Homepage

“I am completely open and transparent and therefore it’s easy for anyone to grasp the emotion that’s there. I am the person who tries everything and experience myself as falling apart. I try drugs, Jung, Zen meditation, love and it all falls apart at every moment. And the place where it all comes out is in the critical examination of those things – the songs. And because of this, I am vulnerable. There’s the line in ‘Anthem’ that says, ‘There’s a crack in everything/That’s how the light gets in.’ That sums it up: it’s as close to a credo as I’ve come.” ~Leonard Cohen

We ask our writers to go on journeys for us. To go to places where we can’t go. To see and experience the world in ways that our circumstances do not permit. We ask them to come back and tell us of their travels. And the better of them offer accounts that embrace our minds and hearts and give us a deeper understanding of ourselves and others and the world. And the best of these use the power of language to open doors for us – invite us to step into their stories with open minds and hearts to experience it for ourselves. Leonard Cohen was among these precious few.

For 49 years Leonard Cohen worked in recording studios to produce 15 albums containing more than 140 of his songs. But before this, beginning in his teenage years, he was a writer. He had published four books of poetry and two novels to notable critical acclaim before he recorded a single note of that first album. It was these refined writing skills that he brought to his songwriting and that brought him distinction, and accolades, from his contemporaries. It was his passion for poetry that shaped much of his life, subjugating other interests for an education in the world and then reporting back to us, through verse and lyric, what he had found.

It is one thing to experience the world and quite another to write about it truthfully. There is an integrity that runs throughout Cohen’s literary and music career that comes from his willingness to be transparent and honest about his experiences without compromise – as mentioned in the quotation above. That integrity extends beyond the written work to his performances. It is an authenticity that infuses both his poetic and his singing voices. He was never much of a singer, and he knew it, but somehow the lyrics are so at home in that low gravelly voice that you believe what he is saying.

What you have to say is likely more important than how you say it. Along with the recounting of an experience are the intellect that illumines it and the insight it carries. When all these elements are combined you have experiences that are brought to life in the telling and Cohen seldom disappoints.

Another aspect of Leonard Cohen’s work that is often overlooked is the deep sense of spirituality that permeates it. You cannot come to any deeper appreciation of most of the songs without some acknowledgement and understanding of it.  It is the foundation that lies under many of his songs. Often it makes its appearance in lyrics as biblical references, allusions, imagery, lessons and characters. And sometimes it becomes the song itself. You will have a difficult time trying to gain any detailed research into these things, so some attempt has been made to clarify them here where appropriate.

If simple curiosity has led you here to Leonard Cohen: Lyrical Landscapes you are most welcome. If you roam around a bit you are bound to uncover some gems from one of Canada’s foremost singer-songwriters. For those already familiar with his recorded music you are invited to bring your interest a little deeper into his compelling lyrics. And those of you steeped in this man’s work are invited to share your insights with the rest of us.