10 Immortal Leonard Cohen Quotes You Need Right Now

Regarded as one of the most erudite cultural icons of the 1960s, Canadian-born artist Leonard Cohen has enthralled, engaged, and enlightened the world with his work over a period of more than five decades. He passed away on 10th November 2016. His words, however, are still with us, immortal in their intensity. Here are some of our favourite Cohen quotes:

‘The last refuge of the insomniac is a sense of superiority to the sleeping world.’

‘Music is the emotional life of most people.’

‘There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.’

‘When you stop thinking about yourself all the time, a certain sense of repose overtakes you.’

‘Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.’

‘Do not think that a saint dissolves the chaos even for himself, for there is something arrogant and warlike in the notion of a man setting the universe in order. It is a kind of balance that is his glory.’

‘How can I begin anything new with all of yesterday in me.’

‘She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah.’

‘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.’

About the author

Alix Hall

Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Alix studied Art History and English Literature at Queen’s University. A love of the arts, history, rain, and queuing took her to England, where she completed a Masters degree in Culture, Communication and Media, and worked around London, including Kensington Palace and Tate Britain. Following a transatlantic move back to Ontario, Alix now calls Toronto home and is thrilled to rediscover the city as she helps launch The Culture Trip’s Toronto hub as Editorial Director. She has a penchant for yoga classes, wandering art galleries, and methodically scouting out the best bookstores and coffee shops.