In September 2014, Leonard Cohen released the brilliant album “Popular Problems”, which was very warmly received by critics and music lovers. A few months later, when the passion for the novelty from the legendary musician subsided, one of the tracks from the disc again attracted the attention of the public. We are talking about the composition “Nevermind”, which became the main theme of the second part of the American detective television series True Detective.
But the history of the song began much earlier. The lyrics were posted as “Never Mind” on Cohen’s fansite back in 2005. A little later, the poem was included in the poetry collection “Book of Longing”. When it evolved into a piece of music, the words underwent some changes, and the title began to be written in one word.
The lyrics of the song talk about the war and its aftermath. If you take into account the Arabic tunes performed by Donna DeLaurie, which sound between the verses, you might think that we are talking about armed conflicts in the Middle East. It is also worth remembering that in 1973, Leonard was going to fight in the ranks of the Israeli army during the Yom Kippur War. He was not taken as a volunteer, but was allowed to speak to soldiers on the front lines.
On the other hand, it is possible that the war here is nothing more than a metaphor, and the song deals with the frailty of being. Since the author refrained from explaining the essence of “Nevermind”, we can only express our own versions of the interpretation of the meaning of the song.
The composition became the seventh track of the album “Popular Problems”, which rose to high positions in the charts of many countries. It was not released as a single.
Interesting Facts
- Although the song is titled “Nevermind”, the lyrics use the phrase “never mind”.
- The song opens episodes of True Detective 2.
- The True Detective II episodes feature shortened versions of the song with slightly different lyrics.
Lyrics of Nevermind by Leonard Cohen
The war was lost
The treaty signed
I was not caught
I crossed the line
I was not caught
thought many tried
I live among you
Well-disguised
Agreement signed
I didn’t get caught
I crossed the border
I didn’t get caught
Although many have tried
I live among you
Safely hidden I had to leave
my life behind
I dug some graves
You’ll never find
The story’s told
With facts and lies
I had a name
But never mind
former life
I dug some graves
that you will never find
The story has been told
With facts and lies
I had a name
But never mind
Never mind
The war was lost
The treaty signed
There’s Truth that lives
And Truth that dies
I don’t know which
So never mind
Never mind
The war is lost
Agreement signed
There is Truth that lives
And the truth that is dead
I don’t know what
So never mindYour victory
was so complete
Some among you
Thought to keep
A record of
Our little lives
The clothes we wore
Our spoons our knivesYour victory
Was so absolute
some of you
were going to lead
Count
Our humble lives
our clothes,
Our spoons, our knives The games of luck
Our soldiers played
The stones we cut
The songs we made
Our law of peace
Which understands
Husband leads
A wife commands gambling,
Which our soldiers played
The stones that we cut
The songs we wrote
Our right to peace
implying
What the husband leads
And the wife commands and all of these
expressions of the
sweet indifference
Some called love
The high indifference
Some call fate
But we had names
More intimate and all these
Manifestations
Sweet indifference
Some called love
Supreme indifference
Some call fate
But we have titles
Names so deep
And names so true
They’re blood to me
Dust to you
There is no need
And this survives
There’s Truth that lives
And Truth that dies The names are so mysterious
And the names are so true
They are blood for me
And dust for you
They don’t need
And it will always be:
There is Truth that lives
And the truth that is dead never mind
Never mind
I leave the life
I left behind
There’s Truth that lives
And Truth that dies
I don’t know which
So never mind
Never mind
I left life
I left her in the past
There is Truth that lives
And the truth that is dead
I don’t know which one
So never mind I could not kill
The way you kill
I could not hate
I tried, I failed
You turned me in
At least you tried
You side with them whom
You despise I couldn’t kill
the way you are
I couldn’t hate
I tried but I couldn’t
I’ve been betrayed
At least they tried
You support those
Who do you despise? This was your heart
This swarm of flies
This was once your mouth
This bowl of lies
You serve them well
I’m not surprised
You’re of their kind
You’re of their kind
swarm of flies
This was your mouth
cup of lies
You serve them faithfully
I am not surprised
You are their breed
You are one of them Never mind
Never mind
I had to leave my
life behind
The story’s told
With facts and lies
You own the world
So never mind
Never mind
I had to leave
former life
The story is told
With facts and lies
You own the world
So never mind
Never mind
I live the life
I left behind
I live it full
I live it wide
Through layers of time
You can’t divide
Never mind
I live life
left in the past
I live to the fullest
I live wide
Crossing layers of time
You can’t share My woman’s here
My children too
Their graves are safe
From ghosts like you
In places deep
With roots entwined
I live the life
I left behind
Children too
Their graves are protected
From ghosts like you
At a depth,
entwined with roots
I live life
The war was lost
The treaty signed
I was not caught
Across the line
I was not caught
Tho many tried
I live among you
Well-disguised
Agreement signed
I didn’t get caught
On the other side of the border
I didn’t get caught
Although many have tried
I live among you
Safely hiding
