The Music Plays On — Leonard Cohen

When Leonard Cohen passed away three and half years ago, we lost an artist whose works have had an enormous impact on poetry, literature, and songwriting.

Cohen achieved initial success as a poet, winning the Chester MacNaghten Literary Competition for the poems “Sparrows” and “Thoughts of a Landsman” while still a student at McGill University in the early 50’s. His first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956), was published right after he graduated. Well into the 1960’s, and after going into semi-seclusion by moving to the Greek island, Hydra, Cohen continued to publish books of poetry and fiction. However, in 1966, at the age of 33, he decided to become a songwriter. For a man who sought large spans of seclusion throughout his life, he was an excellent interviewee — witty, charming, and well-spoken. Here’s a great CBC interview with him in 1966.

What is remarkable about this career change, however, is that he also decided, however reluctantly, to sing his songs. This is a remarkable decision for someone who had never defined themselves as a performing musician. How lucky the world is…