Cohen’s legal camp warns Trump – you want it darker?

Enigmatic troubadour Leonard Cohen discussed very little about politics in his 60 year career, only to say that he wasn’t cool with extremism of any kind.

Leonard was happy being a politician of the broken heart.

But his legal team believe that the urbane and charming poet would be fuming after Trump’s camp included Hallelujah as a grand anthemic call to the beleaguered people of the US at the recent Republican National Convention.

And not only did they use it once – they had a second go at it too!

So, in a statement, representatives from Cohen’s estate and Sony ATV Music Publishing said they are “exploring legal options” for the unauthorized use.

Michelle L. Rice, legal representative of Leonard Cohen’s estate, wrote “we are surprised and dismayed that the RNC would proceed knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically declined the RNC’s use request, and their rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit in such an egregious manner ‘Hallelujah’, one of the most important songs in the Cohen song catalogue.”

And with a wryness ol’ Leonard would have been proud of, she said that had the RNC requested Cohen’s “You Want It Darker,” they may have reconsidered.

The use of Cohen’s song at the convention in the US brought strong reactions from fans, many who said it was totally inappropriate, coming on the heels of a the violence against the African-American community and an economy in turmoil and the pandemic.

Many critics also say Trump’s camp didn’t understand the song and saw it as purely a religious work. But the song has far more meaning a depth and is more about the horrendous break up of a relationship than anything else.

Even though he did not of talk politics, Leonard, had a recurrent theme in his songs. In Democracy (The Future) Cohen wrote, “From the wars against disorder/ From the sirens night and day/ From the fires of the homeless/ From the ashes of the gay/ Democracy is coming to the USA”.

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