You Want It Darker (song)

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"You Want It Darker"
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker single.png
Single by Leonard Cohen
from the album You Want It Darker
ReleasedSeptember 21, 2016 (2016-09-21)
Length3:48
Label Columbia
Composer(s) Patrick Leonard
Lyricist(s) Leonard Cohen
Producer(s)

"You Want It Darker" is a song by Canadian poet and musician Leonard Cohen, released on September 21, 2016, Cohen's 82nd birthday. [1] It is the title track from Cohen's album You Want It Darker . [2] The song earned the artist a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance and features the vocals of Cantor Gideon Zelermyer and Shaar Hashomayim Choir. [3]

Alexis Petridis describes the song as "a menacing critique of religion" that "flips from anger to resigned acceptance and back again". [2] Far Out and American Songwriter ranked the song number seven and number three, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Leonard Cohen songs. [4] [5]

The song was recorded by Iggy Pop for the 2022 tribute album Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen. [6]

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References

  1. Greene, Andy (21 September 2016). "Hear Leonard Cohen's Mesmerizing New Song 'You Want It Darker'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (20 October 2016). "Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker review – still changing, still full of life". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  3. "60th Grammy Nominees". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  4. Taylor, Tom (November 7, 2021). "Leonard Cohen's 10 greatest songs of all time". Far Out . Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  5. Patton, Alli (March 8, 2023). "Top 10 Songs by Leonard Cohen". American Songwriter . Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
  6. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/iggy-pop-cover-leonard-cohen-you-want-it-darker/