You can usually stir up debate by comparing song lyrics to poetry. As a publication that highlights the exploits of songwriters, we believe that writing a song presents a unique set of challenges and ...

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. Inspired by last night’s news of the death of legendary songwriter ...

To paraphrase a saying attributed to Buddha, when the student is ready, the Leonard Cohen song will appear. Philosopher king and ladies’ man, poet and ordained Buddhist monk, aesthete and pilgrim — in ...

Leonard Cohen once said that “music is the emotional life of most people.” For any other artist, that might have seemed like a throwaway comment that rang true enough for a soundbite, but Cohen lived ...

The makers of a documentary on the singer-songwriter took a deep dive into his “writing and rewriting and erasing” to better understand the man. By Nicolas Rapold The documentary “Hallelujah: Leonard ...