Leonard Cohen (21 September 1934 – 7 November 2016) was a singer, song-writer, poet, and novelist. Well-known for the song "Hallelujah," his career spanned seven decades, and he is considered one of the most influential song-writers of all time.
In the book Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen : Interviews and Encounters, Leonard Cohen talks about the inspiration behind his song, "Democracy." It was written after the fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9, 1989), and was his response to the idea of democracy coming to Europe.
"It’s not an ironic song. It’s a song of deep intimacy and affirmation of the experiment of democracy in this country. That this is really where the experiment is unfolding. This is really where the races confront one another, where the classes, where the genders, where even the sexual orientations confront one another. This is the real laboratory of democracy" (page 272).
Learn more about Leonard Cohen through books, videos, and music in the Fine Arts and Design Library.
0 Comments.