Woke Up This Morning
Leonard Cohen · Other Songs - Leonard Cohen
Deep down, to the front line
You woke up this morning
Got yourself a gun,
Mama always said youÂ’d be
The Chosen One.
She said: YouÂ’re one in a million
YouÂ’ve got to burn to shine,
But you were born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.
When you woke up this morning
All that love had gone,
Your Papa never told you
About right and wrong.
But youÂ’re
But youÂ’re looking good, baby,
I believe that youÂ’re a feeling fine,(shame about it),
Born under a bad sign
With a blue moon in your eyes.
So sing it now
Woke up this morning
Got a blue moon
Got a blue moon in your eyes
So sad
God damn
God damned shame about it
You woke up this morning
The world turned upside down, (Lord above),
ThingÂ’s ainÂ’t been the same
Since the Blues walked into town.
But youÂ’re
But youÂ’re one in a million
YouÂ’ve got that shotgun shine. (shame about it),
Born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.
When you woke up this morning everything was gone.
By half past ten your head was going ding-dong.
Ringing like a bell from your head down to your toes,
like a voice trying to tell you thereÂ’s something you should
know. Last night you were flying but today youÂ’re so low
- ainÂ’t it times like these that make you wonder if
youÂ’ll ever know the meaning of things as they appear to
the others; wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sisters and
brothers.
DonÂ’t you wish you didnÂ’t function, donÂ’t you wish you
didnÂ’t think beyond the next paycheck and the next little
drink?
Well you do so make up your mind to go on, ‘cos
when you woke up this morning everything you had was gone.
Woke up this morning,
Woke up this morning,
Woke up this morning,
You want to be,
You want to be the Chosen One.
Yeah, you know it.
Just canÂ’t help yourself, yeah.
Woke up this morning,
Woke up this morning,
Woke up this morning,
Got yourself a gun.
Got yourself a gun.
Got yourself a gun
Woke Up This Morning
Leonard Cohen's "Woke Up This Morning" stands as a quintessential example of his late-career introspection, blending folk and jazz influences with his signature poetic lyricism. Recorded during the final years of his life, the track reflects his deep engagement with themes of mortality, faith, and the passage of time, characteristic of his later discography. The song's haunting melody and Cohen's distinctive vocal delivery create an atmosphere of quiet contemplation, inviting listeners to ponder the cyclical nature of existence. As part of his extensive body of work, this recording exemplifies his ability to transform personal reflection into universal art, cementing his legacy as a profound voice in contemporary music.