In 1992, Leonard Cohen released a song that contained his entire philosophy in two lines
Leonard Cohen described “Anthem” as the closest thing he had to a personal credo, distilled in the line, “There’s a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in.” The song matters because it expresses his view that imperfection and vulnerability can make room for insight.
Cohen’s writing drew on close examination of his own experiences, including attempts to find meaning through drugs, meditation and love. Biographer Sylvie Simmons said he wrote with an urgent sense that time was running out; Cohen also recalled fasting for ten days after writing intensely on the Greek island of Hydra and being hospitalised.
In short
- Cohen called “Anthem” his closest thing to a credo.
- He said imperfection lets light in.
- His songs grew from vulnerable self-examination.
Explained simply
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter and poet whose work often explored faith, love, ageing and the search for meaning. “Anthem” appeared on his 1992 album The Future, during a career in which he drew on religious traditions and his own experiences.
Cohen said the song came closest to expressing his personal credo. Its best-known lines suggest that flaws and hardship can leave room for understanding, an idea that reflects the wider themes of vulnerability and imperfection in his writing.