Almost Like the Blues
Echoes of Despair: Leonard Cohen's Poetic Reflection on Human Suffering
Lyrics
I saw some people starving
I witnessed people experiencing extreme hunger.
There was murder, there was rape
Instances of murder and rape were occurring.
Their villages were burning
Their communities were in flames, and they were trying to flee.
They were trying to escape
The people were attempting to escape the dire situation.
I couldn't meet their glances
I couldn't make eye contact with them.
I was staring at my shoes
I was looking down at my shoes, perhaps feeling guilt or helplessness.
It was acid, it was tragic
The situation was corrosive and sorrowful.
It was almost like the blues
The experience was akin to the emotion of blues music.
It was almost like the blues
The feeling resembled the blues genre, expressing deep emotions.
I have to die a little
I have to endure a small death between each dark and murderous thought.
Between each murderous thought
There is a toll on the soul after each contemplation of violence.
And when I'm finished thinking
After contemplating, I have to face a significant emotional struggle.
I have to die a lot
There is a substantial emotional cost to my thoughts.
There's torture and there's killing
In the world, there is both torture and killing.
And there's all my bad reviews
I also face criticism and negative feedback.
The war, the children missing
There is war and the tragic absence of children.
Lord, it's almost like the blues
This situation is almost like experiencing the blues.
It's almost like a blues
The experience is comparable to the emotional depth of blues music.
So I let my heart get frozen
I intentionally make my heart cold to avoid decay or corruption.
To keep away the rot
This freezing of emotions is a defense mechanism.
My father says I'm chosen
My father believes I am chosen for a special purpose.
My mother says I'm not
However, my mother disagrees and sees me differently.
I listened to their story
I heard their stories, particularly about the Gypsies and Jews.
Of the Gypsies and the Jews
The stories were engaging and not dull.
It was good, it wasn't boring
The narratives were almost like the emotional intensity of blues.
It was almost like the blues
The stories resonated with the emotional depth of blues music.
It was almost like the blues
The experience was reminiscent of the blues genre.
There is no God in Heaven
The assertion is made that there is no divine being in the heavens.
And there is no Hell below
Similarly, there is no hell beneath the earth.
So says the great professor
This perspective is presented by a knowledgeable figure.
Of all there is to know
This figure claims comprehensive knowledge of all there is to know.
But I've had the invitation
Despite this, I've received an invitation that a sinner cannot reject.
That a sinner can't refuse
This invitation feels almost like a form of salvation.
And it's almost like salvation
The experience is akin to the emotional depth of blues music.
It's almost like the blues
It's almost like the blues, expressing deep emotions.
It's almost like a blues
This experience is comparable to the emotional depth of blues music.
Almost like a blues
Almost like experiencing the emotional depth of blues.
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