The Future
Leonard Cohen Lyrics

Give me back my broken night
I want to feel pain and despair again, to indulge in my personal darkness.

My mirrored room, my secret life
I want to retreat to my private space, where I can ruminate on my own thoughts and emotions without any outside interference.

It's lonely here
Despite my desire for solitude, I still feel isolated and disconnected from the world around me.

There's no one left to torture
I used to take pleasure in causing others pain, but now everyone is gone or beyond my reach, leaving me without a target for my sadism.

Give me absolute control
I crave complete power over others, with no opposition or resistance.

Over every living soul
I want to dominate not just people, but all life on earth, reducing everything to my whim and command.

And lie beside me, baby
I demand that you submit to me, both physically and emotionally, and fulfill my every need and desire without question.

That's an order
I am not asking, I am commanding you to obey.

Give me crack and anal sex
I want to indulge in hedonistic pleasures, regardless of the harm they cause to myself and others.

Take the only tree that's left
I want to destroy the environment and use up all the resources until there is nothing left.

And stuff it up the hole
I want to vandalize and desecrate your cultural heritage and way of life.

In your culture
I hate your way of life and everything you stand for, and wish to destroy it completely.

Give me back the Berlin wall
I yearn for the re-division of the world and the return of oppressive regimes that maintain order through violence and fear.

Give me Stalin and St. Paul
I desire both ruthless despots and righteous zealots, as long as they allow me to exercise my own power and control over others.

I've seen the future, brother
I know what's going to happen, and it's not going to be pretty.

It is murder
The future I envision involves death and destruction on a massive scale, with little chance of survival for anyone.

Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
The world is about to devolve into chaos and confusion, with no clear path forward and all previous order breaking down.

Won't be nothing (won't be nothing)
There will be nothing left, no sense of purpose or meaning, no way to measure progress or success.

Nothing you can measure anymore
All systems of measurement and control will break down, leaving people with no way to understand or regulate their lives.

The blizzard, the blizzard of the world
The overwhelming force of the storm, both natural and man-made, will sweep over everything and everyone, destroying all in its path.

Has crossed the threshold
The tipping point has been reached, and there is no turning back from the destruction and suffering that will ensue.

And it's overturned
All previous order and structure has been upended, leaving nothing recognizable or predictable in its wake.

The order of the soul
Even one's innermost self, their identity and sense of being, will be thrown into chaos and turmoil.

When they said (they said) repent (repent), repent (repent)
When people call for repentance and change, I wonder if they truly understand the magnitude of what they are asking for.

You don't know me from the wind
I am inscrutable and unknowable, like the wind that can't be held or controlled.

You never will, you never did
No matter how close we may seem, you can never truly understand or relate to who I am at the core.

I'm the little Jew
I am a marginalized and oppressed minority, but that does not prevent me from being just as cruel and destructive as those in power.

Who wrote the Bible
Despite my background and identity, I have had an outsized influence on culture and history, shaping belief systems and shaping the world in my own twisted image.

I've seen the nations rise and fall
I have witnessed the countless cycles of civilization, with empires and nations appearing and disappearing throughout time.

I've heard their stories, heard them all
I have absorbed the tales of triumph and tragedy, of heroism and horror, from every culture and time period.

But love's the only engine of survival
Despite all the darkness and despair, it is love that pushes us on and keeps us alive, even in the face of overwhelming odds and inevitable doom.

Your servant here, he has been told
Despite my twisted desires and tendencies, I am still beholden to a higher power, one that instructs me to speak plainly and honestly.

To say it clear, to say it cold
I must be direct and forceful in my words, even if they are harsh or unpleasant to hear.

It's over, it ain't going
The end is near, and there is no stopping it, no matter how much we might try.

Any further (do, do, do)
There is no point in continuing on this path, as it leads only to destruction and despair.

And now the wheels of heaven stop
Even the divine forces that govern the universe are powerless to halt the coming apocalypse.

You feel the devil's riding crop
The forces of evil are exerting their influence on the world, causing pain and suffering on an unimaginable scale.

Get ready for the future
Brace yourself for what is to come, because it will bring only pain and destruction.

It is murder (do, do, do)
Once again, I remind you that the future will be filled with death and destruction, with no hope for peace or redemption.

There'll be the breaking of the ancient
Old traditions and ways of life will soon be shattered and destroyed, leading to chaos and upheaval.

Western code
Even the principles that once guided Western civilization will be undermined and eventually disappear.

Your private life will suddenly explode (ooh, ooh)
Even the most intimate and personal aspects of life will be exposed and upended, leading to fear and uncertainty.

There'll be phantoms
Ghosts and apparitions will haunt the world, adding to the sense of foreboding and doom.

There'll be fires on the road
Literal and metaphorical fires will consume the landscape, destroying everything in their path.

And the white man dancing
Despite all the death and destruction, there will still be those who find joy in the pain and suffering of others, dancing while the world burns.

You'll see a woman
Even the most vulnerable members of society will face unimaginable horrors and suffering.

Hanging upside down (ooh, ooh)
Their suffering will be inexplicable and grotesque, with no hope of release or mercy.

Her features covered by her fallen gown (ooh, ooh)
The symbols and markers of culture and civilization will be trampled and violated, leading to even greater confusion and despair.

And all the lousy little poets
Even those who use poetry and culture to try to make sense of the world will fail, producing only shallow and meaningless art in the face of true darkness and destruction.

Coming round
Everyone will be touched by the coming apocalypse, no matter how hard they may try to avoid it.

Tryin' to sound like Charlie Manson
Even the worst and most depraved elements of society will be emulated and copied, leading to even greater violence and disorder.

Yeah, the white man dancin'
Despite all the death and destruction, there will still be those who find joy in the pain and suffering of others, dancing while the world burns.

Give me Christ or give me Hiroshima (do, do, do)
Whether it be the false sense of security granted by religion or the destructive power of a nuclear bomb, I am willing to partake in anything that offers some sort of control or retribution in the face of overwhelming chaos and destruction.

Destroy another fetus now
Even the most innocent and defenseless among us will not be spared from the coming destruction, with death and grief the eventual result.

We don't like children anyhow
Even the future of humanity, embodied in our children, is viewed with contempt and disdain, as we succumb to our own base desires and cruelty.

I've seen the future, baby
I know what's going to happen, and it's not going to be pretty.

It is murder (do, do, do)
Once again, I warn you that the future is filled with death and destruction, with no hope for redemption or renewal.

When they said (they said) repent (repent), repent (repent)
When people call for repentance and change, I wonder if they truly understand the magnitude of what they are asking for.