Quotes by & about

Leonard Cohen’s ability to capture the profound and the poetic in a single phrase has cemented his place as one of the most quotable artists of all time. His words, whether spoken or sung, reflect a lifetime of introspection, wit and unparalleled artistry. On this page, we’ve gathered some of the most memorable quotes by and about Leonard Cohen – words that continue to inspire, comfort, and provoke thought.

Quotes by Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen’s reflections on life, love, spirituality and the creative process reveal a man who was unafraid to wrestle with life’s deepest questions. Each quote is a doorway into his inner world:

• There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.
  From his song Anthem

• Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.
  The Paris Review
  

• I’ve always been attracted to the gap between what people think is going on and what’s really going on.
  Francer-Inter Interview, 1997

• I never had the sense that there was an end: that there was a retirement or that there was a jackpot.
  1992
  

• You lose your grip, and then you slip into the masterpiece.
  From A Thousand Kisses Deep

• My reputation as a ladies' man was a joke. It caused me to laugh bitterly through the ten thousand nights I spent alone.
  From I'm Your Man (2005)

• For me, art is the evidence of a life, and not the life itself. –It's the ashes of something that has burned very well... and sometimes we confuse ourselves, and we try to create the ashes, instead of the fire.
  

• As far as bigger visions are concerned, I simply don't have the chops– I don't have the equipment – to penetrate, unfold, or decipher this bewildering range of human activity that confronts me... I certainly accept that, and if I'm not at peace with it, I accept that too. ...There are times you get riled up about things, –that's just our nature... I can’t figure it out, can you?

• If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often.
  The Marginalian

• I don't consider myself a pessimist. I think of a pessimist as someone who is waiting for it to rain. And I feel soaked to the skin.
  Observer, 1993

• I have tried in my way to be free.
  From Bird on the Wire

• Prayer is translation. A man translates himself into a child asking for all there is in a language he has barely mastered.
  From Beautiful Losers (1996)

• A woman watches her body uneasily, as though it were an unreliable ally in the battle for love.
  From The Favourite Game (1963)

• Some say that no one ever leaves Montreal, for that city, like Canada itself, is designed to preserve the past, a past that happened somewhere else.
  From The Favourite Game (1963)

• Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine.
  Letter to MARIANNE IHLEN days before her death, 2016

Quotes About Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen’s profound influence left an indelible mark on those who knew him, worked with him, or simply admired him from afar. The following quotes paint a picture of a man whose artistry and character were as captivating as his music:

• He’s the man who gave me the line I live by: ‘Ring the bells that still can ring.’
  BONO of U2, Singer

• Leonard Cohen is our connection to the mysteries of the world.
  RUFUS WAINWREIGHT

• There was something about him, this mixture of humility and royalty.
  JUDY COLLINS, Singer

• The genius of Leonard Cohen lies in his ability to make you feel as if he’s writing just for you.
  A fan tribute 

• Leonard was the best friend anyone could ever have. He made you feel like you were the centre of the universe.
  ROSCOE BECK, Cohen’s longtime bassist and collaborator

• He had the soul of a poet and the presence of a sage.
  Music journalist SYLVIE SIMMONS, author of I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen

• A giant of a man and a brilliant songwriter.
  ELTON JOHN, Singer

• Poignant force of energy
  BOY GEORGE, Singer

• The perspective, the wry smiles and the truth
  RUSSELL CROWE, Actor

• Unique voice painted unforgettable pictures" and that "there is a big hole where he stood.
  PETER GABRIEL, Singer

• Another magical voice stilled.
  BETTE MIDLER, Singer

• A spirit and soul beyond compare.
  JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, Singer

• Managed to reach the highest of artistic achievement.
  PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADA

• A tragic loss.
  PALOMA FAITH, Singer

• As if the week could get any worse.
  LILY ALLEN, Singer

• Spent a good deal of my early teens, just me & #LeonardCohen alone together in my suburban bedroom. It was a gentle & fulfilling love affair.
  SIMON LE BON, DURAN DURAN

• The greatest songwriter of them all - utterly unique and impossible to imitate, no matter how hard we tried
  NICK CAVE, Singer

• One of the most revered pop poets and a musical touchstone for many songwriters.
  NEIL PORTNOW, Chief executive of the Recording Academy

• Unmatched in his creativity, insight and crippling candour.
  ROBERT KORY, Leonard Cohen's Manager

• An iconic figure.
  PRODUCER JOHN LISSAUER

• It's no surprise he inspired so many people.
  LORD DARLING, Former Chancellor

• Thank you for your dedication to music.
  JENNIFER HUDSON, Singer

• Very sad about Leonard Cohen. His songs are with us...
  MARGARET ATWOOD, Author

• A poet & songwriter of THE most incredible lyrics & melodies.
  LUKE EVANS, Actor

• The most inspiring performer.
  ANNETTE BENING, Actor

• A great poet.
  ANTONIA BANDERAS, Actor

• A brilliant Canadian artist.
  KIEFER SUTHERLAND, Actor

• An Old Testament poet combined with a hard-boiled comedian.
  NEIL McCORMICK, Music Critic

• Perfect creations that felt like he had discovered them rather than wrote them.
  FRANK TURNER, Singer