A Songwriter to the End: An Appreciation of Leonard Cohen

Vinyl Bay 777 takes a look back at what made Cohen’s music so popular and relatable.

Leonard Cohen - King's Garden, Odense, Denmark, 17 August 2013. Found on Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Takahiro Kyono.

On the heels of the release of his brand new album, ‘You Want It Darker,’ today we bring you the sad news that Leonard Cohen has passed away. He was 82 years old.

Cohen’s work has resonated with generations of fans for the rawness of his songwriting and minimalist style. A published poet and author before ever recording a single song, his flair for words, placement and imagery show in his arrangements. Cohen speaks as much as he sings his words. For example, it often feels like he is scatting over a snare being lightly brushed throughout the entirety of ‘You Want It Darker.’

The subject matter of Cohen’s writing has always been self-depreciating and dark, with his latest album being the darkest yet. Even the title track gives you the impression that he was ready to die. His use of haunting cantorial singing in the background and repetition of the phrase “hineni” (“here I am” in Hebrew) is like an argument with G-d about all the tragedy in our mortal world.

It is this contemplativeness and relatability that has made Cohen’s music so popular, particularly in the last 25 years.  His most famous song, “Hallelujah,” for example, is haunting and liturgical, invoking historic and religious imagery that people can recognize and grasp. Perhaps that is why musicians continue to cover this song so regularly; its lyrics evoke a deep connection within them and the audience that they are performing it for.

What hurts most about his death is that it seemed like he had so much more life and music to give. In the last four years he has released three albums. Since 2008, he has been touring virtually non-stop whether he had an album coming out or not. According to a statement by his son, Cohen was writing until the very end.

More comforting though, is that Cohen was satiated as a performer and songwriter. His son said in that same statement that his father “passed away peacefully…with the knowledge that he had completed what he felt was one of his greatest records.”

Leonard Cohen leaves behind a legacy of honest and often brash lyricism, a style that has left him and his music so popular many years later. His work shows that you don’t need fancy effects to get your message across, just the right words in a relatable and poetic form.

Cohen’s presence will be sorely missed in the music world, but his music will live on in its stead.

Find Leonard Cohen’s music on vinyl, CD and cassette at Vinyl Bay 777 and vinylbay777.com.