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Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen Quotes

Singer-songwriter

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Famous Leonard Cohen Quotes

“It's coming to America first, The cradle of the best and of the worst. It's here they got the range And the machinery for change And it's here they got the spiritual thirst. It's here the family's broken And it's here the lonely say That the heart has got to open In a fundamental way: Democracy is coming to the U.S.A. O mighty Ship of State! To the Shores of Need Past the Reefs of Greed Through the Squalls of Hate Sail on, sail on.”

WayNeedsFirstsHeartStatesAmericaPastSpiritualHateDemocracyWorstBrokenLonelyFundamentalsGreedShipsRangeShoreSailThirstMachineryCradleReefsComing To AmericaSpiritual Thirst
Book:The Lyrics of Leonard Cohen: Enhanced Edition
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“We've got to temper anything we say with that. On the other hand, you've got to be serious about what you do. And you've got to understand the price you pay for frivolity or just for greed - it's a very high price, especially if you're involved in this sacred material, which is about the human heart and human desire and human tragedy.”

IfsHumansHeartHandsDesirePaySeriousMaterialsInvolvedTragedySacredGreedTemperHuman HeartHigh PricesFrivolity
Author:Leonard Cohen
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“I see people allowing their lives to diminish, to become shallow, so they can't enjoy the deep wells of experience. Maybe it's always been this way, when the heart tends to shut down. If only the heart shut down and there were no repercussions, it would be O.K., but when the heart shuts down, the whole system goes into a kind of despair that is intolerable.”

PeopleIfsWayWellsHeartKindWholeWould BeEnjoyDespairDown AndAllowingShallowDiminishRepercussions
Author:Leonard Cohen
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“My heart sings of your longing for me, and my thoughts climb down to marvel at your mercy. I do not fear as you gather up my days. Your name is the sweetness of time, and you carry me close into the night, speaking consolations, drawing down lights from the sky, saying, See how the night has no terrors for one who remembers the name.”

HeartLightRememberNightNamesSkyMy HeartMercyLongingTerrorDrawingClimbsSweetnessMy ThoughtsConsolationDo Not Fear
Book:Book of Mercy
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“Well, you know, there's depression and depression. What I mean by depression in my own case is that depression isn't just the blues. It's not just like I have a hangover in the weekend ... the girl didn't show up or something like that. It isn't that. It's not really depression, it's a kind of mental violence which stops you from functioning properly from one moment to the next. You lose something somewhere and suddenly you're gripped by a kind of angst of the heart and of the spirit.”

KnowsWellsHeartKindMeanMomentsShowsSpiritGirlNextLosesMy OwnCasesViolenceWeekendAngstHangover
Author:Leonard Cohen
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“Why don't you try to do without him, why don't you try to live alone? Do you really need his hands for your passion? Do you really need his heart for your throne? Do you need his labor for your baby? Do you need his beast for the bone? Do you need to hold a leash to be a lady? I know that you can make it, you can make it on your own.”

KnowsNeedsTryingHeartHandsPassionBrokenBabyLaborBonesBeastBroken HeartThronesLeashes
Book:Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs
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