You Want It Darker

@LouiseLailah I think you are being too literal. Cohen was not particularly concerned with Judaism and his feelings were more Universal than just one event.

@ken1025751 Leonard Cohen was Jewish and he's absolutely referencing the Holocaust. He was very "concerned" with Judiasm and felt the need to repeatedly have to clarify this in interviews throughout his life, where journalists kept assuming he was a "secular Jew," or not practicing. He was raised Orthodox Jewish, later embrassing a more liberal form of Judiasm, and despite his interest in learning about other religions (which any tolerant person would surely benefit from doing), he always made it clear he was Jewish in both ethnicity and religious practice. As an American Jew you have to learn of Christianity since it's imbedded in American government and society, Cohen took it a step further and wanted to learn more about their beliefs, along with Islam, Buddhism, and other religions he found fascinating. <br /> <br /> It's hard for non-jews to understand the cognitive dissonance of having your people targeted in the genocide of the Holocaust, such an unconscionable inhumane act on its own, let alone knowing our God allowed it to happen, or at a minimum was complicit by doing absolutely nothing. It's the exact opposite of the "lullaby for suffering" (The Mourner's Kadish, or arguably Jewish Prayers in general, which are prodominantely focused on historical suffering, and almost always in the form of song), "And a paradox to blame," (the far-fetched stories in the Torah, always telling of God's mercy in the end - granting a miracle to save the characters that did't lose hope, despite the insane odds and literal impossibility of survival, and whom didn't turn their backs on God, or change allegiance to another God/idol), ending with "But it's written in the scriptures, And it's not some idle claim," (literal reference to the Torah, stating the aforementioned is in writing and therefore indisputable). <br /> <br /> This is why a lot of modern Jews struggle with their view of God; neither being able to fully believe or disbelieve in Him. <br /> There's also another blatent reference to the Jewish genocide, besides the millions of candles reference: "They're lining up the prisoners, and gaurds 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." This is a darkly sarcastic statement about the hypocrisy in God's teachings, since so many people were free to murder and maim the Jews, without any recourse, while the peaceful and observant were the targets left lying in wait, despite already stomaching a lifetime of suffering without snapping into violent acts of retribution.

@LouiseLailah I think you are right. It all points to that. Also, Dance me to The End Of Love, is a song Leonard Cohen wrote about the Shoah. You almost have to avoid specific allusions in this song You Want it Darker, to come to any other conclusion. The million candles unanswered is quite beseeching.