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.
Light As The Breeze
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
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You can see it, you can taste it,
And she comes to you light as the breeze.
Now you can drink it or you can nurse it,
It don't matter how you worship
As long as you're
Down on your knees.
So I knelt there at the delta,
At the alpha and the omega,
At the cradle of the river and the seas.
And like a blessing come from heaven
For something like a second
I was healed and my heart
Was at ease.
O baby I waited
So long for your kiss
For something to happen,
Oh something like this.
And you're weak and you're harmless
And you're sleeping in your harness
And the wind going wild
In the trees,
And it ain't exactly prison
But you'll never be forgiven
For whatever you've done
With the keys.
O baby I waited
It's dark now and it's snowing
O my love I must be going,
The river has started to freeze.
And I'm sick of pretending
I'm broken from bending
I've lived too long on my knees.
Then she dances so graceful
And your heart's hard and hateful
And she's naked
But that's just a tease.
And you turn in disgust
From your hatred and from your love
And comes to you
Light as the breeze.
O baby I waited
There's blood on every bracelet
You can see it, you can taste it,
And it's please baby
Please baby please.
And she says, drink deeply, pilgrim
But don't forget there's still a woman
Beneath this
Resplendent chemise.
So I knelt there at the delta,
At the alpha and the omega,
I knelt there like one who believes.
And the blessings come from heaven
And for something like a second
I'm cured and my heart
Is at ease
Leonard Cohen's "Light As The Breeze" tells the story of a woman who stands before the singer naked, light as the breeze. The tone of the song is intense and passionate, with the singer expressing his love and desire for this woman through complex metaphors and imagery. The lyrics start with a description of the woman's nakedness and the singer's longing for her. He then speaks of his worship and devotion to her, no matter how she chooses to be worshipped. He is willing to kneel at her feet and submit to her will.
The singer then talks about how he felt healed by the woman's presence, as if he had been blessed. He confesses to waiting a long time for her kiss, something magical to happen. He admits that he is weak and harmless, but still sleeping in his harness, unable to break free. He recognizes that he has done something wrong and that he may never be forgiven for it. The metaphor of the keys represents his wrongdoing that he cannot undo, leading him to live on his knees.
The song takes a dark turn as the singer recognizes that he cannot keep living in this way, pretending to be something he's not. The woman dances gracefully, but the singer's heart is hardened with hate, unable to reconcile his feelings of love and disgust. He sees her as a tease and turns away from her. However, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the woman telling the singer to drink deeply, but remember that she is still a woman beneath her chemise. The singer kneels again and feels blessed, cured, and at peace once more.
Line by Line Meaning
She stands before you naked
She is completely exposed and vulnerable before you.
You can see it, you can taste it
Her vulnerability is palpable and evident to you.
And she comes to you light as the breeze
She approaches you with ease, comfort and grace.
Now you can drink it or you can nurse it,
You can either indulge or contain your desires.
It don't matter how you worship
The way you express your devotion to her is irrelevant.
As long as you're Down on your knees.
As long as you show reverence and respect for her.
So I knelt there at the delta,
I humbly offered myself to her.
At the alpha and the omega,
At the beginning and the end of everything.
At the cradle of the river and the seas.
At the origin of everything that flows.
And like a blessing come from heaven
An unexpected gift or revelation from a higher power.
For something like a second
A brief moment of clarity or enlightenment.
I was healed and my heart Was at ease.
I experienced relief and peace from my troubles and worries.
It's dark now and it's snowing
The conditions are harsh and unfavorable.
O my love I must be going,
Despite my feelings, I must leave.
The river has started to freeze.
The natural flow of life is beginning to stagnate or die.
And I'm sick of pretending
I can no longer maintain a facade or cover-up my true feelings.
I'm broken from bending
I am physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted.
I've lived too long on my knees.
I have spent too much of my life submitting and obeying others.
Then she dances so graceful
She moves with beauty, elegance and sensuality.
And your heart's hard and hateful
Despite her charm, you remain cold and bitter.
And she's naked But that's just a tease.
Her nudity is an enticement, a way to lure you in.
And you turn in disgust
You recoil in disdain and revulsion.
From your hatred and from your love
You are conflicted in your emotions and feelings towards her.
And comes to you Light as the breeze
She remains unfazed and unburdened, regardless of your response.
There's blood on every bracelet
There are painful memories and experiences attached to every piece of adornment.
You can see it, you can taste it,
The suffering is so vivid and tangible, it affects all your senses.
And it's please baby Please baby please.
Despite the pain, you still crave her company and affection.
And she says, drink deeply, pilgrim
She encourages you to embrace and immerse yourself in the experience, regardless of the consequences.
But don't forget there's still a woman
Despite her alluring and seductive qualities, she is still a human being with a heart and soul.
Beneath this Resplendent chemise.
Beyond her luxurious clothing and appearance, there is a deeper, unseen reality.
I knelt there like one who believes.
I continued to show faith and devotion despite my doubts and fears.
And the blessings come from heaven
The gifts and miracles I receive come from a divine source or higher power.
And for something like a second
My moments of clarity and illumination are brief and fleeting.
I'm cured and my heart Is at ease.
I am freed from pain and worry, and able to find peace and contentment.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind