You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen Lyrics Meaning – An Odyssey Through the Duality of Human Existence

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

If you are the dealer, I’m out of the game
If you are the healer, it means I’m broken and lame
If Thine is the glory, then mine must be the shame
You want it darker
We kill the flame

Magnified, sanctified, be Thy holy name
Vilified, crucified, in the human frame
A million candles burning for the help that never came
You want it darker

Hineni, hineni
I’m ready, my Lord

There’s a lover in the story
But the story’s still the same
There’s a lullaby for suffering
And a paradox to blame
But it’s written in the Scriptures
And it’s not some idle claim
You want it darker
We kill the flame

They’re lining up the prisoners
And the guards are taking aim
I struggled with some demons
They were middle class and tame
I didn’t know I had permission to murder and to maim
You want it darker

Hineni, hineni
I’m ready, my Lord

Magnified, sanctified, be Thy holy name
Vilified, crucified, in the human frame
A million candles burning for the love that never came
You want it darker
We kill the flame

If you are the dealer, let me out of the game
If you are the healer, I’m broken and lame
If Thine is the glory, mine must be the shame
You want it darker

Hineni, hineni
Hineni, hineni
I’m ready, my Lord

Hineni
Hineni, hineni
Hineni

When the late, great Leonard Cohen released ‘You Want It Darker’ from the album of the same name, he painted a hauntingly poignant portrait of the human condition that resonates with the very fabric of our being. It is a profound meditation on faith, mortality, and the inherent contradictions of life.

As the title track from his fourteenth and final studio album, released only weeks before his passing in 2016, Cohen left us with a parting gift that wraps existential ponderings with theological undertones into a masterpiece of lyrical exploration. Let’s delve into the song’s rich symbolism and unravel its layers of meaning.

A Solemn Pact with the Divine: Decoding ‘Hineni’

‘Hineni’, the repeated declaration in Hebrew which means ‘Here I am’, serves as Cohen’s solemn acceptance of the human plight and his readiness to confront the divine. It’s a term deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, signifying complete readiness to surrender one’s self to God’s will, and Cohen’s inclusion of this phrase transforms the song into a sacred conversation.

This is not the pledge of a zealot, but rather the acquiescence of a weary soul, one that has experienced life’s breadth and is prepared to reconcile with its imminent end. It’s Cohen’s alignment with the biblical figures who uttered the same word when called upon by the Almighty, showcasing his resignation to a higher call, however bleak that may be.

The Dichotomy of Light and Shadow: Understanding Cohen’s Obsession with Contrasts

From the very first line, Cohen draws us into a world of duality—dealers and healers, glory and shame, light and darkness. His lyrics oscillate between opposites, reflecting the polarities that define our existence. The song provokes the listener, questioning whether we can appreciate the light without enduring the darkness.

The phrase ‘You want it darker’ is not just a refrain but an accusation or perhaps an acknowledgment of human nature’s predilection for the somber, the mourning, and the suffering. Cohen is not just articulating his personal descent but pointing out our collective masochistic tendency to extinguish the flame—the spark of hope, of life.

The Mournful Anthem and Its Unseen Hues: The Hidden Meaning

Beneath its surface, ‘You Want It Darker’ is a somber elegy to humanity’s unfulfilled yearnings and failed redemption. It’s a reflection on the tragedy that despite millions of prayers symbolized by ‘a million candles burning’, deliverance often feels out of reach, if not entirely absent.

Cohen isn’t just singing about individual struggles but confronts the collective sins and sufferings of mankind. He interweaves personal confession with social commentary, leaving it ambiguous whether the darkness we seek is of our own making or something imposed upon us by powers beyond our control.

Confronting Demons: A Narrative of Personal and Communal Battlefields

In a tapestry of personal and historical imagery, Cohen recalls ‘lining up the prisoners and the guards are taking aim’, a chilling echo of humanity’s worst atrocities. It’s both a historical recollection and a metaphor for the internal conflicts we all face.

The ‘demons’ he struggled with—described as ‘middle class and tame’—reveal the banality of evil in everyday life and the shocking realization, laden with irony, that he had ‘permission to murder and to maim’. Cohen implicates himself in the larger narrative of humankind’s destructive potential and ethical failings.

Memorable Lines That Cut Deep into the Soul’s Fabric

Certain lines in a song linger long after the music stops, and ‘You Want It Darker’ possesses such lyrics in abundance. Lines like ‘If you are the dealer, I’m out of the game’, suggest an abdication of earthly roles and games of chance, symbolizing life’s uncontrollable nature.

The powerful repetition of ‘If thine is the glory then mine must be the shame’ demonstrates Cohen’s mastery of juxtaposition—glory is not without shame, just as light is not without darkness. It forces us to reconcile with the duality of our nature, our yearning for the divine, and our entanglement in earthly fetters.