One of my very favorite wordsmiths, Leonard Cohen delivered some lyrics of the deepest and most imaginative variety, a man who could articulate any emotion in the heaviest and clearest poetic sense. No topic was off limits and no emotion was irrelevant.
A Montreal native, Leonard began his career strictly as a poet (first published in '54) and novelist before delivering his debut album Songs of Leonard Cohen in '67. The album shook the expectations of lyricists with its uninhibited display of pain, joy, sexuality, sadness and mysticism. Every serious singer/songwriter had to up their game after this monumental set of songs & stories.
His early sound could be described as "folk", but his influences throughout his recording career included jazz, blues and gospel, as well as folk styles of other worlds. Reportedly, Nico was a big influence on his music. "Suzanne" became a huge international hit (as sung by Judy Collins) and Leonard's songwriting and womanizing career was game on after that initial brush with notoriety.
His later material was heavily influenced by gospel, zen and spirituality. He also recorded topical matter, as well as songs about love, existentialism and drifting. Simply put, his words have greatly inspired me, despite the fact that I don't put lyrics first in my listening. You can have your Bob Dylan, I'll have my Leonard Cohen.
The words of my life:
The Stranger Song
It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
Who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter
I know that kind of man, it's hard to hold the hand of anyone
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You find he did not leave you very much, not even laughter
Like any dealer he was watching for the card that is so high and wild
He'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
And then leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came I was a stranger
But now another stranger seems
To want you to ignore his dreams
As though they were the burden of some other
Oh, you've seen that man before
His golden arm dispatching cards
But now it's rusted from the elbows to the finger
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
Yes, he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter
Ah, you hate to see another tired man
Lay down his hand like he was giving up the holy game of poker
And while he talks his dreams to sleep you notice there's a highway
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
It's curling just like smoke above his shoulder
You tell him to come in sit down
But something makes you turn around
The door is open you can't close your shelter
You try the handle of the road, it opens, do not be afraid
It's you my love, you who are the stranger
It is you my love, you who are the stranger
Well, I've been waiting, I was sure
We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
I think it's time to board another
Please understand, I never had a secret chart
To get me to the heart of this or any other matter
Well, he talks like this you don't know what he's after
When he speaks like this you don't know what he's after
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
Upon the shore, beneath the bridge
That they are building on some endless river
Then he leaves the platform for the sleeping car that's warm
You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
And you say okay, the bridge or someplace later
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
You find he did not leave you very much, not even laughter
Like any dealer he was watching for the card that is so high and wild
He'll never need to deal another
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
And then leaning on your window sill
He'll say one day you caused his will
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
And then taking from his wallet
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger
I told you when I came I was a stranger