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.
My Oh My
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Didn't have to try
Wasn't hard to love you
Didn't have to try
Held you for a little while
My oh, my oh, my
Held you for a little while
My oh, my oh, my
Drove you to the station
Never asked you why
Drove you to the station
Never asked you why
Held you for a little while (held you for a little while)
My oh, my oh, my
Held you for a little while (held you for a little while)
My oh, my oh, my
All the boys are waving
Trying to catch your eye
All the boys are waving
Trying to catch your eye
Held you for a little while (held you for a little while)
My oh, my oh, my
Held you for a little while (held you for a little while)
My oh, my oh, my
Wasn't hard to love you
I didn't have to try
Wasn't hard to love you
Didn't have to try
Held you for a little while (held you for a little while)
My oh, my oh, my
Held you for a little while (held you for a little while)
My oh, my oh, my
The lyrics of Leonard Cohen's "My Oh My" are a heart-wrenching portrayal of a fleeting love that ends too soon. The singer sings about his lover, stating that it was easy to love her, and he did not have to try hard to make it happen. He reminisces about holding her for a little while, and he repeats, "my oh, my oh, my," giving the sense that he is relieved and grateful, but also heartbroken. He then goes on to describe how he took her to the station, seemingly letting her go without any fuss or struggle. But despite leaving her behind, he finds himself looking back at her only to find all the boys waving, trying to catch her attention. The singer is aware that he's lost her forever and repeats that it wasn't hard to love her, and he didn't have to try, but the final repetition of "my oh, my oh, my" indicates that he is still in awe of the experience, and it continues to resonate with him.
With these lyrics, Cohen masterfully captures the feelings of both love and loss. The singer's musings indicate that he knew they would never be together again; his love for her was intense, but it was short-lived.
Line by Line Meaning
Wasn't hard to love you
Loving you came naturally to me
Didn't have to try
I didn't have to make an effort to love you
Held you for a little while
I had you in my arms for a brief moment
My oh, my oh, my
Expressing my surprise, delight, or awe
Drove you to the station
I gave you a ride to the train station
Never asked you why
I didn't ask why you were leaving
All the boys are waving
Other men were trying to get your attention
Trying to catch your eye
They were attempting to make eye contact with you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN, PATRICK LEONARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Björklund
Leonard Cohen - My Oh MyWasn't hard to love you
Didn't have to try
Wasn't hard to love you
Didn't have to try
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Drove you to the station
Never asked you why
Drove you to the station
Never asked you why
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
All the boys are waving
Trying to catch your eye
All the boys are waving
Trying to catch your eye
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Wasn't hard to love you
Didn't have to try
Wasn't hard to love you
Didn't have to try
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Maciek Bos
Wasn’t hard to love you
Didn’t have to try
Wasn’t hard to love you
Didn’t have to try
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Drove you to the station
Never asked you why
Drove you to the station
Never asked you why
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
All the boys are waving
Trying to catch your eye
All the boys are waving
Trying to catch your eye
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Wasn’t hard to love you
Didn’t have to try
Wasn’t hard to love you
Didn’t have to try
Held you for a little while
My Oh My Oh My
Daniel Norman
This may be one of his best albums.
eisteachbhinn
My heart says the same! The combination and balance of words, notes, rhythm and sound in this body of work fully captures me. It is so clear, no ambiguity ~ infinite!
RainDog0680
Hands down, the best track on the album. Love this song.
san selby
AND SLOW
MDL MDL BIOTECH PROFESIONAL
few words, but just enough. enough for a love story. mine also. thank you, Leonard!
Antonio Povedano
Magnífico
DoSedna
Leonard Cohen Autor wspaniały tekściarz i wspaniały pieśniarz.
Dakota Robinson
I love that banjo. Such an awesome blues song
aiubio
Oh my God!!! How I love this song!!!! Uau!!!!!
Thank you Mr. Cohen!!!!!!
<3 <3 <3
nika86 nika
kocham jego piosenki :*