"There is a crack in everything..."

[David]

I distinctly remember reading a passage from Ralph Waldo Emerson in which he said something very, very similar to Leonard's verse in "Anthem," "There is a crack in everything / that's how the light gets in."

I have not been able to track it down, but I know it's in Emerson's writing somewhere. I wonder if anyone else has come upon this. I also wonder whether Leonard might actually have adopted the idea from reading Emerson.

David W.

[tom.d.stiller]

David, you're not talking about this passage out of "The Blind Student" from "Self-Reliance"?

They don't yet perceive that light, unsystematic, indomitable, will break into any cabin, even into theirs. Let them chirp awhile and call it their own. If they are honest and do well, soon their neat new box will be too small and confining, will crack, will bulge, will rot and vanish, and the immortal light, all young and joyful, million-orbed, million-colored, will beam over the universe as on the first morning.

(Italics by me)
Cheers
Tom

[David]

That's not the passage as I remember it, but it seems to be expressing something similar. I wonder if this particular passage is an expanding or an elaboration upon something previously written? I'll keep checking... many thanks!

David

[Jet]

Hello David,

Anthem is one of my favorite songs by Leonard Cohen. Although the first time I heard "There is a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in" I had to laugh. I think Leonard picked this phrase up during his Tennessee days. It was a very popular phrase by preachers and would generally go something like this:

"Since I got religion people say that I'm cracked, but I answer "That's how the Light got in." Or variations of the same.

[David]

Great anecdote, Jet!

I didn't know "Anthem" dated back that far, but I guess I'm not surprised.


David

[Andrew (Darby)]

As a matter of interest, it's nice to see that LC's "Anthem" is being included on the about to be released Peace Songs (War Child) album that various high profile artists have put together. (See Jarkko's News item on this forum.)

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)