Top 10 Best Songs by Leonard Cohen

Perhaps the most covered song ever, but the original remains unbeaten in its rawness. Cohen spent years writing the countless verses. It is a mix of the sacred and the profane; about sex, religion, and human brokenness. "It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah." The buildup, the choir, the lyrics: everything is perfect. A modern prayer for a godless world.

The song that started it all. A hypnotic description of a woman who is "half crazy" and feeds him tea and oranges by the river. The lyrics are pure poetry; mystical and sensual at the same time. The guitar accompaniment trickles like water. You see the images before you. It is a magical song that bewitches the listener.

One of his most beloved songs, written for his muse Marianne Ihlen. It is a farewell song, but full of love and beautiful memories. The melody is more cheerful than we are used to from him, with a singalong chorus. It captures the bittersweet atmosphere of a relationship that is over, but one you will never forget. Timeless nostalgia.

The title track of his last album, released shortly before his death. The bass line is ominous and the choir sounds like a service in the synagogue. Cohen is ready to go here. "Hineni, hineni; I'm ready, my Lord." His voice is just a deep whisper. It is an impressive, dark, and dignified farewell from a master.

Cohen's signature song. A country-like song about the search for freedom and the impossibility of always doing good. "I have tried in my way to be free." He begs for forgiveness for his mistakes. It is humble and sincere. The melody is simple and direct. A song that shows that even a poet struggles with life.

A letter set to music, written at four in the morning. It is addressed to a rival, a man who ran off with his wife ("Jane came by with a lock of your hair"). But instead of anger, there is forgiveness and understanding. The melody is spooky and sad. It is a complex story about a love triangle, masterfully told.

A cover of a French resistance song from World War II. The classical guitar and accordion give it a European, melancholic atmosphere. It is about fleeing, losing, and fighting on. Cohen sings it partly in French. The atmosphere of loneliness and determination in a cold landscape is palpable. A beautiful, cinematic song.

A Greek sirtaki melody that invites dancing, but the inspiration is dark: the orchestras in the concentration camps. Cohen sings about love stronger than death. "Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin." It is passionate, poignant, and infinitely romantic. A song that celebrates beauty amid terror.

An outspoken account of an affair with Janis Joplin in the famous Chelsea Hotel. It is raw and intimate ("You told me again you preferred handsome men, but for me you would make an exception"). The music is bare and sparse. It is a tribute to a bygone time and a lost love, without beautifying the facts. Painfully honest.

A cynical song with a driving synthesizer bass. Cohen lists the facts with his grave voice: everyone knows the world is rotten, the dice are loaded, and the plague is coming. It is dark, but also funny and rhythmic. A song that sounds like a smoky nightclub where the truth is finally told.