"Leonard Cohen's music is subtle, nuanced and always in search of the deepest truth--even if it's a truth we don't want to see. Trump and the GOP are precisely not Leonard Cohen." (Photo: Adrian Thomson/Flickr/cc)
Keep Your Filthy Hands Off of Leonard Cohen
"Trump and his posse of sycophants and enablers think that everything belongs to them."
After Trump's (predictably) revolting speech on Thursday night, the RNC DJ played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Twice. Without permission (of course).
This is far from the worst thing that these cynical, mendacious fuckers have done. But it's enraging nonetheless.
Leonard Cohen died on November 7, 2016, the day before election day. I spent much of the next month listening to Mr. Cohen's music which has, over the years, meant a lot to me.
Leonard Cohen's death was, for me and, I suspect, many others, a terrible echo of Trump's election. A second way that the world had taken a turn for the worse. Leonard Cohen's music is full of despair and possibility, and a hint of (perhaps irrational) hope. It was perfect for that awful moment. Leonard Cohen's music is subtle, nuanced and always in search of the deepest truth - even if it's a truth we don't want to see.
Trump and the GOP are precisely not Leonard Cohen.
Four years ago, I wrote: "Leonard Cohen was cryptic and poetic. Dark and uplifting at once. For an inflexible, self-righteous, left-wing Catholic white boy (me!), his fearless writing about spirituality, mortality, sex, obsession, and darkness was perfectly challenging, unsettling, and transformative. It changed my life. For a few years, in my 20s, I was completely mesmerized by his great album, 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.'"
Again, this is so far from the most revolting thing Trump and his lying band of misogynist racists have done. But my feeling is this: Did you have to put your filthy hands on this too?
Trump and his posse of sycophants and enablers think that everything belongs to them.
It's clear that no one bothered to read or listen to the lyrics to "Hallelujah" - the centrality of the "baffled king," e.g. None of them take the time to read anything.
"Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah."
Broken as fuck.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just two days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
After Trump's (predictably) revolting speech on Thursday night, the RNC DJ played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Twice. Without permission (of course).
This is far from the worst thing that these cynical, mendacious fuckers have done. But it's enraging nonetheless.
Leonard Cohen died on November 7, 2016, the day before election day. I spent much of the next month listening to Mr. Cohen's music which has, over the years, meant a lot to me.
Leonard Cohen's death was, for me and, I suspect, many others, a terrible echo of Trump's election. A second way that the world had taken a turn for the worse. Leonard Cohen's music is full of despair and possibility, and a hint of (perhaps irrational) hope. It was perfect for that awful moment. Leonard Cohen's music is subtle, nuanced and always in search of the deepest truth - even if it's a truth we don't want to see.
Trump and the GOP are precisely not Leonard Cohen.
Four years ago, I wrote: "Leonard Cohen was cryptic and poetic. Dark and uplifting at once. For an inflexible, self-righteous, left-wing Catholic white boy (me!), his fearless writing about spirituality, mortality, sex, obsession, and darkness was perfectly challenging, unsettling, and transformative. It changed my life. For a few years, in my 20s, I was completely mesmerized by his great album, 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.'"
Again, this is so far from the most revolting thing Trump and his lying band of misogynist racists have done. But my feeling is this: Did you have to put your filthy hands on this too?
Trump and his posse of sycophants and enablers think that everything belongs to them.
It's clear that no one bothered to read or listen to the lyrics to "Hallelujah" - the centrality of the "baffled king," e.g. None of them take the time to read anything.
"Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah."
Broken as fuck.
After Trump's (predictably) revolting speech on Thursday night, the RNC DJ played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Twice. Without permission (of course).
This is far from the worst thing that these cynical, mendacious fuckers have done. But it's enraging nonetheless.
Leonard Cohen died on November 7, 2016, the day before election day. I spent much of the next month listening to Mr. Cohen's music which has, over the years, meant a lot to me.
Leonard Cohen's death was, for me and, I suspect, many others, a terrible echo of Trump's election. A second way that the world had taken a turn for the worse. Leonard Cohen's music is full of despair and possibility, and a hint of (perhaps irrational) hope. It was perfect for that awful moment. Leonard Cohen's music is subtle, nuanced and always in search of the deepest truth - even if it's a truth we don't want to see.
Trump and the GOP are precisely not Leonard Cohen.
Four years ago, I wrote: "Leonard Cohen was cryptic and poetic. Dark and uplifting at once. For an inflexible, self-righteous, left-wing Catholic white boy (me!), his fearless writing about spirituality, mortality, sex, obsession, and darkness was perfectly challenging, unsettling, and transformative. It changed my life. For a few years, in my 20s, I was completely mesmerized by his great album, 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.'"
Again, this is so far from the most revolting thing Trump and his lying band of misogynist racists have done. But my feeling is this: Did you have to put your filthy hands on this too?
Trump and his posse of sycophants and enablers think that everything belongs to them.
It's clear that no one bothered to read or listen to the lyrics to "Hallelujah" - the centrality of the "baffled king," e.g. None of them take the time to read anything.
"Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah."
Broken as fuck.