By The Rivers Dark
Leonard Cohen · Other Songs - Leonard Cohen
I wandered on.
I lived my life
in Babylon.
And I did forget
My holy song:
And I had no strength
in Babylon.
By the rivers dark
Where I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me.
And he cut my lip
And he cut my heart.
So I could not drink
From the river dark.
And he covered me,
and I saw within,
My lawless heart
And my wedding ring.
I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there,
Who was hunting me
By the rivers dark
I panicked on.
I belonged at last
To Babylon.
Then he struck my heart
With a deadly force,
And he said, "This heart"
It is not yours."
And he gave the wind
My wedding ring:
And he circled us
With everything.
By the rivers dark,
In a wounded dawn,
I live my life
In Babylon.
Though I take my song
From a withered limb,
Both song and tree,
They sing for him.
Be the truth unsaid
And the blessing gone,
If I forget
My Babylon.
I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there.
Who was hunting me.
By the rivers dark,
Where it all goes on:
By the rivers dark,
In Babylon.
By The Rivers Dark
Leonard Cohen's "By The Rivers Dark" stands as a haunting centerpiece in his late-career output, exemplifying the artist's signature blend of spiritual inquiry and melancholic storytelling. Recorded during the final years of his life, the track reflects Cohen's enduring fascination with biblical imagery and the complexities of human emotion. The song's atmospheric production and Cohen's distinctive, gravelly vocal delivery create a somber yet transcendent listening experience, characteristic of his work from the 1990s onward. It captures the essence of his later discography, where themes of mortality, faith, and the passage of time are woven into poetic narratives that resonate across generations. The recording serves as a testament to his ability to distill profound existential questions into accessible, emotionally resonant music.