Last month marked the third anniversary of the death of one of my childhood influences. To honor that date, I wanted to write a piece about this tremendous icon and how through his written word and lyrics I found my own voice.
Leonard Cohen is one of the most enduring cultural figures in modern history. Through his music, writing and art, he inspired and influenced multi-generations of followers all across the world.
I was an introspective soul barely in my teen years when he began making big waves. I hung onto every word of his deep and sensual poetry. His music opened my eyes and ignited in me courage, faith and a fathomless imagination. I was smitten, and I couldn’t get enough.
Leonard’s lyrics, I felt, were written to me, I heard the voice of his written word so clearly, I was seduced by his message. In the mid-60’s, my parents would often drive up to the relatives in New York. During these NYC visits, they would make the rounds of the famed Greenwich Village clubs of the time. I loved the stories they told on their return, ‘beatniks’ they called the performers, I thought that term so odd. But that was the name coined, the Beat Generation, which represented its followers identified by their unconventional style of dress, behavior and views.
As I matured and grew my own views and preferences, I still hung onto Leonard’s music – because it was evolving as much as I was. Perhaps Cohen’s most prolific and widely-known song, Hallelujah, was not recorded until he was 50 years old. Throughout the long expanse of his storied career, this poetic visionary delivered astounding pieces of work and did it with approachable elegance and an old-world gentleman-like demeanor. The lyrics and poetry just kept on rising!
I have followed and deeply admired many poets and musicians in my day, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, to name a few. I believe that the message we receive from the powerful heroes that we identify with help fortify and shape our own world attitudes. Though many viewed Leonard as somewhat dark, I absorbed him in great white light. And even though I evolved greatly from that innocent naive ‘tween-ager’, I still felt devastated when Leonard left this earth on November 7, 2016. Like any devotee of a hero, I can still remember where I was standing and what I was feeling.
If you are not familiar with Leonard Cohen’s body of work, you may want to explore it. Given that it spans over many decades, the message it delivers is quite profound.