Leonard Cohen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on this day in 2008, but it wasn’t something that he expected to happen. Cohen took the stage to accept his award in a dapper tuxedo after being introduced by Lou Reed. The two held a mutual appreciation for each other, and Reed declared, “We’re so lucky to be alive at the same time Leonard Cohen is.”
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Cohen, meanwhile, quoted a less favorable review of himself in his acceptance speech. He recalled a comment from former music critic and current Rock Hall nomination committee head Jon Landau. In the 70s, Landau said, “I have seen the future of rock and roll and it is not Leonard Cohen.” Quoting that line while being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seems like Cohen throwing subtle shade while also staying dignified and refined, as he was known to be.
Still, even with that little dig to Landau, Leonard Cohen called his induction an “unlikely occasion.” It wasn’t something he expected in his lifetime, or possibly at all. “It is not a distinction that I coveted or even dared dream about,” he said.
He then recited the lyrics from his 1988 track “Tower of Song,” which opens with the lines, “Well, my friends are gone and my hair is grey / I ache in the places where I used to play / And I’m crazy for love but I’m not coming on / I’m just paying my rent every day in the Tower of Song.” It’s essentially a reflection on a life of music and poetry that has come near to its end, and a deliberate choice from Leonard Cohen.
Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen’s Mutual Admiration for Each Other
Before Leonard Cohen took the stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Lou Reed sang his praises in an introduction. He recited some of Cohen’s lyrics as well.
“You get to really appreciate somebody’s songs when you sing them,” said Reed. He then quoted “One of Us Cannot Be Wrong,” saying, “I showed my heart to the doctor / He said I’d just have to quit / Then he wrote himself a prescription / And your name was mentioned in it.”
Reed continued, “He could have stopped there,” adding, “[And] he just gets better. We’re so lucky to be alive at the same time Leonard Cohen is.”
Having Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen on the same stage is like having God and Jesus in the same room together, at least in a poetic sense. Reed and Cohen pulled alongside each other in the way they were constantly experimenting in their careers—Reed with genre and style, Cohen with lyrics and imagery. They held a mutual respect and admiration for each other, which began in 1966 when Leonard Cohen met Lou Reed and decided he wanted to become part of the New York scene.
Featured Image by Tom Hill/WireImage
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