You Want It Darker

Lyrics

[Leonard Cohen]  
If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game  
If you are the healer, it means I'm broken and lame  
If thine is the glory then mine must be the shame  
You want it darker  
We kill the flame  
  
Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name  
Vilified, crucified, in the human frame  
A million candles burning for the help that never came  
You want it darker  
Hineni, hineni  
I'm ready, my Lord  
  
There's a lover in the story  
But the story's still the same  
There's a lullaby for suffering  
And a paradox to blame  
But it's written in the scriptures  
And it's not some idle claim  
You want it darker  
We kill the flame  
  
They're lining up the prisoners  
And the guards are taking aim  
I struggled with some demons  
They were middle-class and tame  
I didn't know I had permission to murder and to maim  
You want it darker  
  
Hineni, hineni  
I'm ready, my Lord  
  
Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name  
Vilified, crucified, in the human frame  
A million candles burning for the love that never came  
You want it darker  
We kill the flame  
  
If you are the dealer, let me out of the game  
If you are the healer, I'm broken and lame  
If thine is the glory, mine must be the shame  
You want it darker  
  
Hineni, hineni  
Hineni, hineni  
I'm ready, my Lord  
  
[Outro: Cantor Gideon Zelermyer]  
Hineni  
Hineni, hineni  
Hineni