Leonard Cohen (1988)
Leonard Cohen’s song “Everybody Knows” conveys a bleak and cynical view of the world, addressing themes like social inequality, disillusionment, and the inevitability of suffering. The lyrics suggest that while people may be aware of harsh realities, they often accept them as unchangeable truths.
Every once in a while, it’s good to get an update on the state of the world from someone with a point of view a bit more enlightened than some periodical or the evening news. Leonard Cohen delivered just such an update on his 1988 classic “Everybody Knows,” a song that was thrillingly comprehensive in its overview then and somehow remains chillingly accurate now about the threats facing this planet and the foibles of the poor fools who inhabit it.
Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died