Leonard Cohen holds an important place in my life, from an early age. I clearly remember “Hallelujah,” and even though I didn’t understand a word of what he was saying at the time (my mother tongue is not English), I was already fascinated by Cohen’s voice. His half-octave tenor voice perfectly fits his music and the meaning of his lyrics. It was years after “Hallelujah” that I finally discovered one of Leonard Cohen’s many talents, not to mention his first and original one: poetry. This came as no surprise, since I had always been captivated by the musicality of his songs. So, when I got an old English version of “The Spice-Box of Earth“, everything became clear. Poetry. I borrowed the book from a friend and read it all in one day. I don’t remember the exact content, but I recall the feeling it gave me. It was like I traveled to another dimension, another time, another place. He had a way of distancing himself from a situation while simultaneously expressing strong emotions. It suddenly felt so coherent: that singular, almost monotone voice combined with his poetry created something that truly, deeply transcended me.
For more than two decades now, Leonard Cohen’s lyrics and songs have always been there, even though I’ve never been his biggest fan (you know, going to all his concerts or buying every album). When “Dear Heather“ came out in 2004, I bought it, and it was a great experience. Again. “To a Teacher” is a spoken-word track based on Cohen’s poem from The Spice-Box of Earth; “On That Day” is about 9/11, and other songs like “Because Of,” “The Letters,” and “Villanelle for Our Time” are truly beautiful. Two years ago, I was browsing in a bookstore when I saw the French edition of “Book of Longing“. Poetry, again. The cover was black (unlike the original English cover), but it revealed the same sensation I had when I read The Spice-Box of Earth decades earlier. Although this time it was different—time had passed—I immediately recognized that unique style. Leonard Cohen’s drawings illustrate the poems here and there, with references to Dear Heather, to Cohen’s life at the monastery, and to his thoughts, experiences, desires, wishes, resignation, hopes, sadness, and beauty.
When I look back, I realize Leonard Cohen’s songs and poetry have had a great influence on me, though I can’t quite explain how. Recently, I was surprised to hear “Hallelujah” and “First We Take Manhattan” while watching the movie Watchmen. Totally unexpected. Those songs ran through my head over and over until I finally decided to dig out my old CDs. It’s like, from time to time, something always brings me back to Leonard Cohen. A few months ago, I watched the 2008 Montreal Jazz Festival: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen on television, and I wished I had been there. Buffy Sainte-Marie, Katie Melua, Madeleine Peyroux, Thomas Hellman, Serena Ryder, Chris Botti, and many others gathered to pay tribute to the legendary Montreal poet. Among the songs performed that night, I especially enjoyed Adam Cohen (Leonard Cohen’s son) singing “Take This Waltz” and his duet with Serena Ryder. Adam is talented, and not just when he sings his father’s songs. This family is truly gifted.
Leonard Cohen inspires me, and I like to listen to his songs when I create. He’s one of the few artists I can listen to both when I work and when I travel (I mentioned this in a post in 2007 and another in 2008). The last song playing was “Tower of Song” when I started writing this post. ^_^
