One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong

Leonard Cohen · Complete Studio Albums Collection [2011]

I lit a thin green candle

to make you jealous of me

but the room just filled with mosquitos

they heard that my body was free

then I took the dust from a long sleepless night

and I put it in your little shoe

then I confess that I tortured the dress

that you wore for the world to look through.



I showed my heart to the doctor

He said I'd just have to quit

Then he wrote himself a prescription

and your name was mentioned in it

then he locked himself in a library shelf

with the details of our honeymoon

and I hear from the nurse that he's gotten much worse

and his practice is all in a ruin.



I heard of a saint who had loved you

so I studied all night in his school

He taught that the duty of lovers

was to tarnish the golden rule

And just when I was sure that his teachings were pure

he drowned himself in a pool

His body is gone but back here on the lawn

his spirit continues to drool.



An eskimo showed me a movie

he'd recently taken of you

the poor man could hardly stop shivering

his lips and his fingers were blue

I suppose that he froze when the wind took your clothes

and I guess he just never got warm

But you stand there so nice in your blizzard of ice

O please let me come into the storm.

One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong

Leonard Cohen's "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" stands as a poignant testament to his mastery of melancholic storytelling and spiritual introspection. Recorded for his comprehensive studio discography, the track exemplifies Cohen's signature blend of folk, jazz, and art song influences, characterized by his distinctive baritone and poetic lyricism. The composition explores themes of shared human frailty and the inevitability of collective error, delivered with a haunting, atmospheric production that defines the era's introspective mood. As a key component of his extensive catalog, the recording reinforces his status as a profound voice in contemporary music, bridging the gap between personal confession and universal truth through its evocative musical arrangement and timeless vocal delivery.