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.
Our Lady of Solitude
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She gathered in my soul
From many a thorn, from many thickets
Her fingers, like a weaver's
Quick and cool
And the light came from her body
And the night went through her grace
And I knew her, I knew her
Face to face
And her dress was blue and silver
And her words were few and small
She is the vessel of the whole wide world
Mistress, oh mistress, of us all
Dearly dead; Queen of Solitude
I thank you with my heart
for keeping me so close to thee
while so many, oh so many, stood apart
And the light came from her body
And the night went through her grace
All summer long she touched me
I knew her, I knew her
Face to face
In Leonard Cohen's song Our Lady of Solitude, he describes the experience of being touched and influenced by a mysterious woman who seems to embody something divine. Throughout the summer, this woman touches Cohen's soul, gathering it from the rough patches of life and weaving it into something greater. Her touch is described as quick and cool, like that of a skilled weaver. The light seems to emanate from her body, while the grace of her being allows Cohen to navigate through the darkness of the night.
The woman is depicted as wearing a blue and silver dress, and speaking only a few small words. Despite her sparse interactions with Cohen, she is seen as a vessel for the entire world, embodying something larger than life. The song ends with Cohen thanking her, as though she were a queen of solitude who had brought him closer to her divine presence than anyone else.
Overall, the song captures the awe-inspiring experience of encountering something greater than oneself, personified by this mysterious woman who embodies grace, light, and wisdom.
Line by Line Meaning
All summer long she touched me
Throughout the entire summer season, I was in her presence and she had an effect on me.
She gathered in my soul
She took in all of my emotions, thoughts, and feelings.
From many a thorn, from many thickets
Despite the many difficulties and obstacles that came my way, she was able to help me through them.
Her fingers, like a weaver's
Her touch was delicate and skilled, much like that of a weaver's hands creating a beautiful cloth.
Quick and cool
Her touch was both fast and calming at the same time.
And the light came from her body
She emitted a light from her physical form, giving off an aura of positive energy and warmth.
And the night went through her grace
Even in the darkest of times, she was able to maintain her grace and poise.
And I knew her, I knew her
I had a deep level of understanding and familiarity with her.
Face to face
We had a direct and personal connection, without any barriers or obstacles between us.
And her dress was blue and silver
Her attire was elegant and regal, consisting of blue and silver tones.
And her words were few and small
She didn't say much, but what she did say had great significance and impact.
She is the vessel of the whole wide world
She is a representation of all of humanity and the collective world we live in.
Mistress, oh mistress, of us all
She is the ruler and controller of everything, guiding us all towards a common goal.
Dearly dead; Queen of Solitude
Although she may no longer be alive, she still holds the title of the Queen of Solitude and is revered by those who knew her.
I thank you with my heart
I express my deepest gratitude to her for all that she has done for me.
for keeping me so close to thee
I appreciate the fact that she has kept me close to her, both physically and emotionally.
while so many, oh so many, stood apart
Despite the fact that others may not have been as connected to her, she still kept me by her side.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patriciadavidson6765
A lovely song a lovely man missed so much and can never return 🌸🌸🌸
@suramyaasarkar3368
Someone made me listen to this song... And someone somewhere might be listening to this too... Someone... waiting for her fingers to touch his soul... I am waiting too... Listening to this... Thanks to the person who made me glorify my solitude.
@arkasengupta5913
Solitude understands solitude , solitude loves solitude too .
@joellemercier2247
MAGNIFIQUE CHANSON ET MUSIQUE BRAVO POUR LES MUSICIENS ET LA TRÈS BELLE PHOTO DE MONSIEUR LEONARD COHEN COMME C EST BEAU
@LA7777777777
Lyric is:
Dearly dead; Queen of Solitude
I thank you with my heart
@tgfesaaletighm46
beauty story
@mariajoseiglesias
🙏🏼🌹
@terminatina8065
❤️
@nelisarbu2476
💞💞
@metamorphosis828
🙏🙏🙏❤️🙏🙏🙏