The Great Event
Leonard Cohen · More Best Of
The great event, which will end the horror
Which will end the sorrow
Next Tuesday when the sun goes down
I will play the Moonlight Sonata backwards
This will reverse the effects of the worldÂ’s mad plunge
Into suffering, for the last 200 million years
What a lovely night that would be
What a sigh of relief, as the senile robins
Become bright red again, and the retired nightingales
Pick up their dusty tails, and assert the Majesty of Creation
The Great Event
Leonard Cohen's 'The Great Event' stands as a profound meditation on mortality and the inevitability of death, delivered with his signature baritone gravity. Recorded during the late 1980s, the track captures the poet-musician at a pivotal moment of artistic introspection, blending his literary depth with a sparse, atmospheric musical arrangement. The song reflects Cohen's enduring preoccupation with spiritual transition and the quiet dignity found in life's final moments. As part of his extensive discography, it complements his broader body of work, which ranges from folk-inflected storytelling to darker, more experimental compositions. The recording remains a testament to Cohen's ability to transform personal reflection into universal resonance, offering listeners a contemplative space to consider the nature of existence and the passage of time without relying on grandiose gestures.