Listening to Leonard Cohen on Radio Paradise

Leonard Cohen — You Want It Darker

Album: You Want It Darker
Avg rating:

7.4

Your rating:

Total ratings: 838

Released: 2016
Length: 4:39
Plays (last 30 days): 2

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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

Comments (50)add comment

Did this track fall off the rotation? I never hear it any more and loved it.

Posted 6 months ago by bhallmark [ Reply ]

Noé wrote:

Magnifique chanson. Profonde et intense. Un au-revoir. Dès lors au-revoir Monsieur COHEN

et merci pour votre music !!! Bonjour à John L.

Posted 6 years ago by Noé [ Reply ]

Magnifique chanson. Profonde et intense. Un au-revoir. Dès lors au-revoir Monsieur COHEN

Posted 6 years ago by Noé [ Reply ]

Is it over yet?

Posted 7 years ago by Mugro [ Reply ]

Last testament from the poet laureate of modern music. RIP Leonard - your golden voice will resonate out into the universe forever.

Posted 7 years ago by fandango57 [ Reply ]

I give it a 5 only because it's good to dance to.

Posted 7 years ago by VV [ Reply ]

His voice struck me right out of the grave. At first, I wasn't sure at all it was really him.

Posted 7 years ago by Bleyfusz [ Reply ]

this type of work becomes more important the older you are

Posted 7 years ago by LAwolf8 [ Reply ]

Smetak wrote:

Please stop comment on this song. You said your opinion. You don't like it. Everyone knows it. I don't see any reason why to add another hateful comments.
I like this song. I'm glad Mr.Cohen is played on RP.

LinThizzy is a sad little troll, desperate for attention.

Posted 7 years ago by On_The_Beach [ Reply ]

Very creepy, especially since he says he's ready to serve his Lord. He knew what was coming, for sure. I like it.

Posted 7 years ago by Dave_Mack [ Reply ]

Someone please give this man a Halls...

Posted 7 years ago by rpdevotee [ Reply ]

LinThizzy wrote:

SO Jimmy Durante got a record contract, and he's not even alive!!
Pure trash, not really musical in any way.

Please stop comment on this song. You said your opinion. You don't like it. Everyone knows it. I don't see any reason why to add another hateful comments.

I like this song. I'm glad Mr.Cohen is played on RP.

Posted 7 years ago by Smetak [ Reply ]

6 times a month is way too much for this kind of song.

Posted 7 years ago by leechi [ Reply ]

SO Jimmy Durante got a record contract, and he's not even alive!!
Pure trash, not really musical in any way.

Posted 7 years ago by LinThizzy [ Reply ]

LinThizzy wrote:

Just freaking miserable. Nothing makes me switch stations faster than the talker masquerading as musician Leonard Cohen.
The ONLY thing played here that does make me switch and literally keeps me from donating another penny until I can go just one week without hearing this crap. Glad there will be no more coming from this talker.

Abolutely agreed... He's narrating lead in his band...

Posted 7 years ago by nickshortie [ Reply ]

Can't help it. I like it. Cohen was unique.

Posted 7 years ago by Kaw [ Reply ]

LinThizzy wrote:

                          You can wear a mask and paint your face
                          You can call yourself the human race
                          You can wear a collar and a tie
                          One thing you can't hide
                          Is when you're crippled inside

Thanks for the help John

Posted 7 years ago by Historys_Fools [ Reply ]

laozilover wrote:

I can't help but compare the way LC sounds in this tune to how FZ sounds in his THE TORTURE NEVER STOPS!

Great comment, you're absolutely right. Thank you for pointing that out

Posted 7 years ago by yeshetarchin [ Reply ]

Great writer. Is that Jimmy Durante singing?

Posted 7 years ago by LinThizzy [ Reply ]

Sorry to inform you but he has so many great songs he will be talking far after you are in the same place he is...LinThizzy wrote:

Posted 7 years ago by Bert7 [ Reply ]

I just had to get out of the shower in order to mute this guy....

Posted 7 years ago by old_shep [ Reply ]

LinThizzy wrote:

What a horrible thing to say. What's wrong with you?

Posted 7 years ago by garyalex [ Reply ]

LinThizzy wrote:

. . . Glad there will be no more coming from this talker.

You don't get his music so you're glad he's dead.
Class act.

Posted 7 years ago by On_The_Beach [ Reply ]

Is it just me, or does he sound like Leonard Nimoy here?

Posted 7 years ago by skooba [ Reply ]

Posted 7 years ago by LinThizzy [ Reply ]

I didn't appreciate Leonard Cohen until I heard K.D. Lang sing her cover of 'Bird on a Wire'. Of course, most people love his 'Hallelujah' made more famous by Shrek and again of course covered wonderfully by K.D. Lang as well. Cohen's music is probably underappreciated for sure, I can only guess he wrote music for himself and was not into the fast life of touring, etc. He left the world a better place me thinks.

Posted 7 years ago by Kokoloco53 [ Reply ]

For a slight diversion, here's a wonderful reading by Mr. Cohen:

https://youtu.be/f9-A4qLp7kg

Posted 7 years ago by Derecho [ Reply ]

I've never heard this before, and the chills alone will make it memorable.

Posted 7 years ago by jmkate [ Reply ]

Thanks to the new player, I can now skip over LC songs.

Posted 7 years ago by shakylegs [ Reply ]

I can't help but compare the way LC sounds in this tune to how FZ sounds in his THE TORTURE NEVER STOPS!

Posted 7 years ago by laozilover [ Reply ]

Nerubo wrote:

At the risk of seeming overly dramatic, "You want it darker / We kill the flame" pretty much sums up this year.

Sadly, you're right, and certainly aren't being overly dramatic. The song gives me a lump in the throat, and Cohen's almost subsonic voice gives me the willies.

Posted 7 years ago by fredriley [ Reply ]

According to my research: "Hineni" literally means "Here I am," but is more formal, and used to indicate readiness to meet/talk with God. So very appropriate here.

At the risk of seeming overly dramatic, "You want it darker / We kill the flame" pretty much sums up this year.

Posted 7 years ago by Nerubo [ Reply ]

AnchorMan wrote:

It's a pretty cute Swan Song. All he needs now is a deity to take the challenge.

Done Deal.
.
.
.
Added from another string here on RP: (Lowphreak)
Don't worry, Hannio...it won't be long before a Two Minutes Hate clause will be put into the Patriot Act or TPP. I just thought the RP crowd could handle a bit of truth without all of the silly ASSumptions. Maybe some of them are already Winston Smiths. (?)

I played in bands for years with people of all stripes and 90% of us didn't worry about race/ethnic or gay/straight, whatever. Sure there is always some bigotry around but what mattered was you either could play or sing or write or arrange and it was good, or it wasn't. Opinions varied.

Seems the kewl kids (or idiots) yell "racist" if you say anything remotely disparaging about something that happens to involve a minority or those who suck up to the meme, even when the critique is honest. However, if someone's doing something dumb, I'll point it out and the rest doesn't matter. That's kinda what we musicians do...or what we ought to be doing.

This BS about over-praising or overrating someone though, especially musicians/music or art/artists, because they're either dead now or they're some minority is an actual thing. Doesn't matter if you weren't so great or never did anything new or ground-breaking. It's been going on for decades. A lot of people won't admit they do it, or aren't even aware of it.

If you didn't buy the artist's painting or group's record when they were alive, what made you buy it once they were dead? Did it magically get better overnight? No.

If I think Marvin Gaye's or B.B. King's or Willie Dixon's version isn't as good as Clapton's or Warren Haynes' or Zeppelin's, I'll say so and it has nothing to do with race. Some of the old blues, Motown, or R&B stuff just wasn't that good, and some of it was pretty awesome.

People have their own opinions and I'm OK with it mostly, except trying to be PC or trendy saying hey, some black dude's version is better because he first played it in a cotton field in Miss'sippi in 1922, or 'X' is suddenly great because he/she died last month, or everything Genesis did after Gabriel sucked. Things like that. Just pick a stupid meme or stereotype and run with it.

Goofy biases go in all directions, groupthink is real, and some are too afraid to stand out from the sheep.

Posted 8 years ago by TerryS [ Reply ]

Not that I am complaining, but it seems since Mr Cohen death, RP has him on a heavier rotation. What took so long?

Posted 8 years ago by Decoy [ Reply ]

It's a pretty cute Swan Song. All he needs now is a deity to take the challenge.

Posted 8 years ago by AnchorMan [ Reply ]

I am not the world's biggest Leonard Cohen fan, but I do really like this on. It seems more soulful than most LC is some way.

Posted 8 years ago by ch83575 [ Reply ]

Goodbye Leonard.

Posted 8 years ago by ploba [ Reply ]

Thank you, and farewell, Mr. Cohen.
The world is indeed becoming darker...

Posted 8 years ago by RazzCat [ Reply ]

"If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game
If you are the healer, it means I'm broken and lame"

seems all my life is shortened in so few words...

Posted 8 years ago by thais [ Reply ]

Thanks for all the Cohen today, it is cathartic listening to his vocals and music as we absorb the loss.

Posted 8 years ago by Mirek [ Reply ]

RIP Leonard. This has been a tough year.

Posted 8 years ago by Cannon [ Reply ]

I've got shivers from this song. Hauntingly brilliant, as is most of his music and words.

Posted 8 years ago by Moirabbit [ Reply ]

To sing his song I learned English. RIP

Posted 8 years ago by Ddimich [ Reply ]

Thanks RP. How prophetic. RIP Leonard. Always the poet even if you don't appreciate the melody or his gravelly voice.

Posted 8 years ago by kimschoice [ Reply ]

wow!!!

Posted 8 years ago by Bert7 [ Reply ]

I have no words

RIP Leo

Posted 8 years ago by linz_bobinz [ Reply ]

Two in a row from Leonard Cohen (this following a live version of Who By Fire) - a rare and entirely justified tribute from RP to a great and greatly-to-be-missed musician.

Posted 8 years ago by ncollingridge [ Reply ]

RIP Leonard!