RFI: What do you think Leonard Cohen's 'Who By Fire' is about?

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Someone died recently and at the end of the email she appended the lyrics to 'Who By Fire' and was wondering what is your take on Who By Fire?

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Saturday, 7 February 2004 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

In the Jom-Kippur-War Cohen voluntarily offered to be able to sing before Isreali Soldiers. He described this experience in his Song "Who by the Fire", which is based on a Jom-Kippur Prayer. "This Song is derived directly from a Hebrew Prayer, which is sung in the evening on the Day of Atonement. The tradition is as follows, the book of life is opened, and everyone, who in the following year would live and die, are listed within. The melody is not however stolen, rather I have derived it from the melody which I heard when I was sat in a synagogue. And of course the ending of my song is something different. Who shall I say is calling? - This is my kind of prayer: Who is it, or what is it, which determines man's life?"

Nevermind!

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Saturday, 7 February 2004 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Who By Fire?", based on a prayer recited at the sacred time of atonement - when reconciliation is effected, echoes the response-to-the-voice that repeatedly finds expression in his later work. But the context to the original prayer is one of judgement; a call to self-examination. There can be no reconciliation without that, is the inference. In whatever experience or danger man faces - fire or water, sunshine or night-time, in high ordeal or common trial, etc - who can be said to be calling? Who? is the resonant question which throbs and trembles throughout this song. Whose is the unseen, ubiquitous voice? Who is calling? Clearly a power that dominates the experiences, that is heard over the dangers. But who?

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Saturday, 7 February 2004 13:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I prefer 'Everybody Knows' as an endsong, though.

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Saturday, 7 February 2004 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm still trying to figure out the order of events in your question.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 7 February 2004 17:00 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah having been through hebrew school i never once wondered where this song came from

beautiful song from a beautiful record

― amateur!st (amateurist), Sunday, 8 February 2004 03:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Can someone tell me who the girl is that's singing on this song? I love her voice.

― may pang (maypang), Sunday, 8 February 2004 03:09 (twenty-two years ago)

My first exposure to this song was through the Coil cover. It's kinda tainted my feelings about the song ever since.

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 8 February 2004 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"who by very very slow decay" is the best line

― amateur!st (amateurist), Sunday, 8 February 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Its a very strange song, bibilical but concerned with the questioning of death/life. obsessed with the song since recieving the email. astonished.

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Sunday, 8 February 2004 19:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Who by Fire seems to acknowledge this great power that acts upon us - with terror and wonderment yet Everybody Knows paints the world and the power questioned in Who By Fire as something cynical, something pained, something known. Who by Fire seems more religious than Everybody Knows. "Everybody knows you live forever when you've had a line or two"

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Sunday, 8 February 2004 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

It makes perfect sense that she attached 'Who by Fire' to the email. It is not a wearied death/end song but one of wonder: Who shall I say is calling? Etc.

― Jimmy the Saint (Jimmy the Saint), Sunday, 8 February 2004 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

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