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.
The Butcher
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was slaughtering a lamb,
I accused him there
With his tortured lamb.
He said, Listen to me, child,
I am what I am and you, you are my only son.
Well, I found a silver needle,
It did some good,
Did some harm.
But the nights were cold
And it almost kept me warm,
How come the night is long?
I saw some flowers growing up
Where that lamb fell down
Was I supposed to praise my Lord,
Make some kind of joyful sound?
He said, Listen, listen to me now,
I go round and round
And you, you are my only child.
Do not leave me now,
Do not leave me now,
I'm broken down
From a recent fall.
Blood upon my body
And ice upon my soul,
Lead on, my son, it is your world.
The lyrics to Leonard Cohen's song, "The Butcher," are both enigmatic and profound. The song, like many of Cohen's works, contains themes of religion, the human condition, and mortality. The verses tell the story of the singer's encounter with a butcher who is killing a lamb. The singer confronts the butcher, accusing him of cruelty towards the animal, but the butcher responds to him cryptically, saying that he is what he is, and the singer is his only son. The second verse tells of the singer's experience with drugs and the demons they bring. The line, "How come the night is long?" speaks to the isolation and loneliness that often accompanies addiction. The third verse speaks of the singer's crisis of faith, questioning whether he should be praising God in the face of the cruel and tragic death of the lamb. The butcher responds once again, telling the singer to listen and that he and the singer are forever linked.
At its core, "The Butcher" is a song about the human condition: our constant struggle with morality, faith, and existence. The encounter between the singer and the butcher parallels a conversation between God and man. The butcher represents God, while the singer represents humanity. The song suggests that God is neither good nor evil and that our relationship with Him is complicated and full of ambiguity. The song also hints at the idea that the choices we make in life ultimately determine our fate.
Line by Line Meaning
I came upon a butcher,
I stumbled upon a man who was in the process of killing a young lamb.
He was slaughtering a lamb,
The man was ending the life of the lamb so as to butcher it for consumption.
I accused him there with his tortured lamb.
I reprimanded the man for his actions, pointing out the torment that the lamb must have gone through in the slaughterhouse.
He said, Listen to me, child,
The butcher addressed me as a parent would a child.
I am what I am and you, you are my only son.
He emphasized his identity and related it to me, the only one he had in the conversation.
Well, I found a silver needle,
The scene shifted, and the butcher spoke of himself and a drug he found.
I put it into my arm.
He injected the drug into his bloodstream.
It did some good,
The drug had positive effects.
Did some harm.
The drug also had negative consequences.
But the nights were cold
The cold weather appears to explain the use of the drug.
And it almost kept me warm,
The drug provided physical warmth through its consumption.
How come the night is long?
The artist expresses confusion at the length of this particular night.
I saw some flowers growing up
The scene and speaker shift back to the site of the butchery.
Where that lamb fell down
The flowers somehow relate to the location of the lamb's death.
Was I supposed to praise my Lord,
The singer wonders whether or not there is any reason to express gratitude to a higher power in this situation.
Make some kind of joyful sound?
The artist ponders whether or not joy is an appropriate response to the situation.
He said, Listen, listen to me now,
The butcher interjects, attempting to take control of the conversation.
I go round and round
The butcher speaks of himself, appearing to be stuck in some kind of cycle.
And you, you are my only child.
He addresses the singer once more, emphasizing the closeness of their relationship.
Do not leave me now,
The butcher pleads with the artist, apparently fearing abandonment.
Do not leave me now,
He repeats the plea.
I'm broken down
He reveals himself as being damaged and weakened.
From a recent fall.
He implies that his current state is due to a recent event that caused him to falter.
Blood upon my body
The butcher reveals injury or open wounds.
And ice upon my soul,
His damage is not just physical. He also speaks of a coldness in his emotional state.
Lead on, my son, it is your world.
The butcher hands over control of the situation and life in general to the singer, perhaps showing the powerlessness of the aged or weakened.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ramiro Calderon
Que voz tan maravillosa. Es inigualable.
Lulubelle III
I have "Songs From a Room" on vinyl. Even though I couldn't play it on a record player now if I had one (so worn out from being played, and the record player, well, I lost that during the most devastating break-up of my lifetime) you can't put a price on some things. I saw Leonard Cohen live some years ago too. As depraved as I am, at this moment I feel lucky to have those memories...and of course, that precious record.
Max Black Photography
I had six or seven of his earlier albums (vinyl) and most of his later work on CDs. There's a copy of "Stranger Music - Selected poems and songs" a few feet ways from this computer. I even read his novels "Beautiful Losers" and "The Favorite Game."
I hope you're less depraved now.
Lulubelle III
@Max Black Photography Thank you for this comment. Life is strange and I feel like I am trapped.... knowing that I am my own worst enemy, while living a life with "shame" and "anxiety" being the only two words that I feel describe myself...well, depravity it is. I have nothing to offer but my own confusion.
Max Black Photography
@Lulubelle III Thanks for replying. I know both those words and states ( I could write a book and so could you) and I can offer a suggestion or two - but this is not the place.
James Hetfield
So underrated
trillkvlt
Seriously it did get covered by full of hell and the body a couple of years ago it’s a hard interesting interpretation
David H.
I have often played or thought about this song after drinking and thinking about my father. I wonder what Mr. Cohen's father was like.
sofija perkovic
Perfect!👌👍"
Bruno Modugno
mi ricorda i primi anni '70. E' magico