September 21, 1934-November 7, 2016
Leonard Cohen’s voice will not be “still.”
His music will continue to live on in the hearts of millions now and to come.
Like many, when the news was released on November 10th that Leonard Cohen had passed away, I cried. Two days later, his son Adam posted a touching tribute on Facebook in which he honoured his father’s “unique blend of self-deprecation and dignity, his approachable elegance, his charisma without audacity, his old-world gentlemanliness and the hand-forged tower of his work.” These words all ring true.
Ever since 1967, when the first album “Songs of Leonard Cohen” was released, that man has occupied a cherished place in my heart. I recall, way back then, sitting with a few friends and my mom in our darkened living room (ambiance was important) and listening again and again to “Suzanne,” “Sisters of Mercy,” “So Long Marianne” and so on. I loved every one of those first songs—poetic, hypnotic, mysterious and beautiful. Reverential too, Cohen lets us know:
If It Be Your Will is really a prayer. And Hallelujah has that feeling. A lot of them do. Dance Me to the End of Love, Suzanne. I love church music, synagogue music, mosque music.
I had the good fortune to see Cohen twice. The first time was not long after the release of his 1992 tour-de-force album “The Future.” It was June 1993, and the venue was Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre, a real theatre with old-fashioned class and fabulous acoustics! Cohen generously performed for three hours, followed by an hour long encore! Throughout the evening it was like he was saying, “There is no place in the world I’d rather be than with you.” We in the audience felt the same about him. When I look back at that memory, “rapport” would not be the right term to use; a “meeting of hearts” or a “sweet love affair” would.
Timeless and Timely
Cohen’s music, it seems to me, has both a timeless and timely quality. I shall try to make a distinction. By timeless, I mean—fitting, now and always—human emotions (love, yearning, loss, etc). The beautiful melodies and equally beautiful lyrics touch and sooth. There are many, including: “Suzanne,” “Hallelujah,” “You Got Me Singing,” “Anthem.”
Leonard Cohen reminds us to make space for the sacred within ourselves.
–Tony Bates
By timely, I mean–fitting a particular time, circumstance, situation—human behavior (“politics,” conflict). “Everybody Knows” and “Democracy” are prime examples. A fierceness in these two particular songs bids us open our eyes and seriously question what the heck’s going on in our world. Some of his songs fit both categories.
“If It Be Your Will,” tender and reverential, is one of those songs that is both timeless and timely. Timeless: we all, no matter the era in which we live, must accept our mortality, whether or not we believe there is a greater power to surrender to. Timely: it just takes one look at the news to see conflict, the intense anger, fear and pain so many experience, in the USA and elsewhere. In the last verse of the song, Cohen reminds us that we are all children of light, but with our fear of each other, we’ve lost sight of our true connectedness. We’re “dressed to kill”; our light is in rags. “Draw us near and bind us tight”: We need to come together to end the darkness of our despair. At a 1985 performance in Warsaw (the song was written over three decades ago), Cohen told his audience:
I don’t know which side anybody’s on anymore and I don’t really care. There’s a moment we have to transcend the side we’re on and understand that we are creatures of a higher order…There are, on both sides…people of good will. That is important to remember…Some struggling for freedom, some struggling for safety. [As a] solemn testimony of that unbroken faith which binds the generations one to another, I sing this song, If It Be Your Will.
With so many of Cohen’s songs—whether they be timeless, timely, tender and/or fierce—I am inspired by a sense of something greater, something sublime, something divine. His use of religious imagery and a reverential tone often help to convey that majesty. Time and again, Leonard Cohen has taken me out of myself and into the Mystery. Now Leonard has passed on to another dimension of the Mystery, and I will miss him.
“Let the Grief Inform Your Throat”
In writing this tribute to Leonard Cohen, I noticed a pull to include his friendship with a beautiful singer named Jennifer Warnes. They were kindred spirits, if not soul mates. In sharing their relationship, I believe I shed light on the heart and soul of Mr. Cohen. Ms. Warnes, who remained devoted friends with him from their first meeting in 1971, perhaps knew Cohen best.
Over the years, Jennifer Warnes sang back up for Cohen, and in 1987 they worked together on her album “Famous Blue Raincoat.” This album, paying tribute to Cohen’s music, infused new life into his career, which at the time was at an ebb. In discussing the album’s release, Cohen sketched (on a restaurant table mat) what Jennifer later called the album’s “true cover and unofficial title”: “Jenny Sings Lenny.” I include this piece of info as a wee testament to the special relationship the two artists had. The sketch appears at 1:33 in the above video.
Jennifer, who felt she was “born to be his conduit…born to bring the inner sound of what he did out,” loved Leonard for his gentleness, tenderness and “radical kindness.” Given the multitude of women drawn to him, she decided to become “an artistic friend, a creative friend, rather than a romantic friend.” (From a recent interview.) That decision may well have enhanced the beauty and longevity of their creative collaboration.
Several years ago, when Jennifer felt she could not perform when her mother passed away, Leonard told her:
Absolutely do not cancel. Show up and let the grief inform your throat. Remember Jenny, everyone has a mother, and audiences love the truth.
Jennifer Warnes, with her evocative voice and her throat informed with grief, is the perfect person here to sing “goodbye and God bless you, dearest Leonard.”
[Update: months after writing this blog post, I’ve discovered that the video I’d included of Jennifer singing “If It Be Your Will” was deleted by Vimeo. I am saddened by this. Nowhere online can I find a copy of her solo version, which is incomparable in my view. So, I will include here the duet version with Leonard and Jennifer.]
I’d love for you to share your feelings about Cohen, the song “If It Be Your Will,” plus anything else contained in this blog, in the comments section below. What is your favourite Leonard Cohen song? What makes it so special?
To read more about Cohen, please visit my last “Music to Build Bridges” blog post, Cohen, KD and Hallelujah. By the way, which of his songs would you like to learn more about? More Cohen posts are in the works, so please “stayed tuned.”
Ramona…what a wonderful tribute to Leonard Cohen! You’ve so articulately put into words what I’ve been feeling. I loved your inclusion of Jennifer Warnes…her comments and her rendition of If It Be Your Will. Her album Famous Blue Raincoat is on my all-time list of favourites, along with Judy Collins’ Wildflowers (which also featured a number of Cohen’s songs). It’s really difficult to pick a favourite Leonard Cohen song, as there are so many gems. I’ve always loved Sisters of Mercy, Joan of Arc, Suzanne…even as I start listing, numerous others cry out to be included. Suffice it to say, Cohen’s music played a major part in the soundtrack of my life!
Hi Joan, how wonderful to hear from you! Cohen’s music has played a vibrant part of the “soundtrack” for my life too. What a great way to express that. Cohen has been a key figure in my identity as a Canadian. I think you will understand what I mean by that? It’s an intuitive thing and hard to explain. Very special. (Gordon Lightfoot too.) By the way, how did you come across my blog?
xo Ramona
Ramona…I started following you when your book came out. Although I’m not a very active facebook user, I always get your posts in my feed. Yes…I agree with you that Cohen and Lightfoot are key figures in our identities as Canadians. Very special, indeed!
xo j.
Oh, wonderful! I hope all is well in your world. 🙂
Ramona – this post is beautiful! You write with such conviction and passion.
Hallelujah is a heart wrenching song. Each time I listen to it, I learn something new.
Music is such a great influencer in our lives. Songs bring me back to particular times in my life; I instantly remember the people I was in the company of that time, how I felt in life, etc.
Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks, Phoenicia. Yes, I do have a lot of feeling about most things I write about. 🙂
Ramona, what a beautiful, moving tribute to Leonard Cohen. As a fellow Canadian I share your pride in him. I’ve never heard him sing in person but could sincerely imagine how you felt when you heard him in Vancouver, especially since the setting was so perfect.
My husband teases me that I’m like a zombie when I attend a concert, whether vocal or just instrumental it doesn’t matter. I get right into it and I feel from your writing that you are the same.
The tribute by his son Adam and Jennifer Warnes were wonderful and well-earned.
I’m glad you liked what I wrote, Lenie. Best to you.
I agree this is a lovely tribute. I’m sorry to say I know zip about Leonard Cohen. I didn’t even recognize his name when I saw the stories of his passing. So thank you for sharing his legacy and introducing me to his music.
You’re welcome, Marquita.
I do love Jennifer Warnes’ voice, Ramona. Thx for posting this song. I had not heard it before. Leonard Cohen has always been one of my favourites and I think he brought pleasure and comfort to many of us.
What a good way to put it–pleasure and comfort. He brought both, indeed.
What a beautiful tribute to Leonard Cohen.
A fitting tribute for a brilliant musician and poet. I’ve also been a fan since that first album. The song that has been in my head since news of his death is Travelling Lady. I remember it as part of the score for the movie McCabe and Mrs. Miller. That beautiful, moody song made the movie.
Thank you, Ken. It would be interesting to research just how many of Cohen’s songs have been used in movies. According to Wikipedia: After filming “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” director Robert Altman remembered Cohen’s first songs that had been so meaningful for him. He then had the film’s editor weave three of those songs into the film. The music was used to: “maintain a rhythm for the film (in effect using it as a ‘temp’ track). He later said, ‘I think the reason they worked was because those lyrics were etched in my subconscious, so when I shot the scenes I fitted them to the songs, as if they were written for them.'[15]”
The three songs were: “The Stranger Song,” “Sisters of Mercy,” and the one you remembered, “Winter Lady.” All must be written in a minor key as they have a kind of soulful, haunting quality. Here’s “Winter Lady”:
I have been a big fan of his for a long time. I remember buying some albums of his earlier work, and having to purchase a record player so I could listen to him.
I recently heard an interview on NPR they had from several years ago. He was a very talented and interesting man.
Thank you, William. It does my heart good to connect with other fans of Leonard Cohen.
Lovely tribute Ramona! This post was an introduction to the artist for me. Will be checking him out. Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure, Sushmita.
Have always loved his voice and his words from my early years. So profound were his words and so steadying was his voice.
Just watched his biographical movie on TV. Such a touching and sad biography. He was truly creative and unique.
Thank you, Ramona, for sharing your love for and knowledge about him.
Thank you, Inga. I didn’t know there was a biographical movie, though I do recall watching something on YouTube once about his life. Cohen’s legacy is indeed profound. How many million people has he already touched, and how many more to come, with his wisdom and with the exquisite beauty of his lyrics and melodies?
You took the words right out of my heart, Ramona, thanks so much.
Thank you for such a beautiful response, Jan. From my heart to yours❣
Wow, your blog memorial to Leonard Cohen showed on my Face Book page today, That was a wonderful tribute! I think Leonard Cohen was the most significant musician/poet/author I have encountered. Thanks for the reminder. Dan B
Yup “significant.” Thank you, Dan!
I found Leonard Cohen through Judy Collins’s “wildflowers” album. I had bought it for her rendition of Joni’s “Both sides now,” but was drawn to her renditions of Cohen’s work, specifically “Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye” which I later found out was about his muse, Marianne Ihlen. I used it that fall (1969) for a freshman high school English class compilation of poems, three of which could be songs. I also selected “Both sides now” and Neil Young’s “Running Dry.”
I was certainly attracted to Cohen’s music and songs, but it was not until I carefully parsed the story of “famous Blue Raincoat” that I became a complete Cohen adherent. That line about taking the trouble out of her eyes: “I thought it was there for good, so I never even tried” sealed the deal. I saw Leonard in concert three times between 2008-2012. My favorite Leonard songs are of course, “Famous Blue Raincoat,” but have asked a friend to play “If it be your will” at my own funeral, either the original with Jennifer or the live Austin City Limits 1989 version with Perla Batala and Julie Christensen. Other Cohen songs that live with me are “The Partisan,” “Night comes on,” and “Ballad of the Absent Mare,” but his last songs of “Treaty” and “Happens to the heart” show that the genius never faded and he was doing great work in his final days, his final hours. For me Leonard is my religion founded when I was a lad of 15.
Jon, what a beautiful tribute to Leonard you have written here. Thank you so much for sharing.
I listen to Songs Of Leonard Cohen every night.
He’s always been the one and that’s always been the album.
Such a lovely choice!
Ah Leonard, my favorite subject, particularly “If it be your will.” An earlier post talked about McCabe and Mrs. Miller. It is widely viewed as Robert Altman’s masterpiece. Altman called Cohen and said, hi it’s Bob Altman and he wanted to use some of Leonard’s music for an upcoming film. Leonard asked what he had done and Altman said “Mash.” Leonard had never heard of it. He said what else? Altman said he had directed a little known film, “Brewster McCloud.” Leonard did know that movie, had seen it twice, back to back in the theater. He loved it. He told Altman he could use whatever songs he wanted. Altman chose three: “The Stranger Song, “ the song for McCabe, Warren Beatty; “Winter Lady, the song for Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie) and “The sisters of mercy.” The song for the prostitutes. The movie starts with “The Stranger Song” as Leonard rides to the mining town in the rain. It closes with “Winter Lady” as Mrs. Miller is down in the opium den and the camera zooms in on her cobalt blue eyes and McCabe has died from his gunshot wounds in a snowbank. The “Sisters of mercy” came about after a reading Leonard had done in Edmonton, Alberta. He returned to his hotel room in a snowstorm. Two young women were in the vestibule trying to get shelter. Leonard invited them to his room. They undressed and climbed into the one bed. Leonard sat in the chair and composed and wrote the four verses to “Sisters of mercy.” He had his guitar. When they awoke the next morning he sang it to them. It is the only time in his life he composed a song so quickly. It was always a struggle. The final verse:
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 it won’t make me jealous
If I hear that you sweeten your night
We weren’t lovers like that
And besides, it would still be all alright
Susan Cain dedicates her latest book “Bittersweet” to Leonard Cohen and talks about him a good deal, particularly the one year later memorial concert after his death and Damien Rice’s extra twist in his singing of “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Susan compares Leonard to sm electronic nicotine delivery system, except he was delivering transcendence. Indeed. Leonard shapes my life, every day. If you want to feel positive about mankind, watch his Asturias speech in October 2011. It is delivered at a great hall in Spain. They gave him an award for his writing, but Leonard makes it all about the people of Spain. Complete humility. Beautiful!
Hi Jon Dunn,
Your enthusiasm and appreciation for Leonard Cohen exudes from your comment. How lovely and thank you! His Oct 21, 2011 Prince of Asturias Awards is, indeed, beautiful. Here is a link for it:
Cohen’s “Prince of Asturias Awards” speech.
So much has been written now about Leonard, much of it in the last decade and most of that in the last few years. Sylvie Simmon’s biography “I’m your man” in 2012 is generally considered to be the authoritative biography on Leonard, published a few years before his death. Then there is Michael Poster’s three volume series on Cohen, “The untold stories.” Last years “Who by Fire: War, Atonement and the resurrection of Leonard Cohen” by Matti Friedman. It is about the Yom Kippur War and Leonard going to the front lines in Sinai to sing to the troops. For my Old Testament education I read Harry Freedman’s “The Mystical Roots of Genius.” It traces the Kabbalah traditions in Leonard’s songs.
Finally do read Leonard’s beautiful poem about Marianne Ihlen, the woman he lived with on Hydra and his most celebrated muse. The poem is read by Leonard Cohen at the end of the film: “Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love,” a documentary done by a man who also had a relationship with Marianne. The poem is titled “Days of Kindness” and can be located along with so much else in the Leonard Cohen Files.
In 2000, the former prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau was dying. He was at a hospital in Montreal and asked Cohen to come by read him poems. Trudeau was an admirer of his work. Cohen came by and read and Trudeau smiled and said “another please.” Long into the night Cohen read. Eventually, in the middle of the night, when Cohen got up to leave, Trudeau touched his arm and asked if Leonard would be a pallbearer at his funeral. This Leonard did along with dozens of world leaders. In November 2017, Pierre’s son and current prime minister spoke at the memorial concert for Leonard. Leonard is a national treasure, a treasure for the world. His life, his words, will long endure.
Thank you, Jon. Your passion for this dear Canadian and citizen of the world is well received by me and by likely everyone else who has loved Leonard Cohen. I didn’t know about his being with Trudeau senior “at the end.” Thanks for including that.