Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker (2016) reaction commentary

Today I listen to Canadian singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen perform You Want It Darker from his 2016 album of the same name.


Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - You Want It Darker
5:10 - My thoughts
9:15 - Who is Leonard Cohen?


Links
Original Video:    • Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker (Offici...  

Folk Rock playlist:    • Folk Music  

Canadian Rock playlist:    • Canadian Rock  


Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, social and political conflict, and sexual and romantic love, desire, regret, and loss. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

You Want It Darker is his fourteenth studio album, released on October 21, 2016, by Columbia Records, 17 days before Cohen's death. The album was created at the end of his life and focuses on death, God, and humor. It was released to critical acclaim. The title track was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance in January 2018.

You Want It Darker is the opening track, with lyrics by Leonard Cohen and music by Patrick Leonard. The song earned the artist a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance and features the vocals of Cantor Gideon Zelermyer and Shaar Hashomayim Choir.

Drums – Rob Humphreys
Keyboards – Michael Chaves
Keyboards [Keyboard Bass], Organ [B3 Organ] – Patrick Leonard
Organ [B3 Organ] – Neil Larsen
Soloist – Cantor Gideon Y. Zelermyer
Choir – Congregation Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue Choir
Arranged By [Choral Arrangement] – Adam Cohen, Conor O'neil, Roï Azoulay
Engineer – Bill Bottrell, Howard Bilerman, Michael Chaves
Mixed By – Michael Chaves
Producer [Produced By] – Adam Cohen


Lyrics
[Verse 1: Leonard Cohen]
If you are the dealer
I'm out of the game
If you are the healer
It means I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory then
Mine must be the shame
You want it darker
We kill the flame

[Verse 2: Leonard Cohen]
Magnified, sanctified
Be thy holy name
Vilified, crucified
In the human frame
A million candles burning
For the help that never came
You want it darker

[Chorus: Leonard Cohen]
Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my Lord

[Verse 3: Leonard Cohen]
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
But it's written in the scriptures
And it's not some idle claim
You want it darker
We kill the flame

[Verse 4: Leonard Cohen]
They're lining up the prisoners
And the guards are taking aim
I struggled with some demons
They were middle-class and tame
I didn't know I had permission
To murder and to maim
You want it darker

[Chorus: Leonard Cohen]
Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my Lord

[Verse 5: Leonard Cohen]
Magnified, sanctified
Be thy holy name
Vilified, crucified
In the human frame
A million candles burning
For the love that never came
You want it darker
We kill the flame

[Verse 6: Leonard Cohen]
If you are the dealer
Let me out of the game
If you are the healer
I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory
Mine must be the shame
You want it darker
[Chorus: Leonard Cohen]
Hineni, hineni
Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my Lord

[Outro: Cantor Gideon Zelermyer]
Hineni
Hineni, hineni
Hineni