A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes – English Lyrics

• By: Leonard Cohen
• Album: Songs from a Room

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Leonard Cohen's poetic world with "A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes," a profound song that offers a raw look at unrecognized heroism and the silent burdens of individuals. Through its evocative lyrics, you can explore themes of alienation, war's impact, and the desire to tell one's truth, making it a powerful piece for understanding deeper human experiences and Cohen's masterful storytelling in English.

[English]

A bunch of lonesome and very quarrelsome heroes

Were smoking out along the open road

The night was very dark and thick between them

Each man beneath his ordinary load

"I'd like to tell my story"

Said one of them so young and bold

"I'd like to tell my story

Before I turn into gold"

But no one really could hear him

The night so dark and thick and green

Well, I guess that these heroes must always live there

Where you and I have only been

Put out your cigarette, my love

You've been alone too long

And some of us are very hungry now

To hear what it is you've done that was so wrong

I sing this for the crickets

I sing this for the army

I sing this for your children

And for all who do not need me

"I'd like to tell my story,"

Said one of them so bold

"Oh, yes, I'd like to tell my story

'Cause you know, I feel I'm turning into gold"

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lonesome /ˈlʌnsəm/ B1	adjective - sad because one is alone
quarrelsome /ˈkwɔːrəlsəm/ B2	adjective - tending to argue or fight
smoke /sməʊk/ A2	verb - to inhale and exhale tobacco
open /ˈoʊpən/ A1	adjective - not closed or blocked
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light
thick /θɪk/ A2	adjective - not thin or fine
ordinary /ˈɔːrdnəri/ B1	adjective - normal or usual
bold /boʊld/ B1	adjective - showing courage
gold /goʊld/ A1	noun - a precious yellow metal
hear /hɪr/ A1	verb - to perceive sound
green /ɡriːn/ A1	adjective - of the color between blue and yellow
hungry /ˈhʌŋɡri/ A1	adjective - needing food
wrong /rɒŋ/ A1	adjective - not correct or true
cricket /ˈkrɪkɪt/ A2	noun - a jumping insect
army /ˈɑːrmi/ A1	noun - a large organized group of soldiers