TORONTO STAR : Prophet of our times

[Gurinder]

An article in Saturday's Religion section of THE TORONTO STAR:

Prophet of our times
Faith imbues the work of Leonard Cohen, who was influenced by synagogue liturgy and spent time in a Buddhist monastery

Aug. 19, 2006. 01:00 AM
SAUL AUSTERLITZ
BELIEFNET


It is said, according to Jewish tradition, that the age of prophets has come to an end. God, having withdrawn from the world, has also withdrawn his voice, leaving humans to stumble along in the dark, bereft of guidance. Notwithstanding these facts, it seems safe to call Leonard Cohen a prophet for the modern world.

Cohen, the Canadian-born singer-songwriter who has achieved legendary status for songs like "Bird on a Wire," "Everybody Knows," and "Suzanne," knows it too, making reference to his own chosenness in the career-summing "Tower of Song": "I was born like this/ I had no choice/ I was born with the gift of a golden voice."

Cohen, now the subject of a worshipful documentary, Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man, may be playfully poking fun at his own image with these lyrics and his anything-but-golden voice, but he is also reflecting his own vision of his career as a singer and a writer — that he has been chosen to perform, and to inform. Cohen has become a quasi-legendary rebel figure, the songwriter as effortlessly hip social critic and professor of love, and his legend has only grown with the passage of time and the trickling of Cohen songs — like "Hallelujah" and "I'm Your Man"— into the pantheon of classic American song.

As I'm Your Man informs us, Cohen's immersion in religiosity began with his childhood in Montreal, then a Catholic-dominated city where priests and nuns were comfortably familiar presences. Cohen describes his first exposure to poetry as the synagogue liturgy and the Bible stories he read. His later work reflects these influences; outside of possibly Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder, Cohen's songs are the most religion-inflected of any major songwriter of the last 40 years.

Cohen's influences are not only religion itself; his work is also the product of immersion in the religion-obsessed work of other artists. It is no accident that one of Cohen's early albums is called Songs of Love and Hate — a deliberate echo of William Blake's famous "Songs of Innocence and Experience." Cohen makes love into a religion, worshipping at the shrine of the Suzannes and Mariannes that populate his songs, but the real action is to be found in his songs of doom and terror. If Cohen is a prophet, he is Isaiah, bringing news of degradation, dishonour, and death, unrestrained by those who refuse to listen or refuse to hear.

Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man pays homage to Cohen's prophetic stature (U2 guitarist The Edge describes him as possessing "biblical authority"), but the best place to turn for a fuller understanding of Cohen's work is not the film's overly respectful covers (by performers like Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright, and Antony), but the songs themselves.

To begin with, Cohen's voice is itself an authoritative instrument. Golden it may not be, but its low, raspy rattle, teetering on the edge of utter tunelessness, is the sound of truth exposed in a wilderness of falsehood. The traditional Cohen song, in its primal state, sets Cohen's speak-singing against the ethereal voices of his female backup singers and the careful, assured picking of guitars. Cohen's prophecy is of impending doom, clothed only in the garb of his formal, biblically tinged language.

His subject matter ranges from the purely spiritual to the political, but the result remains the same, especially in his later, gloomier iteration: irreversible chaos and death. Walter Benjamin once remarked that the storyteller is defined by his wielding that most precious wisdom — the knowledge of death. By that reckoning, Cohen is the prophet as storyteller, his authority stemming from the confidence of his poetry, and his voice. "There's a mighty judgment coming/ but I might be wrong," Cohen sings on "Tower of Song" (1988), but by the time of "The Future" (1992), all doubt has been removed. "Things are going to slide, slide in all directions/ Won't be nothing/ Nothing you can measure any more/ The blizzard, the blizzard of the world/ has crossed the threshold /and it has overturned/ the order of the soul."

The vision of ``The Future'' is so bleak, detailed as it is in Cohen's precise, lengthy lyric, that the demons of the past come to seem preferable in comparison: "Give me back the Berlin wall/ give me Stalin and St. Paul/ I've seen the future, brother:/ it is murder." The song is an update of the Book of Revelations for the post-Soviet era of moral confusion.

Cohen has been a bard of death for as long as he has been a singer; "Story of Isaac" (1969) recasts Abraham's attempted sacrifice of his son as a Vietnam-era parable, and "Who by Fire" (1974) coolly updates the most chilling prayer in the Jewish High Holiday liturgy, its lyrics a carefully composed list of potential modes of death with a half-buried grenade for a chorus, tossed in God's direction: "And who shall I say is calling?" Cohen is a prophet after the era of prophecy, and when God calls, the line buzzes, but no one speaks on the other end.

What is left, in the place of true spiritual intimacy with God, is the pursuit of some higher truth, and interminable waiting. He's "Waiting for the Miracle," as one of his songs describes it, and his lyrics portray the purgatorial limbo in which he finds himself while doing so: "Ah I don't believe you'd like it/ You wouldn't like it here/ There ain't no entertainment/ and the judgments are severe/ The Maestro says it's Mozart/ but it sounds like bubble gum/ when you're waiting for the miracle/ for the miracle to come."

Cohen has always been a spiritual seeker in addition to an end-of-times pessimist, a fact reflected in the mingled Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist references in his lyrics as well as his own time spent, in recent years, in a Buddhist monastery. Perhaps no song so perfectly summarizes his mordant take on matters religious, his mingling of the sacred and profane — of love, sex, and spiritual hunger — as his "Hallelujah" (1985), famously covered by Jeff Buckley, and memorably featured everywhere from Shrek to The West Wing in recent years.

Echoing the Bible — and, buried deeper in the song's DNA, the Hasidic rabbis who once possessed the means of indirectly contacting God — "Hallelujah" begins with what is lost: "I heard there was a secret chord/ that David played and it pleased the Lord/ but you don't really care for music, do ya?" King David's love affair with Bathsheba, source of his most significant sin, is mingled with that of Samson, whose love for Delilah costs him his hair, source of all his strength. The once-ringing "hallelujah" of deep faith and profound dedication has become a "cold and broken hallelujah," and the glories of love have become ugliness and degradation.

But for Cohen, who would later describe his profession as "paying my rent every day at the tower of song," this is not all. "There is a crack, a crack/ in everything/ that's how the light gets in," he sings in "Anthem." Similarly, as he says in "Hallelujah," there is a crack in language itself that allows the light in, and it no longer matters where we stand in the procession of history: "There's a blaze of light/ in every word/ It doesn't matter which you heard/ The holy or the broken Hallelujah."

As the female chorus' gospel-like Hallelujahs ring out, Cohen submits his final word on his profession, and his calling, declaring both its futility and its utter necessity: "I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you/ And even though/ it all went wrong/ I'll stand before the Lord of Song/ With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah."

In an era without prophets, Cohen is a prophet without honour, his only clothing the unshakeable belief that when he pleads with God (in the song "If It Be Your Will") that "If it be your will/ To let me sing," God will respond, "You must sing."

[Boss]

As well as being a fine singer/songwriter/poet and human being, Leonard Cohen is the world's foremost living prophet...

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

[Fljotsdale]

But it's taking it's time...

[Boss]

The ox is slow but the earth is patient

[Fljotsdale]

True!

[humanponysss2000]

Just happened to be reading an article about Leo Strauss, the German-Jewish philosopher who came to America and inspired the current gang of neo-conservatives in power.

Strauss -- who was not religious -- taught that religion is absolutely necessary FOR THE MASSES, as a means of social control.

Frankly, when I listen to some of Leonard's later songs -- beginning as far back as THE GUESTS, and continuing through HALLELUJAH and THE FUTURE, I feel uncomfortable. I feel these songs are religious in the sense of preaching obedience to some secret mystery that only the Master understands. There is something in them that says, "Bow down to this song."

And I think Leonard's fans are constantly getting dragged to the altar of his genius, but I keep wondering what lies behind????

Isn't religion a dangerous thing, the cause of countless wars? Aren't we aiming for something better than that?

Here's the article:

http://www.alternet.org/story/15935

[Boss]

The true dangerous reality, the reason for violence and war, is money and the power associated with it. Many religious wars have been diversions from this fact. The treasury has always had its dirty little hand in the mix. It's time we embraced one united system of belief. We should have matured to this point by now. Common ritual, a common base and a celebration of our differences; sexual, cultural etc. all would highlight the fact we are all Human. If this happened, then watch Humanity go!

There is mystery; always will be. You can live a factual life, scientific and all, but there's always mystery. Always. We don't know everything. Cohen's music sometimes alludes to this. That's all.

In peace

Boss

[Fljotsdale]

A common LACK of belief in a deity of any sort would work even better, because without the 'certainties' of religious belief, the mind is better able to think and reason.
What you say about the motivations of warfare are correct, imo, but let us not minimise the power and motivation of religion in the vast majority conflicts. It may not be the motivation of the leaders of such conflicts, but it is certainly the factor that most motivates the combatants in the field. If the common soldier did not have such convictions he would not be so inclined to fight - or even to be a soldier. Though there will always be some who just enjoy killing for it's own sake.
Present day - many Western soldiers have no real belief but they ARE willing to fight because the are taught the 'others' are 'religious fanatics who ought to die'. So even where there is no overt religious pressure from the heart, it is propagandised into the head.

And for Cohen's music/lyrics - yes they have a spiritual factor, without doubt. But no certainties. It is very evident from his lyrics that conflates Jewish, Christian and Eastern beliefs into his songs. Cohen has spiritual/religious inclinations, but I very much doubt if he has any religious certainties.

[Boss]

That deity you refer to is you and me and... Fljots. It is inside. A lack of the spirit, the dearth of the mystic would only lead to outright shutdown. A shutdown of connectedness, of at-one-ness and of song. Anyway, I wasn't referring to an old man in the sky deity or a vengeful deity, I was referring to a system where we all could celebrate our commonalities and the wonder of existence. Say, for example, the beauty of our moon, or the wonder of Woman. Something that would unite all Humankind. With this sort of system reason and wisdom are not precluded. They are enhanced.

Take care dear Fljots

Boss

[Fljotsdale]

Ah! Now that I can relate too! I HATE religion, and belief in the nasty little gods we made for ourselves, with a passion, but 'at-one-ness' with the world/universe is a very different thing indeed! I'm with you on this one.

You take care, too, Boss!

Fljots

[Boss]

Fljots,

Just remind me again of who created this magnificent cosmos we all pass through... And who supplied the perfect gases for us to breathe, the such beautiful workings of our circulatory systems that allow our blood to flow into the narrowest of capillaries. I shan't give 'it' a name, that somehow spoils 'it'; but there is another side to your hating religion

and belief in the nasty little gods we made for ourselves

We've argued this before. You seem content with your understanding of the world. I will never be content. Mine keeps changing, keeps growing. I can't dismiss, say, all of religion. The green in the artificial leaf in front of me now pales into insignificance to the rose bush behind it. How does one know this? One just does.

G-d is
Ev-lution is
The two dance a perfect tango.
There is no way they can have another partner.
They are inextricably bound.

Boss

[SWITZ]

There is a theory which states that if anyone could ever figure out what the universe is....why its here and what purpose it serves that it would instantly transform and change into something even more bizzare and inexplicable.

There is another theory which states that this has already happened.





Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

[Boss]

Dear SWITZ,

I have lived a shallow life. I haven't read many books. I haven't read "Hitchhiker's Guide". I am sorry. I read "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. He writes on page 23

"I'm the king of Salem," the old man had said.
"Why would a king be talking with a shepherd?" the boy asked, awed and embarassed.
"For several reasons. But let's say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your Personal Legend."
The boy didn't know what a person's "Personal Legend" was.
"It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal legend is.
"At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend"
None of what the old man was saying made much sense to the boy. But he wanted to know what the "mysterious force" was; the merchant's daughter would be impressed when he told her about that!
"It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth."

This "soul of the universe" lives on and on. That's all I can say; except that I can't quantify, or qualify or extrapolate 'it' - 'it' just is

Boss

[SWITZ]

You just reminded me of an embarassing time in my life when I was about twelve years old. I used to carry around books by famous intellectuals. The two that I remember were Kant (transcendental meditation) and Sarte (being and nothingness). I would sit with a dictionary for hours translating each word in a paragraph trying to decipher what it all meant. I had many pages that I could idiomatically recite and endlessly embarass my father when he had his friends around. I would speak and they would with suppressed laughter ask me leading questions to goad me on. My father would groan whenever he saw me get into the car with those books as we went to dinner and to the theatre. One time I was droning on and on about the ID and IT in "Being and Nothingness" and said, "Maybe IT put us here so we could tell IT what IT is. My father looked up into the rear view mirror and said, "That's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say".


Boss
THe Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy pulls me off this planet and I see the universe in a more multi dimensional way and with great humor. I do like your added story here by Paulo Coelho. Have you read "Letters to a Young Poet" by Rainer Marie Rilke ? I feel that this would appeal to you.


Switz

[Fljotsdale]

Boss, we must agree to disagree - and also to agree!

I admit - always have - the POSSIBILITY of some sort of intelligent creator. I don't believe there IS, but the remote possibility is undeniable.

But if it DOES exist, I just DO NOT believe it is anything like the ones we wrote about in all those 'holy' writings we produced during our history. They are fantasy figures. As well believe in Superman. Though the original Superman didn't have a Dark Side, which all our gods DO!

But that doesn't mean you and I can't be friends.

SWITZ: I recently re-read all 5 of the HitchHiker trilogy. It was fun.

BOSS: My oldest daughter just sent me this; I think you will like it. It is by a woman called Mary Oliver (Mandy said I should check out Wild Geese on the net):

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean - the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass,
how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields, which is what i have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

PS: I could manage fine without the first 3 lines, but the rest is perfect.