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.
Love Calls You By Your Name
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To all the people that you became,
Your body lost in legend, the beast so very tame.
But here, right here,
Between the birthmark and the stain,
Between the ocean and your open vein,
Between the snowman and the rain,
Once again, once again,
The women in your scrapbook
Whom you still praise and blame,
You say they chained you to your fingernails
And you climb the halls of fame.
Oh but here, right here,
Between the peanuts and the cage,
Between the darkness and the stage,
Between the hour and the age,
Once again, once again,
Love calls you by your name.
Shouldering your loneliness
Like a gun that you will not learn to aim,
You stumble into this movie house,
Then you climb, you climb into the frame.
Yes, and here, right here
Between the moonlight and the lane,
Between the tunnel and the train,
Between the victim and his stain,
Once again, once again,
Love calls you by your name.
I leave the lady meditating
On the very love which I, I do not wish to claim,
I journey down the hundred steps,
But the street is still the very same.
And here, right here,
Between the dancer and his cane,
Between the sailboat and the drain,
Between the newsreel and your tiny pain,
Once again, once again,
Love calls you by your name.
Where are you, Judy, where are you, Anne?
Where are the paths your heroes came?
Wondering out loud as the bandage pulls away,
Was I, was I only limping, was I really lame?
Oh here, come over here,
Between the windmill and the grain,
Between the sundial and the chain,
Between the traitor and her pain,
Once again, once again,
Love calls you by your name.
The lyrics to Leonard Cohen's Love Calls You By Your Name explore the themes of love, life and the search for identity. The song delves into the complexities of the human experience, including our ability to be both tamed and wild, to love and to hurt, to be celebrated and criticized. Throughout the song, Cohen draws on metaphors such as the birthmark and the stain, the ocean and the open vein, and the darkness and the stage to describe the many nuances of human emotion.
The first stanza speaks to the idea that even if we lose ourselves in the stories and legends of our own lives, we are still vulnerable to the call of love. It is easy to become consumed by our own mythology, but love has a way of breaking through those barriers and calling us back to our true selves. The second stanza explores the impact of past relationships on our present selves, looking at the ways in which we both praise and blame the people who have touched our lives. The third stanza speaks to the isolation that can come with love, where we feel like we are shouldering our loneliness like a weapon we don't know how to use. Finally, the fourth stanza suggests that even as we journey through life, we are still drawn back to the same places, the same experiences, by the call of love.
Overall, Love Calls You By Your Name is a powerful meditation on the human experience, and the way that love holds a mirror to our inner selves. It speaks to the universality of longing, and the way that love calls us to connect with others in spite of the pain that comes with vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
You thought that it could never happen
You believed that love was impossible for someone like you.
To all the people that you became,
To all the versions of yourself that you have been.
Your body lost in legend, the beast so very tame.
Your physical body has become a mythical creature.
But here, right here,
In the present moment,
Between the birthmark and the stain,
In the space between your imperfections and your mistakes,
Between the ocean and your open vein,
Between the vastness of the world and your vulnerability,
Between the snowman and the rain,
Between the temporary and the enduring,
Once again, once again,
Love is calling you once again.
The women in your scrapbook
The women you've loved,
Whom you still praise and blame,
Whom you still talk about with both fondness and regret,
You say they chained you to your fingernails
You blame them for your own failures
And you climb the halls of fame.
And you strive for greatness.
Oh but here, right here,
But in reality,
Between the peanuts and the cage,
In the space between the mundane and the oppressive,
Between the darkness and the stage,
Between your fears and your ambitions,
Between the hour and the age,
In the moment that we call 'now',
Once again, once again,
Love is calling you once again.
Shouldering your loneliness
Bearing the weight of your solitude,
Like a gun that you will not learn to aim,
As if you're unable to use it to protect yourself.
You stumble into this movie house,
You enter into a temporary escape.
Then you climb, you climb into the frame.
Then you become immersed in the story.
Yes, and here, right here
And it's here, right now,
Between the moonlight and the lane,
In the space between the romantic and the everyday,
Between the tunnel and the train,
Between the escape and the journey,
Between the victim and his stain,
Between the suffering and the mark it leaves,
Once again, once again,
Love is calling you once again.
I leave the lady meditating
You leave behind the person who's reflecting on love,
On the very love which I, I do not wish to claim,
On the type of love that you don't want for yourself,
I journey down the hundred steps,
You walk down a long path,
But the street is still the very same.
But the world hasn't changed.
And here, right here,
And it's still here, right now,
Between the dancer and his cane,
In the space between the grace and the support,
Between the sailboat and the drain,
Between the freedom and the restriction,
Between the newsreel and your tiny pain,
Between the events of the world and your personal struggles,
Once again, once again,
Love is calling you once again.
Where are you, Judy, where are you, Anne?
Where are the people you love?
Where are the paths your heroes came?
Where are the paths that inspired you?
Wondering out loud as the bandage pulls away,
You question out loud as the truth is revealed,
Was I, was I only limping, was I really lame?
Did I really accomplish all that I thought I did?
Oh here, come over here,
Oh, come back here, to the present,
Between the windmill and the grain,
In the space between the whimsical and the pragmatic,
Between the sundial and the chain,
In the space between the poetry and the obligation,
Between the traitor and her pain,
In the space between the disloyalty and the suffering,
Once again, once again,
Love is calling you once again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Neil Bhatt
Lyrics :
You thought that it could never happen
To all the people that you became
Your body lost in legend, the beast so very tame
But here, right here
Between the birthmark and the stain
Between the ocean and your open vein
Between the snowman and the rain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
The women in your scrapbook
Whom you still praise and blame
You say they chained you to your fingernails
And you climb the halls of fame
Oh but here, right here
Between the peanuts and the cage
Between the darkness and the stage
Between the hour and the age
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
Shouldering your loneliness
Like a gun that you will not learn to aim
You stumble into this movie house
Then you climb, you climb into the frame
Yes, and here, right here
Between the moonlight and the lane
Between the tunnel and the train
Between the victim and his stain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
I leave the lady meditating
On the very love which I, I do not wish to claim
I journey down the hundred steps
But the street is still the very same
And here, right here
Between the dancer and his cane
Between the sailboat and the drain
Between the newsreel and your tiny pain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
Where are you, Judy, where are you, Anne?
Where are the paths your heroes came?
Wondering out loud as the bandage pulls away
Was I, was I only limping, was I really lame?
Oh here, come over here
Between the windmill and the grain
Between the sundial and the chain
Between the traitor and her pain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
Stephen Reed
You thought that it could never happen
to all the people that you became,
your body lost in legend, the beast so very tame.
But here, right here,
between the birthmark and the stain,
between the ocean and your open vein,
between the snowman and the rain,
once again, once again,
love calls you by your name.
The women in your scrapbook
whom you still praise and blame,
you say they chained you to your fingernails
and you climb the halls of fame.
Oh but here, right here,
between the peanuts and the cage,
between the darkness and the stage,
between the hour and the age,
once again, once again,
love calls you by your name.
Shouldering your loneliness
like a gun that you will not learn to aim,
you stumble into this movie house,
then you climb, you climb into the frame.
Yes, and here, right here
between the moonlight and the lane,
between the tunnel and the train,
between the victim and his stain,
once again, once again,
love calls you by your name.
I leave the lady meditating
on the very love which I, I do not wish to claim,
I journey down the hundred steps,
but the street is still the very same.
And here, right here,
between the dancer and his cane,
between the sailboat and the drain,
between the newsreel and your tiny pain,
once again, once again,
love calls you by your name.
Where are you, Judy, where are you, Anne?
Where are the paths your heroes came?
Wondering out loud as the bandage pulls away,
was I, was I only limping, was I really lame?
Oh here, come over here,
between the windmill and the grain,
between the sundial and the chain,
between the traitor and her pain,
once again, once again,
love calls you by your name.
estala
In this album all the songs are masterpieces
Laura Santurio Prieto
Soy un señor de 53 años, lo escuché por primera vez cuyo tenía 14 o 15 años. Me emocioné , los estoy escuchando ahora y me están cayendo lágrimas como garbanzos.
Un disco que te transporta....
Idma S.
Yep!
Ian Thomas
Yes, I completely agree. Cohen at his lowest ebb, in the depths of depression, and yet at his most creative and atmospheric. The lyrical weave is almost beyond belief. I was thinking the other evening of my favourite albums over the past 65 years, since I became obsessed with contemporary music, and after much deliberation I decided to place Songs of Love and Hate as the greatest I had ever heard. Cohen's genius will last forever.
Sheej-isms
His Voice... Stupendous.... His Lyrics... Poignantly Stupendous... Legend Personified ❤️🙏🏾
Neil Bhatt
Lyrics :
You thought that it could never happen
To all the people that you became
Your body lost in legend, the beast so very tame
But here, right here
Between the birthmark and the stain
Between the ocean and your open vein
Between the snowman and the rain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
The women in your scrapbook
Whom you still praise and blame
You say they chained you to your fingernails
And you climb the halls of fame
Oh but here, right here
Between the peanuts and the cage
Between the darkness and the stage
Between the hour and the age
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
Shouldering your loneliness
Like a gun that you will not learn to aim
You stumble into this movie house
Then you climb, you climb into the frame
Yes, and here, right here
Between the moonlight and the lane
Between the tunnel and the train
Between the victim and his stain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
I leave the lady meditating
On the very love which I, I do not wish to claim
I journey down the hundred steps
But the street is still the very same
And here, right here
Between the dancer and his cane
Between the sailboat and the drain
Between the newsreel and your tiny pain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
Where are you, Judy, where are you, Anne?
Where are the paths your heroes came?
Wondering out loud as the bandage pulls away
Was I, was I only limping, was I really lame?
Oh here, come over here
Between the windmill and the grain
Between the sundial and the chain
Between the traitor and her pain
Once again, once again
Love calls you by your name
Jean Yves
This is the album i prefer for the intelligence of the harmony espacially in:
"Love calls you by your name" and "Avalanche".
I realized it more when i played them on guitar for the first time.
Of course the themes are specials but the music very beautifull.
Patricia Delicia
A fantastic song.
James Kennedy
Possibly his greatest song -
Ana-Maria Oncescu
I am currently working on the translation of this masterpiece... it's marvelous and true...❤