25 Leonard Cohen Quotes That Will Draw a ‘Hallelujah’ From Your Lips

Our latest collection of Leonard Cohen quotes to inspire and motivate you.

I didn’t realize that Leonard Cohen was the original artist of one of my all-time favorite songs.

If you are wondering which song he is best known for, the answer is ‘Hallelujah!’

Leonard wrote this song back in 1984, but it wasn’t a big hit.

However, John Cale recorded his version, which then inspired a version by Jeff Buckley.

The song would end up being featured in a 2001 DreamWorks film that featured the world’s favorite green ogre… Shrek!

Many artists have recorded their own versions of the song, and it can sometimes be hard to pick who has the best version of ‘Hallelujah.’

For me, it’s between Pentatonix and Rufus Wainwright.

Leonard Cohen did a lot of other works during his time as a poet and a songwriter.

I cover most of them in all these Leonard Cohen quotes.

Leonard Cohen quotes about love

1. “My reputation as a ladies’ man was a joke that caused me to laugh bitterly through the ten thousand nights I spent alone.” ― Leonard Cohen

2. “Love is the only engine of survival.” ― Leonard Cohen

3. “You live your life as if it’s real… a thousand kisses deep.” ― Leonard Cohen

4. “We are so lightly here. It is in love that we are made. In love, we disappear.” ― Leonard Cohen

5. “We are not mad. We are human. We want to love, and someone must forgive us for the paths we take to love, for the paths are many and dark, and we are ardent and cruel in our journey.” ― Leonard Cohen

6. “Dream after dream, we all lie in each other’s arms.” ― Leonard Cohen

7. “He let me be a student of a love that I will never be able to give.” ― Leonard Cohen

8. “Love is not a victory march; It’s a cold, and it’s a broken Hallelujah.” ― Leonard Cohen

You will also enjoy our article on Killua quotes.

Leonard Cohen quotes about life and poetry

9. “Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.” ― Leonard Cohen

10. “If you don’t become the ocean, you’ll be seasick every day.” ― Leonard Cohen

11. “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” ― Leonard Cohen

12. “The last refuge of the insomniac is a sense of superiority to the sleeping world.” ― Leonard Cohen

13. “How can I begin anything new with all of yesterday in me?” ― Leonard Cohen

14. “Children show scars like medals. Lovers use them as secrets to reveal. A scar is what happens when the word is made flesh.” ― Leonard Cohen

15. “Your body will never be familiar.” ― Leonard Cohen

16. “I cannot understand why my arm is not a lilac tree.” ― Leonard Cohen

17. “Deprivation is the mother of poetry.” ― Leonard Cohen

18. “I don’t want to be a star, merely dying.” ― Leonard Cohen

19. “But you don’t really care for music do ya?” ― Leonard Cohen

20. “We are so small between the stars, so large against the sky.” ― Leonard Cohen

Profound Leonard Cohen quotes

21. “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.” ― Leonard Cohen

22. “Avoid the flourish. Do not be afraid to be weak. Do not be ashamed to be tired. You look good when you’re tired. You look like you could go on forever. Now come into my arms.  You are the image of my beauty.” ― Leonard Cohen

23. “Here’s to the few who forgive what you do, and the fewer who don’t even care.” ― Leonard Cohen

24. “It doesn’t matter what you do because it’s going to happen, anyway.” ― Leonard Cohen

25. “Act the way you’d like to be and soon you’ll be the way you act.” ― Leonard Cohen

What did you learn from these Leonard Cohen quotes?

Leonard Cohen was yet another talented Canadian artist.

Cohen didn’t write ‘Hallelujah’ until the 80s, but he had been writing and publishing novels and poetry since the 50s.

In fact, his first poems were published in a magazine in 1954.

Two of his later books of poetry didn’t sell many copies, so Cohen turned his attention to songwriting. 

His style of songs is best described as Folklore and Soft Rock.

He believed his best work was his song ‘Suzanne,’ which he wrote about his relationship with dancer Suzanne Verdal.

The song is an emotional and sensual journey.

Cohen had a career based on so many lovely words, and if you have a moment, you should go check out some of his music.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these Leonard Cohen quotes and lines?

What’s your favorite song or poem by Leonard Cohen?

Let us know in the comments section below!