Leonard Cohen is a lot of people's favourite hymnwriter.

I have even heard one of his hymns in church. Of course, they noodled around with the lyrics a bit. Which, of course, made me laugh to myself when they sang a tidied-up version of Hallelujah. I don't think they were ready for the part about the kitchen chair. Mr Cohen was. (So was I.)

She tied you to her kitchen chair

And she broke your throne and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah. . .

Cohen understood that, in order to find the truth, you had to be willing to get uncomfortable. Most people aren't willing to go that far. Those who aren't willing to go that far change the lyrics and miss the blessing.

Suzanne Takes You Down

But he himself was broken, long before the sky would open

Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone. . .

A dear h2g2 friend said she didn't know how she'd have made it all these years without Leonard Cohen's poetry and music. When I read that, my mind flashed back to 1970 and hearing Suzanne for the first time. (Notice, Bluebottle: That's from the Isle of Wight Festival.)

How come the most insightful Christological comments I've ever heard tend to come from Jews? Cohen and Kinky Friedman, thank you both. . .

Hineni

There's a lover in the story

But the story's still the same

There's a lullaby for suffering

And a paradox to blame. . .

Cohen released You Want It Darker this year. Rolling Stone has an article about it.

'Hineni' is Hebrew for 'Here I am'. Abraham says it to God. Isaiah says it to God. Apparently, Cohen was saying it to God. 'I'm ready,' he sang.

You really can't ask more from a hymn than that it put into words what your heart wants to say.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

21.11.16 Front Page

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