- published: 26 Oct 2009
- views: 153988800
The End may refer to:
Leonard Norman Cohen, CC GOQ (born 21 September 1934) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships. Cohen has been inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour.
While giving the speech at Cohen's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2008, Lou Reed described Cohen as belonging to the "highest and most influential echelon of songwriters."
Cohen was born on 21 September 1934 in Westmount, Montreal, Quebec, into a middle-class Jewish family. He attended Roslyn Elementary School. His mother, Marsha Klinitsky, of Lithuanian Jewish ancestry, emigrated from Lithuania while his great-grandfather emigrated from Poland. He grew up in Westmount on the Island of Montreal. His grandfather was Lyon Cohen, founding president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. His father, Nathan Cohen, who owned a substantial Montreal clothing store, died when Cohen was nine years old. On the topic of being a Kohen, Cohen has said that, "I had a very Messianic childhood." He told Richard Goldstein in 1967. "I was told I was a descendant of Aaron, the high priest." Cohen attended Westmount High School, beginning in 1948 where he was involved with the Student Council and studied music and poetry. He became especially interested in the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca. As a teenager, he learned to play the guitar, and formed a country-folk group called the Buckskin Boys. Although he initially played a regular acoustic guitar as a teenager, he soon switched to playing a classical guitar after meeting a young Spanish flamenco guitar player who taught him "a few chords and some flamenco."
He calls the mansion not a house but a tomb
He's always choking from the stench and the fume
The wedding party all collapsed in the room
So send my resignation to the bride and the groom
(Let's go down!)
This elevator only goes up to ten
He's not around
He's always looking at men
Down by the pool
He doesn't have many friends
As they are
Face down and bloated snap a shot with the lens
If you marry me,
Would you bury me?
Would you carry me to the end?
(So say goodbye) to the vows you take
(And say goodbye) to the life you make
(And say goodbye) to the heart you break
And all the cyanide you drank.
She keeps a picture of the body she lends
Got nasty blisters from the money she spends
She's got a life of her own and it shows by the Benz
She drives at 90 by the Barbies and Kens
If you ever say never too late
I'll forget all the diamonds you ate
Lost in coma and covered in cake
Increase the medication
Share the vows at the wake
(Kiss the bride)
If you marry me,
Would you bury me?
Would you carry me to the end?
(So say goodbye) to the vows you take
(And say goodbye) to the life you make
(And say goodbye) to the heart you break
And all the cyanide you drank
(And say goodbye) to the last parade
(And walk away) from the choice you made
(And say goodnight) to the heart you break
And all the cyanide you drank
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
(So say goodbye) to the vows you take
(And say goodbye) to the life you make
(And say goodbye) to the heart you break
And all the cyanide you drank
(And say goodbye) to the last parade
(And walk away) from the choice you made
(And say goodnight) to the heart you break
And all the cyanide you drank
(Whoa) To the last parade
(Whoa) When the parties fade
(Whoa) And the choice you made