then fire, make your body cold,
I'm going to give you mine to hold,"
saying this she climbed inside
to be his one, to be his only bride.
And deep into his fiery heart
he took the dust of Joan of Arc,
and high above the wedding guests
he hung the ashes of her wedding dress.
It was deep into his fiery heart
he took the dust of Joan of Arc,
and then she clearly understood
if he was fire, for then she must be wood.
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
I saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long for love and light,
but must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?
@AnonymousBelle562
R.I.P. Leonard Cohen, you truly understood the human condition, and I don’t believe the world will see another talent like you again. Thank you for everything 💔
@mayed929
👌💔
@chinekevantil628
We will, we do
His body is gone but his spirit continues to rule
@claimnumber515
Well said mate.
@stalyn1131
No
@philippenicolas9777
I agree with you for all, Leonard Cohen was the greatest poet I discovered him in 1969, With this first disc I bought, I was only 14, I am 68 today, my Best friend is also a Jewish from Brooklyn ..I think I know all Leonard Cohen songs, not his fist poems.
@ulrikeh.6838
We had this Song at school and had to translate into German
Thats more than 40 years ago and I am still fascinated by him and his voice
@bmandrakeeee8378
good teacher. Mine used Pet Shop Boys songs
@joaonunes8844
Best Cohen album by a landslide. Famous Blue Raincoat, Avalanche...each song must be understood fully. Great richness of words. Lucky to have seen him live in Lisbon.
@turnerthemanc
I love everything he did, but its a dead heat for my favorite between this, Famous Blue Raincoat and Waiting for the Miracle. RIP Leonard. One in a Billion