leonardcohenforum.com

Hi,

I believe that Leonard likely indicated a belief, on his part, that as a songwriter he was a conduit
for material that was sourced from God. "Going Home" contains these words: "He will speak these words
of wisdom / Like a sage, a man of vision / Though he knows he's really nothing / But the brief elaboration
of a tube." The self-knowledge part and other words reflect humility. The "tube," I take to be the television tube, a component of televisions of days gone by. Okay, that's the first clue. The second arises in "Treaty" with "aerial," another television related reference, at least to me. (There was a time when aerial antennas were on many residential roofs.) Aerial is in the lyrics of "Treaty" as: "You were my aerial." Both songs are God-involved. Very interesting, you may find, is that "tube" was initially misheard by many as "tune." I misheard "aerial" also. Till checking the CD insert, I heard it as "hero." "Hero" worked quite well for me in the context of the song. Did you hear "aerial" as it appears in the lyrics insert? "Tube" and "aerial" conceivably could have been intentionally used in ways likely to be misheard. If so, this could have been Leonard's way of not grandstanding on a belief, if it was present for him, that he was a conduit. He adhered to an artist's life, as one would to a higher calling. For that we're blessed.

One of the main tenets of Esotericism (which is, essentially, a synthesis of ideas from philosophy, religion and spirituality) is that some musical artists are, in fact, conduits for the greater beings (gods and others who live in realms above and beyond the earthly realm). Music itself, in esoteric thought (at least, really great music!) is of the realm of the gods -- it is of a universal nature and not of the earthly realm at all. So, gifted musical artists (who are, essentially, "chosen" by the gods to be their conduits) are those who are able to open doors to these other, higher realms, and through whom this divine music can flow, so that the rest of us can get a glimpse of the divine, a taste of the transcendent realms where the gods and music itself resides. (Some esotericists are monotheists, some are polytheists -- there are no strict doctrines.)

Considering Leonard's interests, I suspect that he's read a few books on esoteric thought, and thus he would be familiar with the concept of a musical artist as a conduit. Or, he may have come to that conclusion on his own! Regardless, and as you say, perhaps he deliberately obscured his belief on this matter though the use of vague and/or unexpected words, or maybe that was the clearest way he found to express it, or maybe he was implying other references altogether by using such words, since he has been known to write lyrics that are open to various interpretations!

What we can most definitely agree upon without any question whatsoever, no vagueness at all, is that we are "blessed" that he shared his art with us, from wherever it originated.

Hi Steven ~

My understanding on the tube reference comes from a discussion here some time ago when it was described in the literal context of our physical, chromosomal structure. Not sure if I'm naming the correct aspect of ourselves, but it came down to our physical, microscopic structure as living beings.

It's good to read you here.