Hello, I'm new to this forum... (introducing yourselves)

[clairvoyant]

Hello all!

Such a pleasure to be here. It is so comforting to find a beautiful little online island with people who love Cohen as much as I do. My Mum's favourite song was always 'Hallelujah' (though she preferred the k.d. lang version haha). I had a decent voice, so she always asked me to sing it to her. Being the stubborn child I was I would refuse to ever perform it for her. Years later though, I found 'One of Us Cannot be Wrong' and fell deeply and horribly in love with all things Cohen. Sorry Mum... you were right, it is a heart wrenching tune.

Today I was impatiently waiting for my copy of 'The Flame' to come in the mail, and decided to look around online. That's how I stumbled across this forum, and I am so glad I did.

Thank you for having me, and may you all have a lovely day

[B4real]

Hello clairvoyant,
Welcome to the forum!
I'm sure you will enjoy being a member of this wonderful and unique place in cyberspace.
People here are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable with its subject matter

And by your forum name, you just might have known I would say that, ha!
Have fun.

[Nothing left to do]

Hi everybody,
I have been a reader of this forum for several years. Now I finally decided to register so I have the possibility to post. I am sure it will be a pleasure to communicate with several likeminded fans. I took my user name from a line of one of my favorite Cohen songs.
I have been a Cohen fan for a long time, the first album I bought was 'Songs of Love and Hate' and the first concert was in 1972 in Berlin. I lost somewhat the interest in his music after the rather weak 'Death of Ladies Man' but fully came back to him at the end of the 80s with the release of 'I'm Your Man'. Since then I have seen him in several concerts, the last one was in 2013 in Berlin. The most memorable experience in all these concerts was in 2010 in the Waldbuhne in Berlin, which was nearly sold out with more than 20,000 attendees. It was a nice summer evening and close to the end of the concert Leonard Cohen, the Webb sisters and Neil Larsen played 'If It Be Your Will'. Only the musicians were spotlighted in an otherwise dark arena. The complete audience was absolutely silent (a rare moment in Berlin) during this performance. It was absolutely magic.

[its4inthemorning]

As Leonard was fond of saying, greetings!

My history with Cohen was similar to yours--SOLAH was the album that enticed me, but then I lost touch with him and his music, but my rediscovery did not occur until 2010.

I always loved the Waiting for the Miracle lyrics, in particular, the final verse, but the music always intrigued me as well. Especially as it was played live, the audiences were mesmerized.

4

[Tamphanthanish]

Hi everybody,
I have been a reader of this forum for several years. Now I finally decided to register so I have the possibility to post. I am sure it will be a pleasure to communicate with several likeminded fans. I took my user name from a line of one of my favorite Cohen songs.
I have been a Cohen fan for a long time, the first album I bought was 'Songs of Love and Hate' and the first concert was in 1972 in Berlin. I lost somewhat the interest in his music after the rather weak 'Death of Ladies Man' but fully came back to him at the end of the 80s with the release of 'I'm Your Man'. Since then I have seen him in several concerts, the last one was in 2013 in Berlin. The most memorable experience in all these concerts was in 2010 in the Waldbuhne in Berlin, which was nearly sold out with more than 20,000 attendees. It was a nice summer evening and close to the end of the concert Leonard Cohen, the Webb sisters and Neil Larsen played 'If It Be Your Will'. Only the musicians were spotlighted in an otherwise dark arena. The complete audience was absolutely silent (a rare moment in Berlin) during this performance. It was absolutely magic.

Welcome!

[Juanjo Enrique]

Hola, yo también soy nuevo en el foro. Soy fan de Leonard Cohen desde hace mucho tiempo. Tuve la ocasión de verlo en directo en tres ocasiones. Dos en mi ciudad de origen, Zaragoza, y la tercera en Ámsterdam. Todos fueron conciertos maravillosos. Ahora estoy muy emocionado porque escribo esto desde Hydra, la isla griega donde vivió. Esta tarde he ido a ver su casa y no me quería ir de allí. He venido aquí a pasar mi cumpleaños en una soledad buscada en la que tanto me identifico con él.

Google Translate :Hi, I'm new to the forum too. I've been a Leonard Cohen fan for a long time. I had the opportunity to see it live on three occasions. Two in my hometown, Zaragoza, and the third in Amsterdam. They were all wonderful concerts. Now I'm very excited because I'm writing this from Hydra, the Greek island where he lived. This afternoon I went to see his house and I didn't want to leave. I have come here to spend my birthday in a sought-after solitude in which I identify so much with him.

[Tigercat]

This isn't an easy post for me, but I feel the need to convey the power of the song "if it be your will". (I didn't know much about Cohen before now). I didn't look for this song, it found me somehow. The pace of the song, the sound of the chords and Cohen's voice did it for me as much as the theme of surrender. My husband passed away 4 months ago after we'd been together 52 years. I felt nothing for 4 months. Hearing the song allowed me to at last surrender to my grief. The pain I now feel is beyond intense but a thousand times preferable than feeling numb. Wherever Leonard Cohen is now, I thank him with all my heart. I never knew music could be so powerful. I've now started to listen to his songs and was particularly taken by the sound of "Alexandra's leaving", when I looked more closely at the lyrics, I was again emotional about the theme of loss in the song. It's all a bit uncanny for me, like there's some divine intervention at work.

[its4inthemorning]

Welcome Tigercat!

A very nice little essay about how your sad circumstances brought you to Leonard. His music is, I think, the antithesis of numb.

I think you would like "You Got Me Singing" from his 2014 album "Popular Problems."

Regards,

4

[lizzytysh]

Hi Tigercat ~

Welcome to the Forum. It's been quite awhile. I hope that you'll read this.

I'm sorry for your loss of your beloved husband. Fifty-two years is a lifetime. I can only imagine how profound it was for you to have Leonard's voice, those lyrics, the music, and as you've said, the pace of the song, boring through your numbness. I agree with you that somehow this was an intervention, perhaps orchestrated by your husband, if you believe in that spiritual realm, which I do. My heart is with you in your loss of your husband, and your finding of Leonard. The theme of lossis very familiar in his songs. I've used them to deal with loss and hold bitterness at bay. I love Alexandra Leaving very, very much.

~ Lizzie

[Its_Emilie]

New here! I've been reading this forum for a year now so I decided to join it. My cousin showed me a song from Sigrid called Everybody Knows(was in the Justice League soundtrack) and I listened to it for a couple years until 2021. In early 2024 I discovered that the song was a cover of an LC song called Everybody Knows. I listened for a few times and soon realized that I needed to enter the rabbit hole of his songs and poems. It grew. I heard about the forum via the Leonard Cohen Files website and immediately saw the love and dedication the users have for Leonard. Eventually the same year I bought the Sylvie Simmons biography of LC and was immersed. I've watched many of his interviews and performances and for some unknown reason I often felt a sense of calmness and motivation to write(I'm planning to become an author and director so his music gives me focus). My favorite songs from the man himself are: Everybody Knows, The Partisan, You Want It Darker, Story of Isaac, First We Take Manhattan, Teachers and Queen Victoria. I know that most of the youth from my country aren't aware on who he is... Leonard is rather unknown in my country. But I hope many people will know him in the future.

All the best,
Emilie