Leonard Cohen – ‘Various Positions’
“Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin,” Leonard Cohen sings on the opening song to Various Positions. An album filled with the sharp corners of both tragedy and beauty, Various Positions is Cohen smashing the walls of a breakthrough, one filled with eloquence and unity as Jennifer Warnes dances in the teasing embers of Cohen’s deepening voice.
The best summary of Various Positions is perhaps one that ties to its title. Cohen may seem to be singing with clarity for the first time in all of his body of work, but the tortured poet holds on to his signature dose of mystery, often presenting seeds of sorrow as romance, reconciliation as heartbreak, or even tragedy.
Noting the change, Cohen described this as the most interesting thing about musical creativity. According to the singer, the entire process is enticing because it is always rooted in something that inspired you in the first place. ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’, for instance, may seem like a straightforward love song, but it was written after Cohen became intrigued by the classical music that would be performed in concentration camps.
A symbol of extreme dichotomy formed the basis of the song as Cohen became attracted to the strange presence of the music and how a setup so entrenched in tragedy could hold enough space for an extra vice, one that would offer escapism while simultaneously confronting realism in the face. The resulting song sounds upbeat, romantic even, but it is its exact façade that warrants such great power.
Its graceful execution also speaks volumes about Cohen’s ability to deliver classical-inspired music with a modern edge, his rhythms instigating passion in ways that could apply to almost anything. As Cohen once said, the meaning does not matter so long as the passion is felt, and that is precisely what ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’ achieves.
Putting down his usual guitar instrumentation, songs like ‘Coming Back to You’ reveal a new layer to Cohen, whose newfound romanticism draws from various touchstones. For someone who famously embraces darkness like a long-lost lover, this song is an incredibly warm love ballad detailing the singer’s relentless return to a cherished person or entity.
The use of the piano does not weaken or cheapen the arrangements. Instead, it presents the singer with a more emphatic edge despite the effortlessness with which he plays. Cohen reminds us that edges do not always have to be cutting; they can be authentic, mixing various emotions in ways that seem complex but comforting all the same.
With heartfelt odes alongside musings of the human condition, Various Positions takes on a more country and western flavour as Cohen explores religion, spirituality, loneliness, love, and relationships. ‘Heart with No Companion’ and ‘The Captain’ demonstrate this direction well, while ‘Hallelujah’ boasts a combination of traditional rock and gospel music as the singer restores a search for other-worldly holiness with melancholic and transcendental grace.
A repurposed prayer fills the walls of ‘If It Be Your Will’ in what could be considered Cohen’s most poignant song of all time. A composition about the beauty of acceptance, ‘If It Be Your Will’ invites a spiritual shedding of reality, offering respite in the form of surrender. There may be an element of surprise to what Cohen is insinuating, but the sweetness and honesty of his voice and the arrangements urge you to feel nothing but comfort.
Within Various Positions, Cohen approaches poetry with philosophical depth, inviting you to wrap yourself in the complexities of life’s mysteries. Each song leaves you with a meaningful message about life and its various forms of consciousness, telling you that, sometimes, seeking the unknown will yield just as much comfort as searching for omniscience.
Listen to Various Positions by Leonard Cohen below.