13 June 2025

Zen scholar and teacher, Shinzen Young, provides commentary on Leonard Cohen‘s song, Love Itself from the album Ten New Songs (2001).

Check it out and then send me a message.

Lyrics

The light came through the window

Straight from the sun above

And so inside my little room

There plunged the rays of love

In streams of light I clearly saw

The dust you seldom see

Out of which the nameless makes

A name for one like me

I’ll try to say a little more

Love went on and on

Until it reached an open door –

Then love itself

Love itself was gone

All busy in the sunlight

The flecks did float and dance

And I was tumbled up with them

In formless circumstance

I’ll try to say a little more

Love went on and on

Until it reached an open door –

Then love itself

Love itself was gone

Then I came back from where I’d been

My room, it looked the same –

But there was nothing left between

The nameless and the name

(Nameless and the name)

All busy in the sunlight

The flecks did float and dance

And I was tumbled up with them

In formless circumstance

I’ll try to say a little more

Love went on and on

Until it reached an open door –

Then love itself

Love itself was gone

Love itself

Love itself was gone