Leonard Cohen has made an incredible living through his long-standing lyrical genius – even before he began his research into that elusive “secret chord”. While many musicians his age hung up their boots years ago, Cohen has not missed a step and in 2014, he released his thirteenth album, Popular Problems to wide-spread acclaim – something few his age can manage. Cohen’s brand of mixed gospel, rock, folk, blues and pop music has endured past his eightieth birthday and his legacy was cemented with “Hallelujah” – one of the most covered songs in history – by 1984.
Having hit eighty years old, one would be forgiven for thinking that the Canadian elder statesman would take retirement, but no, Cohen decided he would make one of his numerous previously unreleased tracks available to the public (as a prelude to the release of his latest live album). This song: “Got a Little Secret” – a call-and-response gospel-infused track that is just as good as the likes of “Avalanche” from 1971 Songs of Love and Hate; his third album since his 1967 début.
With a few aesthetic similarities to the likes of Tom Waits’ “A Little Drop of Poison”, “Got a Little Secret” exhibits the matured baritone that is all-but trademarked by Leonard Cohen and his inimitable style. The call-and-response used throughout the track has been used far and wide in music outside of gospel (think “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen) but there are few who use the age-old feature of slave songs as effectively as Cohen.
His lyrical genius is clearly unerring too, as his latest offering tackles that which worries all his age: death. He references heaven and hell, falling asleep prematurely and seeing the effects age has on the individual. One particular stand-out line comes with “I made a date in Heaven, oh Lord / But I’ve been keepin’ it in Hell” as he speaks of the inevitability of the existential predicament.
What is clear from this latest titbit from Leonard Cohen is that, unlike The Who or The Rolling Stones (who are actually younger than Mr Cohen CC GOQ), he is not living on past glories; he still feels as though he is honing his craft and if this is what the venerable one is releasing at eighty, there’s still no signs of him slowing down!
