Leonard Cohen very often employs symbols found in Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism, embracing William Blake's visionary realization that "All Religions are One." Cohen's poetry expresses a transcendent view of the world that sees beyond the veil of form.
If someone experiences a transcendent vision of the world that lies beyond form, there follows the realization that all of us are one, united in the Christ (or Buddha). Cohen's songs evoke this experiential realization. And no one knows it's there until a person finds it. For some people, the first three songs serve to achieve this realization (particularly Avalanche).
Then the first song on the second side recognizes those who have experienced the realization evoked by Avalanche, Last Year's Man, and Dress Rehearsal Rag (yes, Cohen carefully crafted the progressive song ordering). So Cohen is addressing everyone, but those who have chanced to have caught the lyrics of the previous songs in a way never before experienced, understand the first line in a different way.
That's why "You thought it could never happen to all the people that you became." And the realization is that your body is lost in legend (the world of the traditional belief in the reality external objects) and the beast (your ego) is so very tame (non-existent). So your body (and everyone else's) is an illusion, and so you realize that you have become all other people. Everyone is merely a reflection of everyone else. And, to the astonishment of many, it is realized that our reality lies in the Christ or Buddha (both pure Spirit)in all of us. That is not the man (a symbol of actualized form, such as the physical body of Buddha, or Jesus), but the true transcendent reality (or essence) of man (Spirit).
@woodshadow so you whole analysis boils down to one line from Hindu Upanisad. The line is \'Tat Tvam asi\' meaning "thou art that". Relationship between conscience and human form.
@woodshadow so you whole analysis boils down to one line from Hindu Upanisad. The line is \'Tat Tvam asi\' meaning "thou art that". Relationship between conscience and human form.
Leonard Cohen very often employs symbols found in Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism, embracing William Blake's visionary realization that "All Religions are One." Cohen's poetry expresses a transcendent view of the world that sees beyond the veil of form. If someone experiences a transcendent vision of the world that lies beyond form, there follows the realization that all of us are one, united in the Christ (or Buddha). Cohen's songs evoke this experiential realization. And no one knows it's there until a person finds it. For some people, the first three songs serve to achieve this realization (particularly Avalanche). Then the first song on the second side recognizes those who have experienced the realization evoked by Avalanche, Last Year's Man, and Dress Rehearsal Rag (yes, Cohen carefully crafted the progressive song ordering). So Cohen is addressing everyone, but those who have chanced to have caught the lyrics of the previous songs in a way never before experienced, understand the first line in a different way. That's why "You thought it could never happen to all the people that you became." And the realization is that your body is lost in legend (the world of the traditional belief in the reality external objects) and the beast (your ego) is so very tame (non-existent). So your body (and everyone else's) is an illusion, and so you realize that you have become all other people. Everyone is merely a reflection of everyone else. And, to the astonishment of many, it is realized that our reality lies in the Christ or Buddha (both pure Spirit)in all of us. That is not the man (a symbol of actualized form, such as the physical body of Buddha, or Jesus), but the true transcendent reality (or essence) of man (Spirit).
@woodshadow so you whole analysis boils down to one line from Hindu Upanisad. The line is \'Tat Tvam asi\' meaning "thou art that". Relationship between conscience and human form.
@woodshadow so you whole analysis boils down to one line from Hindu Upanisad. The line is \'Tat Tvam asi\' meaning "thou art that". Relationship between conscience and human form.