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You Want It Darker Lyrics
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
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
Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my lord
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
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
Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my lord
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
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
Hineni, hineni
Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my lord
Hineni
Hineni, hineni
Hineni
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
Vilified, crucified, in the human frame
A million candles burning for the help that never came
You want it darker
I'm ready, my lord
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
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
I'm ready, my lord
Vilified, crucified, in the human frame
A million candles burning for the love that never came
You want it darker
We kill the flame
If you are the healer, I'm broken and lame
If thine is the glory, mine must be the shame
You want it darker
Hineni, hineni
I'm ready, my lord
Hineni, hineni
Hineni
Song Info
Copyright
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/atv Music Publishing Llc
Writer
Leonard Cohen, Patrick Leonard
Duration
4:44
Submitted by
bloodangel On Nov 12, 2016
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No question whether Leonard knew this will be his swan song - 'twas why the song was published on the Net before the album came out. He had wanted it out there before he died, and waiting for the entire album might have turned out too late. He also wrote a farewell letter to his old love Marianne Ihlen when she was dying, saying: "Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine." So, now doubt there - he knew.
Nor is there any question whom he's talking to in the song.
Question is, however, what exactly does "You want it darker" mean. Who wants it darker? The person he's talking to? God? Or if not, who else then?
Also what does this subject want darker - and most important, WHY?
You might ask: What difference does that make? Why would a single "You" be so important to the meaning of the whole song? Well, because it changes everything! It turns the whole thing upside down.
Namely, I don't see that Cohen is making peace with God here. Quite the contrary in fact. I think, he's proclaiming a mighty grudge against God!
Why?
Well, most obviously because of these verses: A million candles burning for the help that never came A million candles burning for the love that never came
I can't think of any other interpretaion to these than: millions of people are asking (praying) for help, but God never listens or answers. God is supposed to guide, help and love humans, however none of that help, nor love are ever there. Worse yet - when Cohen says:
You want it darker We kill the flame
it's of utmost importance to know whom this "You" refers to. I think it still refers to God, and if so, these two verses can be interpreted as:
It's God that wants us to do bad things ("You want it darker") and we tend to always obey that ("We kill the flame"). Not a very merciful and loving God then, is it?
When you view it like this, then verses:
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
suddenly make much more sense as well. In this case they mean: "I have enough of being a game peon - a mere toy to a god, whom lets people sufer, yet churches and priests still sing glory to HIM and assign all the shame to those same suffering people."
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
can be interpreted as: if God is so loving ("There's a lover in the story"), then how come what The Book ("The story") says is nothing but a "lullaby for suffering" - suffering that the whole human history actually is. This doesn't make sense - it's a paradox. Though the priests/churches don't see it that way (they just apportion the blame to people instead). And it isn't just how they interpret those books (Torah, Bible, etc.) - it's what's actually written: God wants us only to suffer, and a loving creature would never do that.
Then there's: 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
First two verses I understand either as: "My time has come and I know I'm about to die" or "There's always some killing done in the world, justified by whatever reasons" (I'm leaning a bit towards second interpretation, but knowing Cohen, it might very well be that he meant both at the same time.)
Next three verses I understand as: "I know I've done some bad things in my life, however nothing as bad as some much more influential people do, namely they murder and maim - justifying it as that they have the authority and permission for it".
And then again it is: "You want it darker..."
When you see it like that, then: Hineni, hineni I'm ready, my lord
doesn't mean simply: "Here I am, kneeeling down, bowing my head and begging for mercy", but proud: "Behold! Here I stand. I'm ready to go. But not because I blindly accept what I was told, but because I don't want to take any of this crap any more. I want out of the game. It never was my game anyway."
That is how I understand it. And believe how it was meant to be understood.
Kudos Leonard! One of your most powerful songs ever. And you've certainly created more than your fair share of those.
@Hlloyge totally agree, Cohen is a wise man and therefore a non believer of "holy" (man made) books and ancient stories.
@Hlloyge totally agree, Cohen is a wise man and therefore a non believer of "holy" (man made) books and ancient stories.
@Hlloyge I had the same thoughts while I was trying to understand this song the best as I possibly could. Now I know I'm not the only one who sees it this way. Thank you.
@Hlloyge I had the same thoughts while I was trying to understand this song the best as I possibly could. Now I know I'm not the only one who sees it this way. Thank you.
@Hlloyge, i agree with you. I just wanted to add that a loving god can easily be responsible for everything terrible in this world and still have it all been part of an optimal loving plan with a part where 'they all lived happily forever after'. Religions are basically idol-worshipping, but they did get one thing almost right: "resurrection of the dead". Everyone's coming back. That's what I believe. And then it also makes sense that a world-of-suffering (for a short while) would be necessary.
@Hlloyge, i agree with you. I just wanted to add that a loving god can easily be responsible for everything terrible in this world and still have it all been part of an optimal loving plan with a part where 'they all lived happily forever after'. Religions are basically idol-worshipping, but they did get one thing almost right: "resurrection of the dead". Everyone's coming back. That's what I believe. And then it also makes sense that a world-of-suffering (for a short while) would be necessary.
@Hlloyge This is not the first time Cohen has had ambiguity or a beef with God. As early as Suzanne Cohen expressed issues with easy answers. Jesus 'crucifixion is seen as futile.
@Hlloyge This is not the first time Cohen has had ambiguity or a beef with God. As early as Suzanne Cohen expressed issues with easy answers. Jesus 'crucifixion is seen as futile.
"But he himself was broken, long before the sky would open Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone"
"But he himself was broken, long before the sky would open Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone"
But he contrasts this lens with a song like "Sisters of Mercy".
But he contrasts this lens with a song like "Sisters of Mercy".
As he gets older he gets bolder. "Everybody knows" is quite nihilistic.
As he gets older he gets bolder. "Everybody knows" is quite nihilistic.
In Closing Time he writes
In Closing Time he writes
"So we struggle and we stagger Down the snakes and up the...
"So we struggle and we stagger Down the snakes and up the ladder To the tower where the blessed hours chime And I swear it happened just like this A sigh, a cry, a hungry kiss The gates of love they budged an inch I can't say much has happened since But closing time"
and ends the song with
"And I lift my glass to the awful truth Which you can't reveal to the ears of youth Except to say it isn't worth a dime And the whole damn place goes crazy twice And it's once for the devil and once for Christ But the boss don't like these dizzy heights We're busted in the blinding lights Of closing time"
Who's the Boss? God is the boss. He is closing the place down. "The gates of love they budged an inch I can't say much has happened since but closing time." This parallels, "A million candles burning for the help that never came A million candles burning for the love that never came."
Yet the same artist could write Anthem. Cohen to me appears deeply ambivalent and in the end believes there is a cruelty to God (directly) and to life he cannot comprehend. So in this song I feel both rage and resignation. Cohen used Jewish and Biblical motifs all his life, but was a Buddhist, which is a non theistic religion.
I always appreciated Cohen's profound depth, even when I do not agree with him philosophically. He had a great heart and his only equal (or greater) as a lyricist was Dylan.
@Hlloyge Cohen has stated in his final interviews, on NPR and for the general press, that he believes it is the role of the Jew to protect the face of God. He was still His ardent follower and his continued with prayer and scriptural research up until the very moment of his passing. The song isn't merely criticizing the Abrahamic God; he is stating, though his body is broken, he still worships him. That's why Hineni (I'm here God, I'm here) is the song's refrain. In contrast to Cohen's ailing health, and the ailing health of the world, Cohen still...
@Hlloyge Cohen has stated in his final interviews, on NPR and for the general press, that he believes it is the role of the Jew to protect the face of God. He was still His ardent follower and his continued with prayer and scriptural research up until the very moment of his passing. The song isn't merely criticizing the Abrahamic God; he is stating, though his body is broken, he still worships him. That's why Hineni (I'm here God, I'm here) is the song's refrain. In contrast to Cohen's ailing health, and the ailing health of the world, Cohen still means to serve God.
@Hlloyge I think interpreting this as a straight up anti-God song like XTC's "Dear God" doesn't mesh too well with Cohen's own stated beliefs. To me it's more about trying to hash out his complicated feelings toward both God and humanity.
@Hlloyge I think interpreting this as a straight up anti-God song like XTC's "Dear God" doesn't mesh too well with Cohen's own stated beliefs. To me it's more about trying to hash out his complicated feelings toward both God and humanity.
@Hlloyge
@Hlloyge
Well done. Clear sighted and free from dogma.
Well done. Clear sighted and free from dogma.
@Hlloyge I think it's about Leonard being enlightened. He finally realizes that there is no god. He sees religion for what it is, a fiction and a myth.
@Hlloyge I think it's about Leonard being enlightened. He finally realizes that there is no god. He sees religion for what it is, a fiction and a myth.
@Hlloyge Very well articulated. I knew the can be interpreted along these lines. Please publish your interpretation on medium or some other forum. People have popularized stupid interpretations of the song which does not make any sense.
@Hlloyge Very well articulated. I knew the can be interpreted along these lines. Please publish your interpretation on medium or some other forum. People have popularized stupid interpretations of the song which does not make any sense.
Cohen was almost certainly thinking of the Abraham/Isaac story, where he responds "hineni" to G-d at the beginning when he is called. He's used that story many times in his songs.
"Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name, vilified, crucified, in the human frame" are two lines, that are from two different sources. The first part does not have anything to do with Christian themes.
"Magnified, Sanctified be thy holy name" is a straight English translation of the first four words of the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer. and while all versions of that prayer start this way, he is no doubt in context referencing the Mourner's Kaddish that is said by close relatives of a deceased person after their burial.
However, "villified, crucified, in the human frame" is certainly a reference to Jesus.
He's flowing between different traditions here taking from each what fits his litany of suffering that he addresses to G-d in this song.
@icebox This is great. I come from the Christian tradition and the knowledge about that Kaddish here is very helpful. Thanks!
@icebox This is great. I come from the Christian tradition and the knowledge about that Kaddish here is very helpful. Thanks!
@icebox Cohen always has a fascination with Jesus Christ as some sort of a universal figure and I think he said (correct me if I'm wrong) "I'm very fond of Jesus Christ. He may be the most beautiful guy who walked the face of this earth. Any guy who says 'Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek' has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity and insight and madness...A man who declared himself to stand among the thieves, the prostitutes and the homeless. His position cannot be comprehended. It is an inhuman generosity. A generosity that would...
@icebox Cohen always has a fascination with Jesus Christ as some sort of a universal figure and I think he said (correct me if I'm wrong) "I'm very fond of Jesus Christ. He may be the most beautiful guy who walked the face of this earth. Any guy who says 'Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek' has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity and insight and madness...A man who declared himself to stand among the thieves, the prostitutes and the homeless. His position cannot be comprehended. It is an inhuman generosity. A generosity that would overthrow the world if it was embraced because nothing would weather that compassion. I'm not trying to alter the Jewish view of Jesus Christ. But to me, in spite of what I know about the history of legal Christianity, the figure of the man has touched me." from Leonard Cohen in His Own Words by Jim Devlin
There's no question that Leonard wrote this preparing for death. It's an element that hangs heavy over the rest of the album as well. He's alluding to quite a few Jewish and Christian concepts relating to death, sacrifice, and salvation. Most striking is his use of "hineni" a Hebrew word that essentially means "behold" but is often used as a marker of personal willingness as in "here I am" (which Leonard translates for us in the next line). Hineni is scattered throughout the Hebrew text and it especially found when a father is calling to a son, i.e. in Genesis 27 Isaac calls to Esau for a before-death request. Hineni also figures heavily into the story of the binding of Isaac where the word is used 3 times: Once for Abraham responding to God who is going to ask for Isaac to be sacrificed, once for Abraham responding to Isaac who is questioning where the sacrifice is (it's you, kid!), and once when God calls out of heaven and tells Abraham to stop the sacrifice. Along with this use of hineni, Leonard alludes to the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. "Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name, vilified, crucified, in the human frame" evoke the sense of the Christian belief of Jesus Christ (God's "name" in Trinitarian thought, the member of the Trinity that human beings best comprehend) dying "in the human frame" which then results in the magnification of God - the worship of Him. So what's the point? It's tough to say for sure. There's a lot that makes it seem like this song is simply Leonard saying he's had enough of seeing the pain of human kind and that he is ready for Resurrection or afterlife of some kind. However, it may be deeper - and if it is, it is actually preparing himself for death by considering his own death the ultimate sacrifice that also in turn results in his own sanctification (being made holy) and magnification (being made great).
@jwinterscom See my comment above, I was trying to reply to you.
@jwinterscom See my comment above, I was trying to reply to you.
@jwinterscom See my reply above. I think the point is there is no point, except deep feeling.. Cohen always had a nihilistic streak and this is one of the most profound songs I ever ever heard concerning a "loving God", yet the cruelty and Evil in the world. He pulls no punches "A million candles burning for the help that never came A million candles burning for the love that never came"
@jwinterscom See my reply above. I think the point is there is no point, except deep feeling.. Cohen always had a nihilistic streak and this is one of the most profound songs I ever ever heard concerning a "loving God", yet the cruelty and Evil in the world. He pulls no punches "A million candles burning for the help that never came A million candles burning for the love that never came"
He can't comprehend this. Religion makes no sense to him yet he uses religious terms to frame his profound rage and inability to understand....
He can't comprehend this. Religion makes no sense to him yet he uses religious terms to frame his profound rage and inability to understand. Contrast this with Dylan's "every Grain of Sand". (who knows what Dylan thinks now, he changes his mind so much.)
A very interesting interpretation and analysis by Lord (Rabbi) Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of Great Britain and the Commenwealth. \nA gem!\nListen to it on Youtube and enjoy:\n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s3kQSZ_Qxk
@Rambam , thanks for the share I found it good soul food. I have have a close friend that is very ill and was on a web journey that led to here - cheers !
@Rambam , thanks for the share I found it good soul food. I have have a close friend that is very ill and was on a web journey that led to here - cheers !
This is a powerful song on it's own, but knowing he recorded it shortly before his death makes it that much more meaningful.
@kathy10154 And slightly more painful as a result. To me at least.
@kathy10154 And slightly more painful as a result. To me at least.
@kathy10154 I agree. When I heard this, my first thought was "I am listening to Leonard Cohen's last album." The entire album seems to be "getting his house in order". It is a collection of fair-well speeches. "Here I am, I'm ready, my Lord", "I'm Traveling Light", "I'm leaving the Table". I re-listen to this album about once a week, still gives me chills.
@kathy10154 I agree. When I heard this, my first thought was "I am listening to Leonard Cohen's last album." The entire album seems to be "getting his house in order". It is a collection of fair-well speeches. "Here I am, I'm ready, my Lord", "I'm Traveling Light", "I'm leaving the Table". I re-listen to this album about once a week, still gives me chills.
I think Cohen is asking God for explanations of why we live in such a cruel world. He is saying: Here you have me, there I go with the "hineni hineni". He is saying implicitly: If you are the one who decides how things are, then we are screwed. I think it is a criticism at the same time that challenges God to face the composer when he dies
Yeah its a lot of jiddisch and the best possible explanation is thats it about him dying etc.
I listened to this song while being on the verge of breaking up with my then "nagging" wife. You want it darker I thought... then im out of here.
We managed to talk it through though
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker I believe he may be referring to the SHOAH = Holocaust and ages-long persecution of the Jews:
"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"
"Magnified, Sanctified be thy holy name" is a straight English translation of the first four words of the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer for the dead "A million candles burning for the love that never came" - 6 million were were not saved - at the Jerusalem memorial 1 1/2 million candles are burning to commemorate the murdered children.
@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.
@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...
@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.
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).
This is why a lot of modern Jews struggle with their view of God; neither being able to fully believe or disbelieve in Him. 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.
@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.
I don't think he is not not-making peace with God and all. But, I think he does not like how christianity is shaped by humans throughout history: The message being our approach to God is WRONG. Giving his background and timing (approaching death), I am inclined to say he is doing so by reflecting what he learned from judaism and about God in general. He is criticizing Bad Practice.
I think by "You" he means "Human". "Flame" is "religion". "Lord" is "God"
Hineni in Hebrew means "Here I am" As to say, here I am my lord, I'm ready for you.