10 ms·

Leonard Cohen Has Died

978 points by joaomsa 10y ago

daveheq 10y ago
I didn't know Leonard Cohen was a hacker. Wait, does he happen to be popular among hackers?
- the_fury 10y ago
  By the responses I would say yes, yes he was.
- dvtv75 10y ago
  He's been popular with all sorts for many years. This is from 1984: https://youtu.be/43-wurCmbIE?t=1898 https://youtu.be/43-wurCmbIE?t=1898
pcurve 10y ago
Man this was a surprise. I read this article very recently. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/13/leonard-cohen-i-am-ready-to-die-i-hope-its-not-too-uncomfortable/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/1... Which was quickly followed by: http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/10/leonard-cohen-no-longer-ready-to-die-says-hell-live-until-120/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/10/leonard-cohen-no-longe...
seanwoods 10y ago
couple good ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZqq-zAkGy4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZqq-zAkGy4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FeZe5P803c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FeZe5P803c
mkeeter 10y ago
This is a wonderful article about Leonard Cohen: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/music/89715/leonard http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/music/89715... The quote that stood out the most for me: "In a pursuit like rock ’n’ roll, which is entirely devoted to redemption, Cohen’s ideas were not only old but radical. His peers all insisted that salvation was at hand. To go to a Doors concert was to stare at the lithe messiah undressing on stage and believe that it was entirely possible to break on through to the other side. To see Cohen play was to gawk at an aging Jew telling you that life was hard and laced with sorrow but that if we love each other and fuck one another and have the mad courage to laugh even when the sun is clearly setting, we’ll be just all right. To borrow a metaphor from a field never too far from Cohen’s heart, theology, Morrison, Hendrix, Joplin, and the rest were all good Christians, and they set themselves up as the redeemers who had to die for the sins of their fans. Cohen was a Jew, and like Jews he believed that salvation was nothing more than a lot of hard work and a small but sustainable reward."
- dang 10y ago
  That article contains a wonderful story about how he calmed a hostile audience in the middle of the night at a festival in 1970. I recommend it. (Search for "Isle of Wight", the story starts there.)
  - andrewem 10y ago
    https://vimeo.com/56002315 https://vimeo.com/56002315 is an hour-long documentary about his performance there, with lots of footage of the show itself.
  - rukuu001 10y ago
    Thanks for the heads up re Isle of Wight - that story feels almost biblical.
- mpwoz 10y ago
  Thank you for sharing this. If anybody wants a tear in their eye, read this article while listening to his latest album. And, optionally, a glass of wine.
rootedbox 10y ago
If it be your will. That I speak no more. And my voice be still. As it was before. I will speak no more.
inimino 10y ago
A tremendous loss. A recent profile that I greatly enjoyed: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-m...
CalChris 10y ago
A wonderful voice. A favorite of my mother's who over the years became a favorite of mine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A
ageitgey 10y ago
I saw Leonard Cohen on his last tour. He opened every show on the tour by saying "I don’t know if we’ll meet again, but tonight we’ll give you everything we got."
- stuart78 10y ago
  I saw the same tour in Los Angeles, and it stands as my favorite show. He and the band controlled the room and it was just amazing, beginning to end.
- picklesman 10y ago
  About 4 years ago I was scanning my twitter timeline and I noticed someone posted a picture from a Leonard Cohen concert that night in Montreal. What?!? I hadn't heard anything about it and my heart sank. After a frantic search I found out he was playing the next night and I bought myself a ticket. I went by myself, which is unusual for me when it comes to concerts. He played for 3 hours and needless to say, it was incredible. During "Suzanne", the room (a hockey arena) was completely dark except for a spotlight shining up from below casting a giant shadow behind him. Combined with such a haunting song it made for one of the most beautiful musical experiences of my life. Here's a recording of that performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pcPK4eXHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pcPK4eXHQ That turned out to be the last time he played here and I'm so thankful to have gotten a chance to hear him play his songs. Way too many great lines to quote, but these ones comfort me: "But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song" EDIT: I found a video from a different concert that gives a better idea of what it looked like, though the link above is a better performance imo, + much better audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emgt62vls3o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emgt62vls3o (also love the single comment, which I ran through google translate: "What is still the magic of this man? I am not a sentimental dragon, but it goes straight to the heart.")
  - JadeNB 10y ago
    > During "Suzanne", the room (a hockey arena) was completely dark except for a spotlight shining up from below casting a giant shadow behind him. Combined with such a haunting song it made for one of the most beautiful musical experiences of my life. I think that what got me from the concert (which I saw in Chicago) was when he dropped to his knees to sing. What a privilege it was to see such a giant perform.
alphaone 10y ago
Now I'm living in this temple Where they tell you what to do I'm old and I've had to settle On a different point of view I was fighting with temptation But I didn't want to win A man like me don't like to see Temptation caving in
sparkzilla 10y ago
RIP. Those looking to try Cohen for the first time (or wanting to rediscover him) should listen to Live in London (2009), which IMHO is one of the best live albums ever. Great songs and some witty banter in between. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2p8je2 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2p8je2
- qohen 10y ago
  Given the recent election, may I suggest this song of his: "Democracy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-RuR-qO4Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-RuR-qO4Y http://genius.com/Leonard-cohen-democracy-lyrics http://genius.com/Leonard-cohen-democracy-lyrics
pfooti 10y ago
I heard there was a secret chord.
- efoto 10y ago
  Rest in Peace
- elihu 10y ago
  I did my best, it wasn't much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you But even though it all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song with nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
randlet 10y ago
No longer aching in the places he used to play. Rest in peace Leonard, it's closing time.
failrate 10y ago
I'm not sad. He had probably the best life he could have had, and it ended on a high note.
- triplesec 10y ago
  His life was full of very low notes. And excellent ones at that.
- glandium 10y ago
  And he got to live to 82, it's hard to say it's too early.
  - agumonkey 10y ago
    80 is my threshold digit for sadness. If you reached it without long debilitating condition or traumatic life, then, at least if I had the pleasure to get there, no complaints.
    - honkhonkpants 10y ago
      Cohen resumed smoking at age 80, because why not.
      - coldtea 10y ago
        Heck, I will start opium at 80, because why not!
      - mrkgnao 10y ago
        I never thought about this ... I've always wanted to smoke (the mechanics of the whole thing please(s) me on some level) but I suffer from asthma and a mild disinclination to lung cancer. Mind you, when I say "smoke", I mean the real thing, not vaping. Don't mind me, though. I hope I outgrow this at some point.
        inimino 10y ago
viraptor 10y ago
"No one can sing a Leonard Cohen song the way Cohen himself can't." is still my favourite description of his work.
zeluve 10y ago
RIP. The voice will be here for the rest of generation and becomes legacy for the next.
bhickey 10y ago
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/leonard-cohen-pens-final-letter-to-so-long-marianne-muse-w433144 http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/leonard-cohen-pens-fi... Back in July he wrote to a dying Marianne Ihlen, "Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine."
- sdoering 10y ago
  Thanks. That story just broke me down, while sitting in the office with tears running down my cheeks. Reminded me of my late father having passed away some 18 months ago. Thanks for that moment. Your link was a gift.
avitzurel 10y ago
Rest in peace.
nikanj 10y ago
It's a widely held sentiment that 2016 has killed more long-running celebrities than any other year. Is there any factual basis to this, or is it just confirmation bias?
- jacobwg 10y ago
  I read someplace that the phenomenon of modern celebrities and the communication networks / styles necessary to develop those celebrities started to take off at a time that coincides with those ever-increasing numbers of celebrities to reach their terminal years now. Unfortunately I cannot find the original source, but perhaps somebody else knows what it was.
- smelendez 10y ago
  I think there were a few celebrity deaths that were really unexpected, especially Prince (who died of an accidental drug overdose) and David Bowie (who hadn't revealed he had cancer and outwardly seemed to be healthy and active), so they hit people especially hard. And those came on top of the incredibly bitter political situation in the U.S., the Brexit vote and refugee-related strife in the E.U., rising authoritarianism in Russia and China, and a number of high-profile terrorist attacks and some serious natural disasters.
- agumonkey 10y ago
  Maybe related to a special post war period that gave birth to icons so many of us shared through the rised of nascent mainstream mass scale medias. More than a dreadful year, it's also the passing of a generation, of a world. Sometimes I think that we had it too easy and we produced nothing good as a replacement for being somehow spoiled brats.
- lordnacho 10y ago
  - Celebrity is lumpy. Bowie, Prince and Cohen were big lumps. - The lumps are distributed unevenly. Baby boomers are dying around now, and they created their own culture. - Celebrity itself only became big roughly (very roughly) as these people came of age and did their great works.
- Kluny 10y ago
sndean 10y ago
If you have ~40 minutes to spare, Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History did a really interesting story on Hallelujah in July: http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah
kafkaesq 10y ago
This article was posted here about a month ago: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141 Interestingly, I was thinking about him on the subway just before surfacing to see above thread pop up. Very glad that I got to catch up on his bio (and to see him live a few years back) before his departure. 2016 - what a year.
- carlsborg 10y ago
  "Hineni hineni. I'm ready my Lord." from "Make it Darker" nb: The word 'Hineni' means 'Here I am' in a spiritual sense, which is what Abraham says and means to God to indicate his readiness when he is called.
  - azernik 10y ago
    "Hineni" means "here I am" in a literal sense too - Cohen happens to be making a biblical/spiritual reference there, but like most lines from the (Hebrew) bible, the language is very plain and straightforward.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
coldtea 10y ago
If you haven't heard his songs, either the early folky ones or the post-80s electronic-ballads, definitely check them out. They are songs for grown-ups (he started his career as a singer around 34 years old after all).
logicalmind 10y ago
Big fan of Leonard Cohen, big loss. I think his Isle of Wight performance is one of the greatest of all time considering what was going on the crowd and how he used his showmanship and calming music to turn things around: https://vimeo.com/56002315 https://vimeo.com/56002315
detaro 10y ago
:'( There is a crack, a crack in everything. That how the light comes in. ?
- ska 10y ago
  But perhaps remember the previous line: Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering.
sundvor 10y ago
RIP. Listening to his brand new release You Want It Darker (via Spotify HQ on my Audio Technica ADG1Xs, Soundblaster ZXR sound card). I can't get over the quality of the production and how utterly perfect his voice still is .. right until the very end. In light of recent events, this song is uncanny. What a masterpiece to finish a magnificent career.
- Kluny 10y ago
  I believe his son was the sound engineer. He clearly didn't phone it in.
  - sundvor 10y ago
    Interesting, and a stellar job. I could easily see this becoming a reference track / album for hi-fi affectionados, bringing depths and detail to my new headset that I didn't know it had. (I upgraded a few months ago from the ATH-ADG1s.)
Jerry2 10y ago
Wow! Such a sad news. He was one of the greatest and his songs were timeless. One of my favorites is "Everybody Knows": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd23UVID7k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd23UVID7k You will be missed. עליו השלום
mdpm 10y ago
And who shall I say is calling? -- You will be missed but never forgotten.
muhic 10y ago
Sad for the artistic loss but also glad he died at peace after a rich life spent doing what he loved till the last moment. He joins a special list, alongside Hintjens who also passed recently, of those who manage to strip the dread from death and stress the importance of 'tidying up' over passive acceptance as one enters the final days. “The big change is the proximity to death,” he said. “I am a tidy kind of guy. I like to tie up the strings if I can. If I can’t, also, that’s O.K. But my natural thrust is to finish things that I’ve begun.” “For some odd reason,” he went on, “I have all my marbles, so far. I have many resources, some cultivated on a personal level, but circumstantial, too: my daughter and her children live downstairs, and my son lives two blocks down the street. So I am extremely blessed. I have an assistant who is devoted and skillful. I have a friend like Bob and another friend or two who make my life very rich. So in a certain sense I’ve never had it better. . . . At a certain point, if you still have your marbles and are not faced with serious financial challenges, you have a chance to put your house in order. It’s a cliché, but it’s underestimated as an analgesic on all levels. Putting your house in order, if you can do it, is one of the most comforting activities, and the benefits of it are incalculable.” [0] [0] http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-m...
supervillain 10y ago
http://img.wennermedia.com/760-width/rs-leonard-cohen01-4c21b534-aa2d-49fb-9fbd-be9df32b3700.jpg http://img.wennermedia.com/760-width/rs-leonard-cohen01-4c21... He looks so much like Adam Sandler
- macintux 10y ago
  I always thought he and Leonard Nimoy were merging visually as they aged. Here he looks like...some random but famous actor whose name escapes me: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8IlTmpaTiQ/Vnq3CrkSOnI/AAAAAAAAxYI/pSQMRZjNd6U/s1600/leonard-cohen.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8IlTmpaTiQ/Vnq3CrkSOnI/AAAAAAAAxY...
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - zimpenfish 10y ago
    Alfred Molina? Or maybe Tony Hancock[1]? [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039f1y4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039f1y4
    - macintux 10y ago
      Finally figured it out. Pretty weak in retrospect. http://static.tvgcdn.net/mediabin/showcards/celebs/s-u/thumbs/shia-labeouf2_sc_768x1024.png http://static.tvgcdn.net/mediabin/showcards/celebs/s-u/thumb...
    - macintux 10y ago
      Someone modern, but the more I look at the photo the more it slips through my fingers.
pgodzin 10y ago
Easily one of the greatest songwriters of the generation. As Dylan said, ‘As far as I’m concerned, Leonard, you’re Number 1. I’m Number Zero.’ His songs are dark and poetic and really keep you entranced. I'm glad he released his last effort (Leaving the Table is a great one for the occasion) and seemed totally at peace in his New Yorker feature.
daveloyall 10y ago
Like a bird on a wire Like a drunk in a midnight choir I have tried, in my way, to be free
sbmassey 10y ago
"But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song" One of the greats.
fnj 10y ago
Hallelujah!
t1m 10y ago
I am reeling. Leonard's music had an uncanny sense of timing, both musical and cultural. He referenced the external, political world, indirectly - not through selfishly inward bullshit, like many of his contemporaries, but by sifting it through relationships with others and his relationship to the divine. As I am writing this, the next article in hackernews is about Peter Thiel and his ascension to whatever office he is seeking in Trump's cabinet. His views on the damage women and minorities have done to Libertarianism (whatever that is), and how democracy is shit are well known, and I will let you judge how Palantir has benefited humanity. The thing that gets me is his straight faced desire for immortality. Note that he doesn't wish for immortality for someone who is great, he wishes it for himself. RIP Leonard. You already are immortal.
- yarou 10y ago
  Way to use someone's death for political purposes. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? (Note to mods: trying to be really civil here, but come on!)
  - noir_lord 10y ago
    He was merely demonstrating the contrast between two people and doing so politely and in an eloquent way, whether you agree with him or not why should the mods be involved? And why should he be ashamed of himself/herself..
    - yarou 10y ago
      He was using a man's death as a soapbox to criticize Thiel's political leanings. If you don't find that problematic, I'm not sure what to tell you.
      - exodust 10y ago
        I think you're both right. Which means best to leave it alone and move on IMHO. The first sentence of his post about Cohen is nicely put, "uncanny timing" and all that. Then he spoiled it with a whiny point on politics. Cohen said something funny about his time spent meditating at a zen buddhist monastery in the hills. He said of the experience that "on a superficial level it basically gets you to stop whining"..."it makes whining the least appropriate response to suffering".* * From his last interview, audio here: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/leonard-cohen-a-final-interview http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/leonard-cohen-...
nathancahill 10y ago
Listening to Leonard and drinking whiskey. It's closing time. Just fuck me up Leonard.
akprasad 10y ago
There was recently a lovely interview with Leonard Cohen on Fresh Air [1], from which I learned that he had also spent some time a Zen monk. The article mentions this in passing, but there's more detail in the interview. > While never abandoning Judaism, the Sabbath-observing songwriter attributed Buddhism to curbing the depressive episodes that had always plagued him. [1] http://www.npr.org/2016/10/21/498810429/leonard-cohen-on-poetry-music-and-why-he-left-the-zen-monastery http://www.npr.org/2016/10/21/498810429/leonard-cohen-on-poe...
ertand 10y ago
Hallelujah was the first dance song at our wedding. RIP.
- bestham 10y ago
  I feel with you. I was born into this world with Leonard Cohen in the background. Still "the Captain" make my mother feel in a very special way that I cannot relate to. A relative of mine did interviews with both Cohen and Marianne Ihlen (the Marianne from his song)[1]. Cohen has a special place in my heart, his humor, darkness, humbleness[2] and poetic aide is for me very inspirational and aspirational and the thought of him make me choose life when I get depressed. [1]: https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/marianne2006.html https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/marianne2006.html [2]: https://youtu.be/VIR5ps8usuo https://youtu.be/VIR5ps8usuo
- vlowther 10y ago
  Hah. Closing Time was the last song at mine.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
hogrammer 10y ago
Is there a reputable, reliable source for this?
brnoenfield 10y ago
I took my mum to see him live in Brisbane back in 2013. At the end of the show he thanked his backing band. And then he thanked, by name, the sound engineers, the lighting operators, the cameraman filming for the tour DVD, and various other staff. One of the greatest musicians to have lived but also a genuine and decent person.
- JadeNB 10y ago
  The simple thing that gets me is how he always addresses his audience as 'friends', and thanks them.
josscrowcroft 10y ago
Leonard Cohen - So Long, Marianne (live 1968): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6wBBrTMEs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6wBBrTMEs So long, Leonard.
- taejo 10y ago
  Marianne herself just died in July; when she was dying Leonard wrote her a letter saying he wasn't far behind. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/07/so-long-marianne-leonard-cohen-writes-to-muse-just-before-her-death https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/07/so-long-marian...
internaut 10y ago
"Everybody Knows" is one of my favorite songs, just on grounds of its lyrical quality alone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lin-a2lTelg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lin-a2lTelg
LargeCompanies 10y ago
His song,"Hallelujah," is timeless and even he agreed KD Lang's version is the best... Wasn't a fan of hers until... https://youtu.be/ikdLBQACC74 https://youtu.be/ikdLBQACC74
- DCoder 10y ago
  Amanda Palmer's rendition is amazing as well: https://www.periscope.tv/w/1DXxyoEbXBLGM https://www.periscope.tv/w/1DXxyoEbXBLGM (starting at 3:01:56).
- smw 10y ago
  I'll always prefer Jeff Buckley's.
  - mcv 10y ago
    I like Cohen's. It's different from all the Wainwright-style covers, and I once heard he'd written over a hundred verses for it that he alternates on concerts. I wish they were available somewhere, but I suspect I would have had to have been there.
    - exodust 10y ago
      The reason I like Cohen's the best is because of the backing singers. I think this song works best when there's the graceful and harmonious support of the backup singers... it adds to and "load balances" the hugely majestic tones of this song! I think when KD Lang or anyone does it solo, they're taking on too much, and while they might do a fine job, it's a lot for one person to sing. Just my thoughts!
    - colomon 10y ago
      I'm not enough of a fan to know how many of those verses he did sing in concert, but I do know that I have two recordings of him singing the song and they only have one verse in common. Weirdly, this verse ISN'T in the Jeff Buckley version. And it's easily my favorite: And even though It all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
neom 10y ago
I believe we recently discussed Mr. Cohen: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141 I have cried more tears listening to Leonard Cohen than all the other tears I've cried combined, his music, his words, his poems have always resonated deeply within me. He truly is my favourite artist. We listened to him daily in my dad's house and I grew to find an incredibly amount of peace in his voice. Love the HN community seems to like him as much. rest well sir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MXOuaZuTak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MXOuaZuTak
- robbrown451 10y ago
  I feel bad for not knowing more about him. Thanks for that YouTube link, so good.
  - neom 10y ago
    You have a lot of exploring to do, he's quite prolific. My fav two albums are I'm your man and ten new songs, recommend them. :)
    - robbrown451 10y ago
      Thanks, will do... I've always been slow warming up to artists, but that one you linked was perfect for bringing me in....I keep playing it. :)
  - m_fayer 10y ago
    If you have Spotify, there's a playlist there published by Spotify called "This Is: Leonard Cohen", it's one of the best sweeps over his career that I've seen so far. He may not have been as prolific as Dylan, but he also had pretty much no duds. I'm thankful to have his work seeing me through this life. Especially so these days.
    - wyclif 10y ago
      Yes! I follow that playlist, and it's superb. Here's a direct link to it: http://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/1kZSS179bOW1A5QOAuclXj http://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/1kZSS179bOW1A5...
blacksqr 10y ago
There's only one bed and there's only one prayer; as I listen all night for your step on the stair. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFWug6KlvMI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFWug6KlvMI
akiselev 10y ago
May you rest in peace, Mr. Cohen. It seems like so many of my favorite musicians and songwriters have passed in the last few years and its a struggle to figure out why. I'm a millenial with a wide taste in music from the early 20th century blues to contemporary EDM but it seems like the musicians whose talent you could just sense with every note and lyric are rapidly disappearing. I should be too young for this kind of cynicism but its an easy trap to fall into when comparing Dylan, Bowie, or Cohen to some song on the pop charts or an artist in the overwhelming field of independent musicians. It's a sad day but I can't help but marvel at the universe. It is a kind of unique, rare beauty when a life-long artist like Bowie or Cohen close out their final chapter by releasing an album within weeks of their death.
- coldtea 10y ago
  >It seems like so many of my favorite musicians and songwriters have passed in the last few years and I'm struggling to figure out why. Because people generally die, and your favorite musicans are all several decades older than you, and thus close to the median life expectancy? Assuming you are not into 2010's teen pop of course. If one likes pre-war blues, for example, almost all of their favorite musicians would not be around anymore. >I'm a millenial with a wide taste in music from the early 20th century blues classics to contemporary EDM but it seems like the musicians whose talent you could just sense with every note and lyric are rapidly disappearing. Well, not many "contemporary EDM" musicians are rapidly disappearing. OTOH, Dylan, Bowie or Cohen were all 65+.
hughdbrown 10y ago
So sad. I saw him in Manhattan. My wife got tickets as a Christmas present, knowing I had been excited when we were traveling in Barcelona and he was there that week. (Couldn't get tickets -- didn't even try.) So we showed up at Madison Square Garden and I had no idea what we were seeing -- and there were no markings to give away the surprise! It was not until the show started that I knew it was a Leonard Cohen concert. It was an awesome evening. If you want a lover I'll do anything you ask me to And if you want another kind of love I'll wear a mask for you If you want a partner, take my hand, or If you want to strike me down in anger Here I stand I'm your man
gandolfinmyhead 10y ago
good lord, this is Hacker News for crying out loud
- slau 10y ago
  Oh fuck right off, will you? Why do you even care enough to comment? If you don't like it, simply don't upvote the story, don't click on it, don't comment on it. The system will self correct, in a matter of hours. It's only a single item in 30, it's not that big of a deal. Just realise that while you might not be, others can be affected by news like this. Not to play the "us hackers" card, but I do feel a lot closer to some people on this board (as in, I share their thoughts, sometimes) than other forms of media. I loved Cohen. I, and it would appear, many other commenters, have spent many a night listening to his craft, in one way or another, performed by one artist or another, and it has helped us introspect, contemplate, decide, commit, fight and flee. Cohen, among other greats, alive or dead, through the quality of their wordsmithing, have enabled more humans to connect with their surroundings, and understand the world around them than most education systems have prepared them for. Or maybe those humans were just helped in finding the strength to keep on going blindly. In other words, just shut the hell up, and allow your fellow humans (and other species) a moment to pay their respects. Guess I had some karma to burn. Edit: clarified a paragraph.
  - gandolfinmyhead 10y ago
    Nope, I have right to tell off a bunch of morons who think it's okay to contaminate this site with shitty news of a non-tech person. The next you know, people will want to share their porn stash over here because it helped them connect with their code. Now by your logic, we should allow that to be shared on here, yeah? Take your shitty news to sites like medium, you can mope about it with your throng over there.
    - dang 10y ago
      Please stop posting uncivil and unsubstantive comments to Hacker News. We ban accounts that comment like you've done in this thread. HN has never been just for tech material, and there's a reason the site guidelines make that clear in the first paragraph. The story is entirely on topic. Please familiarize yourself with how HN actually works before making claims in its name.
jtwaleson 10y ago
A sad day. I'm a big fan, had the privilege of seeing him perform four times and I've named my daughter Suzanne. I cant be sure, but back in 2008 when he played "Democracy is coming to the USA" he seemed to be delighted that Obama won. IMHO this part of the song is more appropriate for Leonard's last days on earth: "I love the country but I can't stand the scene". RIP edit: removed comment about the president elect
RickHull 10y ago
Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld So I can sigh eternally
awjr 10y ago
Dear 2016, please stop already.
- mcv 10y ago
  50 more days. We're nearly done.
libeclipse 10y ago
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
yaegers 10y ago
I will never not get shivers listening to his Hallelujah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttEMYvpoR-k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttEMYvpoR-k
matt4077 10y ago
Fuck this year. At least he lived the most graceful life. Having only ever known him in the last 20 years, it seems as if he started as an old man, and died young.
JdeBP 10y ago
And then you heard, on Remembrance Day, of the Poet who had gone away; No more music in the dark to keep you warm. For years to come you will recall the music's death, the soldier's fall, and your songs salute them both. So: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! -- The first Cohen song that I ever heard was "Everybody Knows", in Pump Up the Volume.
- herpderpherpder 10y ago
  Same. I think the juxtaposition between the cohen version throughout and the 4 non blondes (?) version at the end made me love it so much more. I feel that many singers just sing the words, and sometimes they're pretty, sometimes sad. It was like raw emotion poured out every time Leonard Cohen opened his mouth.
  - the_fury 10y ago
    That would be Concrete Blonde.
projectramo 10y ago
I wanted to post some of his lyrics as a comment, but it turns out you can take any rhyming subset and it is appropriate for almost any occasion. (Not kidding, try it yourself). They're ambiguous so that helps. "But let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie, your eyes are soft with sorrow, Hey, that's no way to say goodbye." RIP, Leonard Cohen
- keithpeter 10y ago
  "Ring the bells that still can ring forget your perfect offering there is a crack in everything that's how the light gets in." -- Anthem As I get older, I appreciate the cracks more.
everyone 10y ago
Just making a general point here that this event has surfaced.. I dont get why people are so emotional when famous artists die. Posting on facebook and whatnot.. We werent personal friends with them, so it wont affect our lives in any way. Their works are still as available as ever, and still as great as ever. We can still listen to their music every day. If they died old then they've had a good run to make a good body of great work that can be their direct legacy for hundreds of years. Few people achieve that.
- saganus 10y ago
  My father once explained to me, when I was very young and my 12-year old cousin had died of cancer, that the reason I was in pain and suffering was not because my cousin was dead and he would not be enjoying his next birthday, or that he would not be coming with us for the next vacation. The reason I was in pain was because I was not going to enjoy him anymore. In the end, he was dead already. He could not feel or enjoy anything anymore, so why be sad for him? So maybe when someone that through art or knowledge or whatever touches people in a certain way, and then that person passes away, it makes people sad because they will not be able to enjoy any new music, any new takes on life, any new works, etc. Yes, we now have YouTube and digital media so we can keep listening to John Coltrane and Leonard Cohen, but the fact that we won't be able to keep growing up with them makes it painful. Even if they are not your friends, they are people you admire. They are people that will no longer produce any "new wisdom" for you to absorb and savor. When someone like say, Dennis Ritchie died, we (HN, engineers, <other placeholder>) got sad because there would be no new insights coming from this great mind. He's not going to be able to comment on, say, SpaceX's first trip to Mars or whatever. So in the end we are the ones deprived of these great minds' wisdom and thus we are the ones that ache and suffer. That's my take on it at least. Maybe it's not what's actually happening but it kinda make sense to me :)
- thieving_magpie 10y ago
  My mother knows I have been a longtime fan of Leonard Cohen. I received some texts this morning saying she hoped I wasn't sad. Not at all - I presume he lived a great life. His death doesn't affect me and it doesn't change my enjoyment of his music or writing. Those are works created in certain moments of time, that's what matters and cannot be erased.
another_account 10y ago
On the Level feels like it was written for me (i know) It describes my current feelings about Lady Heroin after nearly 2 years clean. Perfectly. RIP.
youdontknowtho 10y ago
God damn it.
dennispi 10y ago
I can't think of a better, more appropriate Cohen cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRfJ6-qkr4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRfJ6-qkr4
jperras 10y ago
As a native Montréaler, this hit me really, really hard. The man was a legend, and hopefully his legacy will live on in the city. I'd really like to see McGill, our common alma mater, commemorate him in some way.
goffley3 10y ago
Sad day. The year of the great dead continues.
jejones3141 10y ago
Very sad. Also sad that the very first thing I did when I saw a mention of it on Facebook was google "leonard cohen death hoax". Thanks and farewell, Mr. Cohen.
pencilcode 10y ago
About a week ago commented with a friend of mine his last album was absolutely wonderful and how awesome that he was 80 years old and still creating with the quality that he was. He was the musician that touched the most, others I sort of grew out of but always came back to Leonard - I suspect that there hasn't been a month in the last 15 years where I haven't listened to him. As an aside also discovered Irving Layton, a poet, through him.
HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago
This is sad. I heard about this listening to the radio this morning while waiting for the school bus with my son. I introduced my (future) wife to his music and our wedding song was "Dance me to the end of love." I gave her the Matisse coffee-table book set to its lyrics (https://www.amazon.com/Dance-End-Love-Art-Poetry/dp/1932183930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478888948&sr=8-1&keywords=matisse+dance+me+to+the+end+of+love https://www.amazon.com/Dance-End-Love-Art-Poetry/dp/19321839...). I always wanted to meet him and now, I'll never have the chance. R.I.P.

978 points by joaomsa 10y ago

daveheq 10y ago

I didn't know Leonard Cohen was a hacker. Wait, does he happen to be popular among hackers?

the_fury 10y ago
By the responses I would say yes, yes he was.
dvtv75 10y ago
He's been popular with all sorts for many years. This is from 1984: https://youtu.be/43-wurCmbIE?t=1898 https://youtu.be/43-wurCmbIE?t=1898

pcurve 10y ago

Man this was a surprise. I read this article very recently. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/13/leonard-cohen-i-am-ready-to-die-i-hope-its-not-too-uncomfortable/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/1... Which was quickly followed by: http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/10/leonard-cohen-no-longer-ready-to-die-says-hell-live-until-120/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/10/leonard-cohen-no-longe...

seanwoods 10y ago

couple good ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZqq-zAkGy4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZqq-zAkGy4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FeZe5P803c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FeZe5P803c

mkeeter 10y ago

This is a wonderful article about Leonard Cohen: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/music/89715/leonard http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/music/89715... The quote that stood out the most for me: "In a pursuit like rock ’n’ roll, which is entirely devoted to redemption, Cohen’s ideas were not only old but radical. His peers all insisted that salvation was at hand. To go to a Doors concert was to stare at the lithe messiah undressing on stage and believe that it was entirely possible to break on through to the other side. To see Cohen play was to gawk at an aging Jew telling you that life was hard and laced with sorrow but that if we love each other and fuck one another and have the mad courage to laugh even when the sun is clearly setting, we’ll be just all right. To borrow a metaphor from a field never too far from Cohen’s heart, theology, Morrison, Hendrix, Joplin, and the rest were all good Christians, and they set themselves up as the redeemers who had to die for the sins of their fans. Cohen was a Jew, and like Jews he believed that salvation was nothing more than a lot of hard work and a small but sustainable reward."

dang 10y ago
That article contains a wonderful story about how he calmed a hostile audience in the middle of the night at a festival in 1970. I recommend it. (Search for "Isle of Wight", the story starts there.)
- andrewem 10y ago
  https://vimeo.com/56002315 https://vimeo.com/56002315 is an hour-long documentary about his performance there, with lots of footage of the show itself.
- rukuu001 10y ago
  Thanks for the heads up re Isle of Wight - that story feels almost biblical.
mpwoz 10y ago
Thank you for sharing this. If anybody wants a tear in their eye, read this article while listening to his latest album. And, optionally, a glass of wine.

rootedbox 10y ago

If it be your will. That I speak no more. And my voice be still. As it was before. I will speak no more.

inimino 10y ago

A tremendous loss. A recent profile that I greatly enjoyed: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-m...

CalChris 10y ago

A wonderful voice. A favorite of my mother's who over the years became a favorite of mine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A

ageitgey 10y ago

I saw Leonard Cohen on his last tour. He opened every show on the tour by saying "I don’t know if we’ll meet again, but tonight we’ll give you everything we got."

stuart78 10y ago
I saw the same tour in Los Angeles, and it stands as my favorite show. He and the band controlled the room and it was just amazing, beginning to end.
picklesman 10y ago
About 4 years ago I was scanning my twitter timeline and I noticed someone posted a picture from a Leonard Cohen concert that night in Montreal. What?!? I hadn't heard anything about it and my heart sank. After a frantic search I found out he was playing the next night and I bought myself a ticket. I went by myself, which is unusual for me when it comes to concerts. He played for 3 hours and needless to say, it was incredible. During "Suzanne", the room (a hockey arena) was completely dark except for a spotlight shining up from below casting a giant shadow behind him. Combined with such a haunting song it made for one of the most beautiful musical experiences of my life. Here's a recording of that performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pcPK4eXHQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pcPK4eXHQ That turned out to be the last time he played here and I'm so thankful to have gotten a chance to hear him play his songs. Way too many great lines to quote, but these ones comfort me: "But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song" EDIT: I found a video from a different concert that gives a better idea of what it looked like, though the link above is a better performance imo, + much better audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emgt62vls3o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emgt62vls3o (also love the single comment, which I ran through google translate: "What is still the magic of this man? I am not a sentimental dragon, but it goes straight to the heart.")
- JadeNB 10y ago
  > During "Suzanne", the room (a hockey arena) was completely dark except for a spotlight shining up from below casting a giant shadow behind him. Combined with such a haunting song it made for one of the most beautiful musical experiences of my life. I think that what got me from the concert (which I saw in Chicago) was when he dropped to his knees to sing. What a privilege it was to see such a giant perform.

alphaone 10y ago

Now I'm living in this temple Where they tell you what to do I'm old and I've had to settle On a different point of view I was fighting with temptation But I didn't want to win A man like me don't like to see Temptation caving in

sparkzilla 10y ago

RIP. Those looking to try Cohen for the first time (or wanting to rediscover him) should listen to Live in London (2009), which IMHO is one of the best live albums ever. Great songs and some witty banter in between. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2p8je2 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2p8je2

qohen 10y ago
Given the recent election, may I suggest this song of his: "Democracy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-RuR-qO4Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-RuR-qO4Y http://genius.com/Leonard-cohen-democracy-lyrics http://genius.com/Leonard-cohen-democracy-lyrics

pfooti 10y ago

I heard there was a secret chord.

efoto 10y ago
Rest in Peace
elihu 10y ago
I did my best, it wasn't much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you But even though it all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song with nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

randlet 10y ago

No longer aching in the places he used to play. Rest in peace Leonard, it's closing time.

failrate 10y ago

I'm not sad. He had probably the best life he could have had, and it ended on a high note.

triplesec 10y ago
His life was full of very low notes. And excellent ones at that.
glandium 10y ago
And he got to live to 82, it's hard to say it's too early.
- agumonkey 10y ago
  80 is my threshold digit for sadness. If you reached it without long debilitating condition or traumatic life, then, at least if I had the pleasure to get there, no complaints.
  - honkhonkpants 10y ago
    Cohen resumed smoking at age 80, because why not.
    - coldtea 10y ago
      Heck, I will start opium at 80, because why not!
    - mrkgnao 10y ago
      I never thought about this ... I've always wanted to smoke (the mechanics of the whole thing please(s) me on some level) but I suffer from asthma and a mild disinclination to lung cancer. Mind you, when I say "smoke", I mean the real thing, not vaping. Don't mind me, though. I hope I outgrow this at some point.
      - inimino 10y ago

viraptor 10y ago

"No one can sing a Leonard Cohen song the way Cohen himself can't." is still my favourite description of his work.

zeluve 10y ago

RIP. The voice will be here for the rest of generation and becomes legacy for the next.

bhickey 10y ago

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/leonard-cohen-pens-final-letter-to-so-long-marianne-muse-w433144 http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/leonard-cohen-pens-fi... Back in July he wrote to a dying Marianne Ihlen, "Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine."

sdoering 10y ago
Thanks. That story just broke me down, while sitting in the office with tears running down my cheeks. Reminded me of my late father having passed away some 18 months ago. Thanks for that moment. Your link was a gift.

avitzurel 10y ago

Rest in peace.

nikanj 10y ago

It's a widely held sentiment that 2016 has killed more long-running celebrities than any other year. Is there any factual basis to this, or is it just confirmation bias?

jacobwg 10y ago
I read someplace that the phenomenon of modern celebrities and the communication networks / styles necessary to develop those celebrities started to take off at a time that coincides with those ever-increasing numbers of celebrities to reach their terminal years now. Unfortunately I cannot find the original source, but perhaps somebody else knows what it was.
smelendez 10y ago
I think there were a few celebrity deaths that were really unexpected, especially Prince (who died of an accidental drug overdose) and David Bowie (who hadn't revealed he had cancer and outwardly seemed to be healthy and active), so they hit people especially hard. And those came on top of the incredibly bitter political situation in the U.S., the Brexit vote and refugee-related strife in the E.U., rising authoritarianism in Russia and China, and a number of high-profile terrorist attacks and some serious natural disasters.
agumonkey 10y ago
Maybe related to a special post war period that gave birth to icons so many of us shared through the rised of nascent mainstream mass scale medias. More than a dreadful year, it's also the passing of a generation, of a world. Sometimes I think that we had it too easy and we produced nothing good as a replacement for being somehow spoiled brats.
lordnacho 10y ago
- Celebrity is lumpy. Bowie, Prince and Cohen were big lumps. - The lumps are distributed unevenly. Baby boomers are dying around now, and they created their own culture. - Celebrity itself only became big roughly (very roughly) as these people came of age and did their great works.
Kluny 10y ago

sndean 10y ago

If you have ~40 minutes to spare, Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History did a really interesting story on Hallelujah in July: http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah

kafkaesq 10y ago

This article was posted here about a month ago: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker Discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141 Interestingly, I was thinking about him on the subway just before surfacing to see above thread pop up. Very glad that I got to catch up on his bio (and to see him live a few years back) before his departure. 2016 - what a year.

carlsborg 10y ago
"Hineni hineni. I'm ready my Lord." from "Make it Darker" nb: The word 'Hineni' means 'Here I am' in a spiritual sense, which is what Abraham says and means to God to indicate his readiness when he is called.
- azernik 10y ago
  "Hineni" means "here I am" in a literal sense too - Cohen happens to be making a biblical/spiritual reference there, but like most lines from the (Hebrew) bible, the language is very plain and straightforward.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

coldtea 10y ago

If you haven't heard his songs, either the early folky ones or the post-80s electronic-ballads, definitely check them out. They are songs for grown-ups (he started his career as a singer around 34 years old after all).

logicalmind 10y ago

Big fan of Leonard Cohen, big loss. I think his Isle of Wight performance is one of the greatest of all time considering what was going on the crowd and how he used his showmanship and calming music to turn things around: https://vimeo.com/56002315 https://vimeo.com/56002315

detaro 10y ago

:'( There is a crack, a crack in everything. That how the light comes in. ?

ska 10y ago
But perhaps remember the previous line: Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering.

sundvor 10y ago

RIP. Listening to his brand new release You Want It Darker (via Spotify HQ on my Audio Technica ADG1Xs, Soundblaster ZXR sound card). I can't get over the quality of the production and how utterly perfect his voice still is .. right until the very end. In light of recent events, this song is uncanny. What a masterpiece to finish a magnificent career.

Kluny 10y ago
I believe his son was the sound engineer. He clearly didn't phone it in.
- sundvor 10y ago
  Interesting, and a stellar job. I could easily see this becoming a reference track / album for hi-fi affectionados, bringing depths and detail to my new headset that I didn't know it had. (I upgraded a few months ago from the ATH-ADG1s.)

Jerry2 10y ago

Wow! Such a sad news. He was one of the greatest and his songs were timeless. One of my favorites is "Everybody Knows": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd23UVID7k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd23UVID7k You will be missed. עליו השלום

mdpm 10y ago

And who shall I say is calling? -- You will be missed but never forgotten.

muhic 10y ago

Sad for the artistic loss but also glad he died at peace after a rich life spent doing what he loved till the last moment. He joins a special list, alongside Hintjens who also passed recently, of those who manage to strip the dread from death and stress the importance of 'tidying up' over passive acceptance as one enters the final days. “The big change is the proximity to death,” he said. “I am a tidy kind of guy. I like to tie up the strings if I can. If I can’t, also, that’s O.K. But my natural thrust is to finish things that I’ve begun.” “For some odd reason,” he went on, “I have all my marbles, so far. I have many resources, some cultivated on a personal level, but circumstantial, too: my daughter and her children live downstairs, and my son lives two blocks down the street. So I am extremely blessed. I have an assistant who is devoted and skillful. I have a friend like Bob and another friend or two who make my life very rich. So in a certain sense I’ve never had it better. . . . At a certain point, if you still have your marbles and are not faced with serious financial challenges, you have a chance to put your house in order. It’s a cliché, but it’s underestimated as an analgesic on all levels. Putting your house in order, if you can do it, is one of the most comforting activities, and the benefits of it are incalculable.” [0] [0] http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-m...

supervillain 10y ago

http://img.wennermedia.com/760-width/rs-leonard-cohen01-4c21b534-aa2d-49fb-9fbd-be9df32b3700.jpg http://img.wennermedia.com/760-width/rs-leonard-cohen01-4c21... He looks so much like Adam Sandler

macintux 10y ago
I always thought he and Leonard Nimoy were merging visually as they aged. Here he looks like...some random but famous actor whose name escapes me: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8IlTmpaTiQ/Vnq3CrkSOnI/AAAAAAAAxYI/pSQMRZjNd6U/s1600/leonard-cohen.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8IlTmpaTiQ/Vnq3CrkSOnI/AAAAAAAAxY...
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- zimpenfish 10y ago
  Alfred Molina? Or maybe Tony Hancock[1]? [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039f1y4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039f1y4
  - macintux 10y ago
    Finally figured it out. Pretty weak in retrospect. http://static.tvgcdn.net/mediabin/showcards/celebs/s-u/thumbs/shia-labeouf2_sc_768x1024.png http://static.tvgcdn.net/mediabin/showcards/celebs/s-u/thumb...
  - macintux 10y ago
    Someone modern, but the more I look at the photo the more it slips through my fingers.

pgodzin 10y ago

Easily one of the greatest songwriters of the generation. As Dylan said, ‘As far as I’m concerned, Leonard, you’re Number 1. I’m Number Zero.’ His songs are dark and poetic and really keep you entranced. I'm glad he released his last effort (Leaving the Table is a great one for the occasion) and seemed totally at peace in his New Yorker feature.

daveloyall 10y ago

Like a bird on a wire Like a drunk in a midnight choir I have tried, in my way, to be free

sbmassey 10y ago

"But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song" One of the greats.

fnj 10y ago

Hallelujah!

t1m 10y ago

I am reeling. Leonard's music had an uncanny sense of timing, both musical and cultural. He referenced the external, political world, indirectly - not through selfishly inward bullshit, like many of his contemporaries, but by sifting it through relationships with others and his relationship to the divine. As I am writing this, the next article in hackernews is about Peter Thiel and his ascension to whatever office he is seeking in Trump's cabinet. His views on the damage women and minorities have done to Libertarianism (whatever that is), and how democracy is shit are well known, and I will let you judge how Palantir has benefited humanity. The thing that gets me is his straight faced desire for immortality. Note that he doesn't wish for immortality for someone who is great, he wishes it for himself. RIP Leonard. You already are immortal.

yarou 10y ago
Way to use someone's death for political purposes. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? (Note to mods: trying to be really civil here, but come on!)
- noir_lord 10y ago
  He was merely demonstrating the contrast between two people and doing so politely and in an eloquent way, whether you agree with him or not why should the mods be involved? And why should he be ashamed of himself/herself..
  - yarou 10y ago
    He was using a man's death as a soapbox to criticize Thiel's political leanings. If you don't find that problematic, I'm not sure what to tell you.
    - exodust 10y ago
      I think you're both right. Which means best to leave it alone and move on IMHO. The first sentence of his post about Cohen is nicely put, "uncanny timing" and all that. Then he spoiled it with a whiny point on politics. Cohen said something funny about his time spent meditating at a zen buddhist monastery in the hills. He said of the experience that "on a superficial level it basically gets you to stop whining"..."it makes whining the least appropriate response to suffering".* * From his last interview, audio here: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/leonard-cohen-a-final-interview http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/leonard-cohen-...

nathancahill 10y ago

Listening to Leonard and drinking whiskey. It's closing time. Just fuck me up Leonard.

akprasad 10y ago

There was recently a lovely interview with Leonard Cohen on Fresh Air [1], from which I learned that he had also spent some time a Zen monk. The article mentions this in passing, but there's more detail in the interview. > While never abandoning Judaism, the Sabbath-observing songwriter attributed Buddhism to curbing the depressive episodes that had always plagued him. [1] http://www.npr.org/2016/10/21/498810429/leonard-cohen-on-poetry-music-and-why-he-left-the-zen-monastery http://www.npr.org/2016/10/21/498810429/leonard-cohen-on-poe...

ertand 10y ago

Hallelujah was the first dance song at our wedding. RIP.

bestham 10y ago
I feel with you. I was born into this world with Leonard Cohen in the background. Still "the Captain" make my mother feel in a very special way that I cannot relate to. A relative of mine did interviews with both Cohen and Marianne Ihlen (the Marianne from his song)[1]. Cohen has a special place in my heart, his humor, darkness, humbleness[2] and poetic aide is for me very inspirational and aspirational and the thought of him make me choose life when I get depressed. [1]: https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/marianne2006.html https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/marianne2006.html [2]: https://youtu.be/VIR5ps8usuo https://youtu.be/VIR5ps8usuo
vlowther 10y ago
Hah. Closing Time was the last song at mine.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

hogrammer 10y ago

Is there a reputable, reliable source for this?

brnoenfield 10y ago

I took my mum to see him live in Brisbane back in 2013. At the end of the show he thanked his backing band. And then he thanked, by name, the sound engineers, the lighting operators, the cameraman filming for the tour DVD, and various other staff. One of the greatest musicians to have lived but also a genuine and decent person.

JadeNB 10y ago
The simple thing that gets me is how he always addresses his audience as 'friends', and thanks them.

josscrowcroft 10y ago

Leonard Cohen - So Long, Marianne (live 1968): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6wBBrTMEs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6wBBrTMEs So long, Leonard.

taejo 10y ago
Marianne herself just died in July; when she was dying Leonard wrote her a letter saying he wasn't far behind. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/07/so-long-marianne-leonard-cohen-writes-to-muse-just-before-her-death https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/07/so-long-marian...

internaut 10y ago

"Everybody Knows" is one of my favorite songs, just on grounds of its lyrical quality alone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lin-a2lTelg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lin-a2lTelg

LargeCompanies 10y ago

His song,"Hallelujah," is timeless and even he agreed KD Lang's version is the best... Wasn't a fan of hers until... https://youtu.be/ikdLBQACC74 https://youtu.be/ikdLBQACC74

DCoder 10y ago
Amanda Palmer's rendition is amazing as well: https://www.periscope.tv/w/1DXxyoEbXBLGM https://www.periscope.tv/w/1DXxyoEbXBLGM (starting at 3:01:56).
smw 10y ago
I'll always prefer Jeff Buckley's.
- mcv 10y ago
  I like Cohen's. It's different from all the Wainwright-style covers, and I once heard he'd written over a hundred verses for it that he alternates on concerts. I wish they were available somewhere, but I suspect I would have had to have been there.
  - exodust 10y ago
    The reason I like Cohen's the best is because of the backing singers. I think this song works best when there's the graceful and harmonious support of the backup singers... it adds to and "load balances" the hugely majestic tones of this song! I think when KD Lang or anyone does it solo, they're taking on too much, and while they might do a fine job, it's a lot for one person to sing. Just my thoughts!
  - colomon 10y ago
    I'm not enough of a fan to know how many of those verses he did sing in concert, but I do know that I have two recordings of him singing the song and they only have one verse in common. Weirdly, this verse ISN'T in the Jeff Buckley version. And it's easily my favorite: And even though It all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

neom 10y ago

I believe we recently discussed Mr. Cohen: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141 I have cried more tears listening to Leonard Cohen than all the other tears I've cried combined, his music, his words, his poems have always resonated deeply within me. He truly is my favourite artist. We listened to him daily in my dad's house and I grew to find an incredibly amount of peace in his voice. Love the HN community seems to like him as much. rest well sir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MXOuaZuTak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MXOuaZuTak

robbrown451 10y ago
I feel bad for not knowing more about him. Thanks for that YouTube link, so good.
- neom 10y ago
  You have a lot of exploring to do, he's quite prolific. My fav two albums are I'm your man and ten new songs, recommend them. :)
  - robbrown451 10y ago
    Thanks, will do... I've always been slow warming up to artists, but that one you linked was perfect for bringing me in....I keep playing it. :)
- m_fayer 10y ago
  If you have Spotify, there's a playlist there published by Spotify called "This Is: Leonard Cohen", it's one of the best sweeps over his career that I've seen so far. He may not have been as prolific as Dylan, but he also had pretty much no duds. I'm thankful to have his work seeing me through this life. Especially so these days.
  - wyclif 10y ago
    Yes! I follow that playlist, and it's superb. Here's a direct link to it: http://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/1kZSS179bOW1A5QOAuclXj http://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/1kZSS179bOW1A5...

blacksqr 10y ago

There's only one bed and there's only one prayer; as I listen all night for your step on the stair. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFWug6KlvMI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFWug6KlvMI

akiselev 10y ago

May you rest in peace, Mr. Cohen. It seems like so many of my favorite musicians and songwriters have passed in the last few years and its a struggle to figure out why. I'm a millenial with a wide taste in music from the early 20th century blues to contemporary EDM but it seems like the musicians whose talent you could just sense with every note and lyric are rapidly disappearing. I should be too young for this kind of cynicism but its an easy trap to fall into when comparing Dylan, Bowie, or Cohen to some song on the pop charts or an artist in the overwhelming field of independent musicians. It's a sad day but I can't help but marvel at the universe. It is a kind of unique, rare beauty when a life-long artist like Bowie or Cohen close out their final chapter by releasing an album within weeks of their death.

coldtea 10y ago
>It seems like so many of my favorite musicians and songwriters have passed in the last few years and I'm struggling to figure out why. Because people generally die, and your favorite musicans are all several decades older than you, and thus close to the median life expectancy? Assuming you are not into 2010's teen pop of course. If one likes pre-war blues, for example, almost all of their favorite musicians would not be around anymore. >I'm a millenial with a wide taste in music from the early 20th century blues classics to contemporary EDM but it seems like the musicians whose talent you could just sense with every note and lyric are rapidly disappearing. Well, not many "contemporary EDM" musicians are rapidly disappearing. OTOH, Dylan, Bowie or Cohen were all 65+.

hughdbrown 10y ago

So sad. I saw him in Manhattan. My wife got tickets as a Christmas present, knowing I had been excited when we were traveling in Barcelona and he was there that week. (Couldn't get tickets -- didn't even try.) So we showed up at Madison Square Garden and I had no idea what we were seeing -- and there were no markings to give away the surprise! It was not until the show started that I knew it was a Leonard Cohen concert. It was an awesome evening. If you want a lover I'll do anything you ask me to And if you want another kind of love I'll wear a mask for you If you want a partner, take my hand, or If you want to strike me down in anger Here I stand I'm your man

gandolfinmyhead 10y ago

good lord, this is Hacker News for crying out loud

slau 10y ago
Oh fuck right off, will you? Why do you even care enough to comment? If you don't like it, simply don't upvote the story, don't click on it, don't comment on it. The system will self correct, in a matter of hours. It's only a single item in 30, it's not that big of a deal. Just realise that while you might not be, others can be affected by news like this. Not to play the "us hackers" card, but I do feel a lot closer to some people on this board (as in, I share their thoughts, sometimes) than other forms of media. I loved Cohen. I, and it would appear, many other commenters, have spent many a night listening to his craft, in one way or another, performed by one artist or another, and it has helped us introspect, contemplate, decide, commit, fight and flee. Cohen, among other greats, alive or dead, through the quality of their wordsmithing, have enabled more humans to connect with their surroundings, and understand the world around them than most education systems have prepared them for. Or maybe those humans were just helped in finding the strength to keep on going blindly. In other words, just shut the hell up, and allow your fellow humans (and other species) a moment to pay their respects. Guess I had some karma to burn. Edit: clarified a paragraph.
- gandolfinmyhead 10y ago
  Nope, I have right to tell off a bunch of morons who think it's okay to contaminate this site with shitty news of a non-tech person. The next you know, people will want to share their porn stash over here because it helped them connect with their code. Now by your logic, we should allow that to be shared on here, yeah? Take your shitty news to sites like medium, you can mope about it with your throng over there.
  - dang 10y ago
    Please stop posting uncivil and unsubstantive comments to Hacker News. We ban accounts that comment like you've done in this thread. HN has never been just for tech material, and there's a reason the site guidelines make that clear in the first paragraph. The story is entirely on topic. Please familiarize yourself with how HN actually works before making claims in its name.

jtwaleson 10y ago

A sad day. I'm a big fan, had the privilege of seeing him perform four times and I've named my daughter Suzanne. I cant be sure, but back in 2008 when he played "Democracy is coming to the USA" he seemed to be delighted that Obama won. IMHO this part of the song is more appropriate for Leonard's last days on earth: "I love the country but I can't stand the scene". RIP edit: removed comment about the president elect

RickHull 10y ago

Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld So I can sigh eternally

awjr 10y ago

Dear 2016, please stop already.

mcv 10y ago
50 more days. We're nearly done.

libeclipse 10y ago

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

yaegers 10y ago

I will never not get shivers listening to his Hallelujah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttEMYvpoR-k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttEMYvpoR-k

matt4077 10y ago

Fuck this year. At least he lived the most graceful life. Having only ever known him in the last 20 years, it seems as if he started as an old man, and died young.

JdeBP 10y ago

And then you heard, on Remembrance Day, of the Poet who had gone away; No more music in the dark to keep you warm. For years to come you will recall the music's death, the soldier's fall, and your songs salute them both. So: Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! -- The first Cohen song that I ever heard was "Everybody Knows", in Pump Up the Volume.

herpderpherpder 10y ago
Same. I think the juxtaposition between the cohen version throughout and the 4 non blondes (?) version at the end made me love it so much more. I feel that many singers just sing the words, and sometimes they're pretty, sometimes sad. It was like raw emotion poured out every time Leonard Cohen opened his mouth.
- the_fury 10y ago
  That would be Concrete Blonde.

projectramo 10y ago

I wanted to post some of his lyrics as a comment, but it turns out you can take any rhyming subset and it is appropriate for almost any occasion. (Not kidding, try it yourself). They're ambiguous so that helps. "But let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie, your eyes are soft with sorrow, Hey, that's no way to say goodbye." RIP, Leonard Cohen

keithpeter 10y ago
"Ring the bells that still can ring forget your perfect offering there is a crack in everything that's how the light gets in." -- Anthem As I get older, I appreciate the cracks more.

everyone 10y ago

Just making a general point here that this event has surfaced.. I dont get why people are so emotional when famous artists die. Posting on facebook and whatnot.. We werent personal friends with them, so it wont affect our lives in any way. Their works are still as available as ever, and still as great as ever. We can still listen to their music every day. If they died old then they've had a good run to make a good body of great work that can be their direct legacy for hundreds of years. Few people achieve that.

saganus 10y ago
My father once explained to me, when I was very young and my 12-year old cousin had died of cancer, that the reason I was in pain and suffering was not because my cousin was dead and he would not be enjoying his next birthday, or that he would not be coming with us for the next vacation. The reason I was in pain was because I was not going to enjoy him anymore. In the end, he was dead already. He could not feel or enjoy anything anymore, so why be sad for him? So maybe when someone that through art or knowledge or whatever touches people in a certain way, and then that person passes away, it makes people sad because they will not be able to enjoy any new music, any new takes on life, any new works, etc. Yes, we now have YouTube and digital media so we can keep listening to John Coltrane and Leonard Cohen, but the fact that we won't be able to keep growing up with them makes it painful. Even if they are not your friends, they are people you admire. They are people that will no longer produce any "new wisdom" for you to absorb and savor. When someone like say, Dennis Ritchie died, we (HN, engineers, <other placeholder>) got sad because there would be no new insights coming from this great mind. He's not going to be able to comment on, say, SpaceX's first trip to Mars or whatever. So in the end we are the ones deprived of these great minds' wisdom and thus we are the ones that ache and suffer. That's my take on it at least. Maybe it's not what's actually happening but it kinda make sense to me :)
thieving_magpie 10y ago
My mother knows I have been a longtime fan of Leonard Cohen. I received some texts this morning saying she hoped I wasn't sad. Not at all - I presume he lived a great life. His death doesn't affect me and it doesn't change my enjoyment of his music or writing. Those are works created in certain moments of time, that's what matters and cannot be erased.

another_account 10y ago

On the Level feels like it was written for me (i know) It describes my current feelings about Lady Heroin after nearly 2 years clean. Perfectly. RIP.

youdontknowtho 10y ago

God damn it.

dennispi 10y ago

I can't think of a better, more appropriate Cohen cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRfJ6-qkr4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRfJ6-qkr4

jperras 10y ago

As a native Montréaler, this hit me really, really hard. The man was a legend, and hopefully his legacy will live on in the city. I'd really like to see McGill, our common alma mater, commemorate him in some way.

goffley3 10y ago

Sad day. The year of the great dead continues.

jejones3141 10y ago

Very sad. Also sad that the very first thing I did when I saw a mention of it on Facebook was google "leonard cohen death hoax". Thanks and farewell, Mr. Cohen.

pencilcode 10y ago

About a week ago commented with a friend of mine his last album was absolutely wonderful and how awesome that he was 80 years old and still creating with the quality that he was. He was the musician that touched the most, others I sort of grew out of but always came back to Leonard - I suspect that there hasn't been a month in the last 15 years where I haven't listened to him. As an aside also discovered Irving Layton, a poet, through him.

HeyLaughingBoy 10y ago

This is sad. I heard about this listening to the radio this morning while waiting for the school bus with my son. I introduced my (future) wife to his music and our wedding song was "Dance me to the end of love." I gave her the Matisse coffee-table book set to its lyrics (https://www.amazon.com/Dance-End-Love-Art-Poetry/dp/1932183930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478888948&sr=8-1&keywords=matisse+dance+me+to+the+end+of+love https://www.amazon.com/Dance-End-Love-Art-Poetry/dp/19321839...). I always wanted to meet him and now, I'll never have the chance. R.I.P.