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.
Sister's of Mercy
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can't go on
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me this song
Oh, I hope you run into them, you who've been travelling so long
Yes, you who must leave everything that you cannot control
It begins with your family, but soon it comes around to your soul
Well, I've been where you're hanging, I think I can see how you're pinned
Well, they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them
They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem
If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn
They will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem
When I left they were sleeping, I hope you run into them soon
Don't turn on the lights, you can read their address by the moon
And you won't make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night
We weren't lovers like that and besides, it would still be alright
We weren't lovers like that and besides, it would still be alright
The song "Sisters of Mercy" performed by Leonard Cohen, is a ballad that seems to be addressed to a wayfarer who is traveling in search of comfort and solace. The sisters of mercy, according to Cohen, are not gone, as they are still there to offer comfort and support to anyone searching for it. The lyrics emphasize that the sisters of mercy are not necessarily women, but rather represent the universal kindness that exists in the world, in the form of caring people who offer their support when we are going through hard times.
The song is filled with symbols and metaphors that speak to the listener's emotions. The lyrics suggest that sometimes we go through hard times and may feel sinful if we do not feel holy. However, these difficult experiences should not be seen as a punishment, but rather as opportunities to seek help from others. The metaphor of life being a leaf that gets torn off by the seasons also speaks to the idea that sometimes we are at the mercy of forces beyond our control. Still, the sisters of mercy will bind us with love that is graceful and as green as a stem.
Overall, the song Sisters of Mercy is a call to those who feel lost, lonely, and in need of comfort. Cohen wants them to know that there is hope to be found in the kindness of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the sisters of mercy, they are not departed or gone
The sisters of mercy are not gone or absent and their comforting presence is always available.
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can't go on
The sisters of mercy provided comfort during a time of difficulty.
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me this song
The sisters of mercy provided emotional support and later inspiration to the songwriter.
Oh, I hope you run into them, you who've been travelling so long
The songwriter hopes that those who have been traveling for a long time will find the comfort of the sisters of mercy.
Yes, you who must leave everything that you cannot control
For those who have to let go of things outside of their control.
It begins with your family, but soon it comes around to your soul
The loss of control begins with family but can affect one's inner self.
Well, I've been where you're hanging, I think I can see how you're pinned
The songwriter can empathize with those in difficult situations.
When you're not feeling holy, your loneliness says that you've sinned
Loneliness can make one feel separate from religious or moral ideals.
Well, they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them
The sisters of mercy provided a comforting presence during a confession.
They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem
A personal and emotional connection was made between the songwriter and the sisters of mercy.
If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn
If life feels temporary and out of one's control.
They will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem
The sisters of mercy will provide comfort and love that is strong and resilient like nature.
When I left they were sleeping, I hope you run into them soon
The sisters of mercy may be present even when they appear to be sleeping.
Don't turn on the lights, you can read their address by the moon
Their presence can be sensed through natural phenomena.
And you won't make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night
The songwriter is not jealous if others find comfort in the sisters of mercy.
We weren't lovers like that and besides, it would still be all right
The songwriter did not have a romantic relationship with the sisters of mercy and is comfortable if others do find that kind of love and support from them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Leonard Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@itamarmarle7246
lyrics:
Oh the sisters of mercy, they are not departed or gone.
They were waiting for me when I thought that I just can't go on.
And they brought me their comfort and later they brought me this song.
Oh I hope you run into them, you who've been travelling so long.
Yes you who must leave everything that you cannot control.
It begins with your family, but soon it comes around to your soul.
Well I've been where you're hanging, I think I can see how you're pinned:
When you're not feeling holy, your loneliness says that you've sinned.
Well they lay down beside me, I made my confession to them.
They touched both my eyes and I touched the dew on their hem.
If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn
They will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem.
When I left they were sleeping, I hope you run into them soon.
Don't turn on the lights, you can read their address by the moon.
And you won't make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night:
We weren't lovers like that and besides it would still be all right,
We weren't lovers like that and besides it would still be all right.
@Koshirozation
"If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn
They will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem"
<3
and
"
When I left they were sleeping, I hope you run into them soon
Don't turn on the lights, you can read their address by the moon
And you won't make me jealous if I hear that they sweetened your night:
We weren't lovers like that and besides it would still be all right
We weren't lovers like that and besides it would still be all right"
i love how he sings "we weren't lovers like that and besides it would still be all right" - so gentle, full of understanding, so human and dear to me!
@robertcraane7910
The best song ever... I played thos on guitar at my wifes funeral. She committed suicide at the age of 25, when I was 38. She was a ballet dancer, I was a musician... she could not handle life... this was our song....so sweet but also so hard...
@alansmith1840
I am so sorry
@missmarx2047
💔🖤🕯
@cilohtac4257
I'm so sorry for your loss. This is a song that has always been beautiful and uplifting to me. It sounds like this song
was a fitting piece for her and her life.
@hagengeiler8144
Hallo ,everyone ,listen Leonhard choen,know by himself ,if you're starting to listen, you cannot ending. Because this is sex, big feeling and intelligence in one. Hagen from Germany.
@Leo-qe3gl
😢
@lrwiersum
As a i teen I was profoundly depressed, deeply, horribly depressed. I would listen to this and hope, someday, somehow, I might get better. Many decades later it did, I’m so glad I hung on. This song helped me hang on.
@fbabarbe430
Same experience after the death of my father, in the same phase of my life. I saw him in one of his last tours. It was like my life passing again in hearing him playing. He was an enormous consolation to me.
@beckyferranti5001
My boyfriend got his angel wings on Friday the17th. He had end stage prostate bone cancer. I held his hand as he drew his last breath. I love my bad boy.
@jamieminsky9436
I am so sorry, Gary. I know that there is no death: but I took care of and lost them all: I know there is no death: but still we r human. I pray for healing of ur hear, mind and soul..And as for ur boyfriend/ Divine Progress…He seeing all his loved ones..he is seeing u/. Blue oplicent rivers. Feels no pain. He is ok. Trust me on this. So sorry for ur pain…blessings, jamie 🙏😇🙋♀️😒🌈🌈.