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"; 1905β1978), 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 (1891β1943), 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 GarcΓa 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 countryβfolk 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 Smokey Life
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've never seen your appetite quite this occupied
Elsewhere is your feast of love
I know where long ago we agreed to keep it light
So lets be married one more night
It's light, light enough
To let it go
It's light enough to let it go
Remember when the scenery started fading
I held you til you learned to walk on air
So don't look down the ground is gone,
there's no one waiting anyway
The Smoky Life is practiced
Everywhere
So set your restless heart at ease
Take a lesson from these Autumn leaves
They waste no time waiting for the snow
Don't argue now you'll be late
There is nothing to investigate
It's light enough, light enough
To let it go
Light enough to let it go
Remember when the scenery started fading
I held you til you learned to walk on air
So don't look down the ground is gone,
there's no one waiting anyway
The Smoky Life is practiced everywhere
Come on back if the moment lends
You can look up all my very closest friends
Light, light enough
To let it go
It's light enough to let it go
The lyrics of Leonard Cohen's song, The Smokey Life, discuss the complexities and nuances of relationships. The main theme of the song is letting go and moving on from a relationship, even if it's painful to do so. The first verse starts with the singer saying that they see the other person's eyes wide and that their appetite is "quite occupied." The use of the word "elsewhere" implies that this appetite is for something or someone else outside of the relationship. Despite this, the singer suggests being "married one more night," indicating that they are still holding onto something that has since faded. However, the singer realizes that it is "light enough to let it go," an important message to anyone who's had a hard time finding closure after a relationship ends.
The second verse talks about the past and how the singer held onto the other person when they were learning to "walk on air." The line "the Smoky Life is practiced everywhere" adds to the sense of things fading away and changing over time. The eventual message is one of acceptance and the importance of moving on to new things. The final verse talks about taking a lesson from the autumn leaves, who don't waste any time waiting for the snow. Life is short, so why hold onto something that isn't there anymore?
Overall, The Smokey Life is a contemplative song about relationships, change, and the struggles that can arise from trying to let go of something that's no longer there. It is a message of acceptance and understanding that sometimes people simply have to move on, even if it hurts.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never seen your eyes so wide
Your eyes are particularly wide; more so than I have seen before.
I've never seen your appetite quite this occupied
You are particularly preoccupied than I have seen before.
Elsewhere is your feast of love
You are focused on loving someone else, not me.
I know where long ago we agreed to keep it light
We agreed long ago to keep things casual and detached.
So lets be married one more night
Let's pretend to be more committed than we are for tonight.
It's light, light enough
Our situation is not too serious and we can easily let it go.
To let it go
We can easily move past our current situation.
Remember when the scenery started fading
Think back to when things started to fall apart.
I held you til you learned to walk on air
I helped you through that difficult time in your life.
So don't look down the ground is gone, there's no one waiting anyway
Don't dwell on the past; there's no one who wants to go back.
The Smoky Life is practiced Everywhere
The lifestyle of pretending things are less serious than they are is common everywhere.
So set your restless heart at ease
Relax and don't worry so much.
Take a lesson from these Autumn leaves
Learn from nature and how it moves on from things.
They waste no time waiting for the snow
They don't waste time waiting for things that may never come.
Don't argue now you'll be late
Don't waste any more time debating.
There is nothing to investigate
There's no need to analyze the situation any further.
It's light enough, light enough
Our situation is still not too serious.
To let it go
We can still easily move on from where we currently are.
Come on back if the moment lends
If the situation calls for it, we can try again in the future.
You can look up all my very closest friends
My friends will be here for you if you need them.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEONARD COHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dwaynewladyka577
These uploads are so nice to hear. Leonard Cohen is so awesome. May he rest in peace. Cheers! βοΈπ¨π¦
@donalmoody2033
He will always be with us with his beautiful music playing. Please continue to put his wonderful thoughts out there. Thanks. πππππ
@CARS63
The harmonizing is positively enchanting. Thank you for continuing to publish Leonard Cohen's work, in so doing blessing my life. πβ€οΈπ
@custodesvaldor
Leonard Cohen is a gift that keeps on giving. An amazing human being who changed our perception of music and the magic that lyrics and melody can weave. Rest in peace.
@margaretmitchell662
Miss the man so much!
Was an still Is an Inspiration In my life!
Yes RIP to Leonard Cohenπͺπ₯°π₯°β€οΈ
@qkranarchist3015
This was a beautiful start of the day. Wonderful to hear Leonard and the supportive singers. Comes together to a song to repeat again and again. β€οΈ
@TheGreenDragon99
One of his most beautiful songs. I was so happy, some years ago, that my own band sang this. Gorgeous.
@KRay-vk8wx
Was their ever a greater voice - l.C. - the greatest
@tberry5961
Brilliant mind, voice and lyrics. What gift he left us. R. I. P. Oh dear one.
@iamjesuschristintheflesh5866
Leonard Cohen is my favorite