from Hacker News

Leonard Cohen Has Died

by joaomsa on 11/11/16, 1:47 AM with 140 comments

  • by muhic on 11/11/16, 2:55 AM

    Sad for the artistic loss but also glad he died at peace after a rich life spent doing what he loved till the last moment. He joins a special list, alongside Hintjens who also passed recently, of those who manage to strip the dread from death and stress the importance of 'tidying up' over passive acceptance as one enters the final days.

    “The big change is the proximity to death,” he said. “I am a tidy kind of guy. I like to tie up the strings if I can. If I can’t, also, that’s O.K. But my natural thrust is to finish things that I’ve begun.”

    “For some odd reason,” he went on, “I have all my marbles, so far. I have many resources, some cultivated on a personal level, but circumstantial, too: my daughter and her children live downstairs, and my son lives two blocks down the street. So I am extremely blessed. I have an assistant who is devoted and skillful. I have a friend like Bob and another friend or two who make my life very rich. So in a certain sense I’ve never had it better. . . . At a certain point, if you still have your marbles and are not faced with serious financial challenges, you have a chance to put your house in order. It’s a cliché, but it’s underestimated as an analgesic on all levels. Putting your house in order, if you can do it, is one of the most comforting activities, and the benefits of it are incalculable.” [0]

    [0] http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-m...

  • by mkeeter on 11/11/16, 2:02 AM

    This is a wonderful article about Leonard Cohen:

    http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/music/89715...

    The quote that stood out the most for me:

    "In a pursuit like rock ’n’ roll, which is entirely devoted to redemption, Cohen’s ideas were not only old but radical. His peers all insisted that salvation was at hand. To go to a Doors concert was to stare at the lithe messiah undressing on stage and believe that it was entirely possible to break on through to the other side. To see Cohen play was to gawk at an aging Jew telling you that life was hard and laced with sorrow but that if we love each other and fuck one another and have the mad courage to laugh even when the sun is clearly setting, we’ll be just all right. To borrow a metaphor from a field never too far from Cohen’s heart, theology, Morrison, Hendrix, Joplin, and the rest were all good Christians, and they set themselves up as the redeemers who had to die for the sins of their fans. Cohen was a Jew, and like Jews he believed that salvation was nothing more than a lot of hard work and a small but sustainable reward."

  • by bhickey on 11/11/16, 2:30 AM

    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/leonard-cohen-pens-fi...

    Back in July he wrote to a dying Marianne Ihlen, "Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine."

  • by neom on 11/11/16, 4:58 AM

    I believe we recently discussed Mr. Cohen: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141

    I have cried more tears listening to Leonard Cohen than all the other tears I've cried combined, his music, his words, his poems have always resonated deeply within me. He truly is my favourite artist. We listened to him daily in my dad's house and I grew to find an incredibly amount of peace in his voice. Love the HN community seems to like him as much. rest well sir.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MXOuaZuTak

  • by brnoenfield on 11/11/16, 4:29 AM

    I took my mum to see him live in Brisbane back in 2013. At the end of the show he thanked his backing band. And then he thanked, by name, the sound engineers, the lighting operators, the cameraman filming for the tour DVD, and various other staff. One of the greatest musicians to have lived but also a genuine and decent person.

  • by ageitgey on 11/11/16, 2:15 AM

    I saw Leonard Cohen on his last tour. He opened every show on the tour by saying "I don’t know if we’ll meet again, but tonight we’ll give you everything we got."

  • by kafkaesq on 11/11/16, 2:39 AM

    This article was posted here about a month ago:

       http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker
    Discussion:

       https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12700141
    Interestingly, I was thinking about him on the subway just before surfacing to see above thread pop up. Very glad that I got to catch up on his bio (and to see him live a few years back) before his departure.

    2016 - what a year.

  • by hughdbrown on 11/11/16, 5:39 AM

    So sad. I saw him in Manhattan. My wife got tickets as a Christmas present, knowing I had been excited when we were traveling in Barcelona and he was there that week. (Couldn't get tickets -- didn't even try.) So we showed up at Madison Square Garden and I had no idea what we were seeing -- and there were no markings to give away the surprise! It was not until the show started that I knew it was a Leonard Cohen concert. It was an awesome evening.

      If you want a lover
  I'll do anything you ask me to
  And if you want another kind of love
  I'll wear a mask for you
  If you want a partner, take my hand, or
  If you want to strike me down in anger
  Here I stand
  I'm your man

  • by failrate on 11/11/16, 2:26 AM

    I'm not sad. He had probably the best life he could have had, and it ended on a high note.

  • by JdeBP on 11/11/16, 12:47 PM

    And then you heard, on Remembrance Day, of the Poet who had gone away; No more music in the dark to keep you warm.

    For years to come you will recall the music's death, the soldier's fall, and your songs salute them both. So: Hallelujah!

    Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

    --

    The first Cohen song that I ever heard was "Everybody Knows", in Pump Up the Volume.

  • by akprasad on 11/11/16, 4:12 AM

    There was recently a lovely interview with Leonard Cohen on Fresh Air [1], from which I learned that he had also spent some time a Zen monk. The article mentions this in passing, but there's more detail in the interview.

    > While never abandoning Judaism, the Sabbath-observing songwriter attributed Buddhism to curbing the depressive episodes that had always plagued him.

    [1] http://www.npr.org/2016/10/21/498810429/leonard-cohen-on-poe...

  • by sndean on 11/11/16, 2:36 AM

    If you have ~40 minutes to spare, Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History did a really interesting story on Hallelujah in July:

    http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah

  • by nathancahill on 11/11/16, 4:06 AM

    Listening to Leonard and drinking whiskey. It's closing time. Just fuck me up Leonard.

  • by sundvor on 11/11/16, 2:47 AM

    RIP. Listening to his brand new release You Want It Darker (via Spotify HQ on my Audio Technica ADG1Xs, Soundblaster ZXR sound card). I can't get over the quality of the production and how utterly perfect his voice still is .. right until the very end. In light of recent events, this song is uncanny. What a masterpiece to finish a magnificent career.

  • by pgodzin on 11/11/16, 3:23 AM

    Easily one of the greatest songwriters of the generation. As Dylan said, ‘As far as I’m concerned, Leonard, you’re Number 1. I’m Number Zero.’

    His songs are dark and poetic and really keep you entranced. I'm glad he released his last effort (Leaving the Table is a great one for the occasion) and seemed totally at peace in his New Yorker feature.

  • by rootedbox on 11/11/16, 2:05 AM

    If it be your will. That I speak no more. And my voice be still. As it was before. I will speak no more.

  • by pcurve on 11/11/16, 1:58 AM

    Man this was a surprise. I read this article very recently.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/1...

    Which was quickly followed by:

    http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/10/leonard-cohen-no-longe...

  • by daveloyall on 11/11/16, 3:26 AM

        Like a bird on a wire
    Like a drunk in a midnight choir
    I have tried, in my way, to be free

  • by LargeCompanies on 11/11/16, 4:49 AM

    His song,"Hallelujah," is timeless and even he agreed KD Lang's version is the best...

    Wasn't a fan of hers until... https://youtu.be/ikdLBQACC74

  • by alphaone on 11/11/16, 2:16 AM

    Now I'm living in this temple Where they tell you what to do I'm old and I've had to settle On a different point of view

    I was fighting with temptation But I didn't want to win A man like me don't like to see Temptation caving in

  • by jtwaleson on 11/11/16, 6:27 AM

    A sad day. I'm a big fan, had the privilege of seeing him perform four times and I've named my daughter Suzanne.

    I cant be sure, but back in 2008 when he played "Democracy is coming to the USA" he seemed to be delighted that Obama won. IMHO this part of the song is more appropriate for Leonard's last days on earth: "I love the country but I can't stand the scene".

    RIP

    edit: removed comment about the president elect

  • by CalChris on 11/11/16, 2:11 AM

    A wonderful voice. A favorite of my mother's who over the years became a favorite of mine.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A

  • by sparkzilla on 11/11/16, 2:17 AM

    RIP. Those looking to try Cohen for the first time (or wanting to rediscover him) should listen to Live in London (2009), which IMHO is one of the best live albums ever. Great songs and some witty banter in between.

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2p8je2

  • by projectramo on 11/11/16, 2:23 PM

    I wanted to post some of his lyrics as a comment, but it turns out you can take any rhyming subset and it is appropriate for almost any occasion. (Not kidding, try it yourself).

    They're ambiguous so that helps.

    "But let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie, your eyes are soft with sorrow, Hey, that's no way to say goodbye."

    RIP, Leonard Cohen

  • by randlet on 11/11/16, 2:23 AM

    No longer aching in the places he used to play. Rest in peace Leonard, it's closing time.

  • by viraptor on 11/11/16, 2:27 AM

    "No one can sing a Leonard Cohen song the way Cohen himself can't." is still my favourite description of his work.

  • by logicalmind on 11/11/16, 2:44 AM

    Big fan of Leonard Cohen, big loss. I think his Isle of Wight performance is one of the greatest of all time considering what was going on the crowd and how he used his showmanship and calming music to turn things around:

    https://vimeo.com/56002315

  • by inimino on 11/11/16, 2:08 AM

    A tremendous loss.

    A recent profile that I greatly enjoyed:

    http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-m...

  • by internaut on 11/11/16, 4:48 AM

    "Everybody Knows" is one of my favorite songs, just on grounds of its lyrical quality alone.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lin-a2lTelg

  • by yaegers on 11/11/16, 7:42 AM

    I will never not get shivers listening to his Hallelujah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttEMYvpoR-k

  • by jperras on 11/11/16, 2:58 PM

    As a native Montréaler, this hit me really, really hard. The man was a legend, and hopefully his legacy will live on in the city.

    I'd really like to see McGill, our common alma mater, commemorate him in some way.

  • by everyone on 11/11/16, 1:39 PM

    Just making a general point here that this event has surfaced..

    I dont get why people are so emotional when famous artists die. Posting on facebook and whatnot.. We werent personal friends with them, so it wont affect our lives in any way. Their works are still as available as ever, and still as great as ever. We can still listen to their music every day.

    If they died old then they've had a good run to make a good body of great work that can be their direct legacy for hundreds of years. Few people achieve that.

  • by nikanj on 11/11/16, 2:32 AM

    It's a widely held sentiment that 2016 has killed more long-running celebrities than any other year. Is there any factual basis to this, or is it just confirmation bias?

  • by akiselev on 11/11/16, 5:32 AM

    May you rest in peace, Mr. Cohen.

    It seems like so many of my favorite musicians and songwriters have passed in the last few years and its a struggle to figure out why. I'm a millenial with a wide taste in music from the early 20th century blues to contemporary EDM but it seems like the musicians whose talent you could just sense with every note and lyric are rapidly disappearing. I should be too young for this kind of cynicism but its an easy trap to fall into when comparing Dylan, Bowie, or Cohen to some song on the pop charts or an artist in the overwhelming field of independent musicians.

    It's a sad day but I can't help but marvel at the universe. It is a kind of unique, rare beauty when a life-long artist like Bowie or Cohen close out their final chapter by releasing an album within weeks of their death.

  • by Jerry2 on 11/11/16, 2:51 AM

    Wow! Such a sad news. He was one of the greatest and his songs were timeless.

    One of my favorites is "Everybody Knows": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd23UVID7k

    You will be missed.

    עליו השלום

  • by HeyLaughingBoy on 11/11/16, 6:30 PM

    This is sad. I heard about this listening to the radio this morning while waiting for the school bus with my son. I introduced my (future) wife to his music and our wedding song was "Dance me to the end of love." I gave her the Matisse coffee-table book set to its lyrics (https://www.amazon.com/Dance-End-Love-Art-Poetry/dp/19321839...).

    I always wanted to meet him and now, I'll never have the chance.

    R.I.P.

  • by supervillain on 11/11/16, 3:13 AM

  • by detaro on 11/11/16, 2:45 AM

    :'(

    There is a crack, a crack in everything.

    That how the light comes in.

    ?

  • by pencilcode on 11/11/16, 3:59 PM

    About a week ago commented with a friend of mine his last album was absolutely wonderful and how awesome that he was 80 years old and still creating with the quality that he was. He was the musician that touched the most, others I sort of grew out of but always came back to Leonard - I suspect that there hasn't been a month in the last 15 years where I haven't listened to him. As an aside also discovered Irving Layton, a poet, through him.

  • by josscrowcroft on 11/11/16, 4:48 AM

    Leonard Cohen - So Long, Marianne (live 1968):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE6wBBrTMEs

    So long, Leonard.

  • by pfooti on 11/11/16, 2:22 AM

    I heard there was a secret chord.

  • by awjr on 11/11/16, 7:35 AM

    Dear 2016, please stop already.

  • by seanwoods on 11/11/16, 2:01 AM

  • by blacksqr on 11/11/16, 5:27 AM

    There's only one bed and there's only one prayer; as I listen all night for your step on the stair.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TFWug6KlvMI

  • by zeluve on 11/11/16, 2:29 AM

    RIP. The voice will be here for the rest of generation and becomes legacy for the next.

  • by coldtea on 11/11/16, 2:43 AM

    If you haven't heard his songs, either the early folky ones or the post-80s electronic-ballads, definitely check them out. They are songs for grown-ups (he started his career as a singer around 34 years old after all).

  • by jejones3141 on 11/11/16, 3:48 PM

    Very sad. Also sad that the very first thing I did when I saw a mention of it on Facebook was google "leonard cohen death hoax". Thanks and farewell, Mr. Cohen.

  • by mdpm on 11/11/16, 2:54 AM

    And who shall I say is calling?

    -- You will be missed but never forgotten.

  • by another_account on 11/11/16, 2:06 PM

    On the Level feels like it was written for me (i know) It describes my current feelings about Lady Heroin after nearly 2 years clean. Perfectly.

    RIP.

  • by sbmassey on 11/11/16, 3:27 AM

    "But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone

    I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song"

    One of the greats.

  • by RickHull on 11/11/16, 7:23 AM

        Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld
    So I can sigh eternally

  • by dennispi on 11/11/16, 2:47 PM

    I can't think of a better, more appropriate Cohen cover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRfJ6-qkr4

  • by ertand on 11/11/16, 4:14 AM

    Hallelujah was the first dance song at our wedding. RIP.

  • by goffley3 on 11/11/16, 3:27 PM

    Sad day. The year of the great dead continues.

  • by matt4077 on 11/11/16, 11:24 AM

    Fuck this year.

    At least he lived the most graceful life. Having only ever known him in the last 20 years, it seems as if he started as an old man, and died young.

  • by avitzurel on 11/11/16, 2:30 AM

    Rest in peace.

  • by fnj on 11/11/16, 3:27 AM

    Hallelujah!

  • by libeclipse on 11/11/16, 7:36 AM

    Hallelujah, hallelujah.

  • by youdontknowtho on 11/11/16, 2:10 PM

    God damn it.

  • by t1m on 11/11/16, 3:48 AM

    I am reeling.

    Leonard's music had an uncanny sense of timing, both musical and cultural. He referenced the external, political world, indirectly - not through selfishly inward bullshit, like many of his contemporaries, but by sifting it through relationships with others and his relationship to the divine.

    As I am writing this, the next article in hackernews is about Peter Thiel and his ascension to whatever office he is seeking in Trump's cabinet. His views on the damage women and minorities have done to Libertarianism (whatever that is), and how democracy is shit are well known, and I will let you judge how Palantir has benefited humanity.

    The thing that gets me is his straight faced desire for immortality. Note that he doesn't wish for immortality for someone who is great, he wishes it for himself.

    RIP Leonard. You already are immortal.

  • by daveheq on 11/12/16, 12:11 AM

    I didn't know Leonard Cohen was a hacker. Wait, does he happen to be popular among hackers?