Teachers – English Lyrics

• By: Leonard Cohen
• Album: Songs of Leonard Cohen

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Leonard Cohen's "Teachers" – a profound folk song that, despite its seemingly simple melody, offers a rich tapestry of poetic lyrics. This track is an excellent choice for English learners, as Cohen's deliberate phrasing and evocative imagery provide a masterclass in nuanced expression. You can explore themes of existential questioning, the search for wisdom, and the complex landscape of the human heart, all while immersing yourself in the articulate and deeply moving language that makes Cohen a literary and musical icon.

[English]

I met a woman long ago

Her hair the black that black can go

"Are you a teacher of the heart?"

Soft she answered, "No"

I met a girl across the sea

Her hair the gold that gold can be

"Are you a teacher of the heart?"

"Yes, but not for thee"

I met a man who lost his mind

In some lost place I had to find

"Follow me", the wise man said

But he walked behind

I walked into a hospital

Where none was sick and none was well

When at night the nurses left

I could not walk at all

...

Morning came and then came noon

Dinner time, a scalpel blade

Lay beside my silver spoon

Some girls wander by mistake

Into the mess that scalpels make

"Are you the teachers of my heart?"

"We teach old hearts to break"

One morning I woke up alone

The hospital and the nurses gone

"Have I carved enough, my Lord?"

"Child, you are a bone"

...

I ate and ate and ate

No, I did not miss a plate

"Well, how much do these suppers cost?"

"We'll take it out in hate"

I spent my hatred everyplace

...

On every work on every face

Someone gave me wishes

And I wished for an embrace

Several girls embraced me

Then I was embraced by men

"Is my passion perfect?"

"No, do it once again"

I was handsome I was strong

I knew the words of every song

"Did my singing please you?"

"No, the words you sang were wrong"

"Who is it whom I address

Who takes down what I confess?

Are you the teachers of my heart?"

"We teach old hearts to rest"

"Oh, teachers are my lessons done?

I cannot do another one"

They laughed and laughed and said

"Well, child, are your lessons done?"

"Are your lessons done?"

"Are your lessons done?"

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
teacher /ˈtiːtʃər/ B1	noun - a person who teaches, especially in a school
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ in the chest that pumps blood through the body; the center of emotion
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
hospital /ˈhɒspɪtəl/ A2	noun - an institution where people are treated for illnesses or injuries
scalpel /ˈskælpəl/ C1	noun - a small, sharp knife used by surgeons
mess /mes/ B1	noun - a state of confusion or untidiness
embrace /ɪmˈbreɪs/ B2	noun - the act of holding someone closely in your arms verb - to hold someone closely in your arms
passion /ˈpæʃən/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement
lessons /ˈlesənz/ A2	noun - a period of learning or teaching; something learned through experience
met /met/ A1	verb - past tense of meet; to come together with someone
wander /ˈwɒndər/ B2	verb - to move around without a specific destination
teach /tiːtʃ/ A2	verb - to give knowledge or instruction to someone
break /breɪk/ A2	verb - to separate into pieces; to interrupt
carved /kɑːrvd/ B2	verb - past tense of carve; to cut into a surface to create a design
hatred /ˈheɪtrɪd/ C1	noun - extreme dislike or disgust
wise /waɪz/ B2	adjective - having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment
lost /lɒst/ B1	adjective - unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts verb - past tense of lose; to no longer have something
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - having no one else present; on one's own

Key Grammar Structures

• I met a woman long ago

  ➔ Past Simple Tense & Adverbial Phrase of Time

  ➔ The verb "met" indicates a completed action in the past. "Long ago" is an adverbial phrase that specifies the time of the action.

• Her hair the black that black can go

  ➔ Relative Clause (reduced) & Intensifier

  ➔ The relative clause "that black can go" is reduced. The word "that" acts as a relative pronoun. The use of "the" before a color to emphasize intensity.

• "Are you a teacher of the heart?"

  ➔ Present Simple Tense (interrogative)

  ➔ The question is formed using the auxiliary verb "are" before the subject "you".

• Yes, but not for thee"

  ➔ Conjunction (but) & Archaic Pronoun

  ➔ "But" is used to connect contrasting ideas. "Thee" is an archaic form of "you" (objective case).

• I walked into a hospital

  ➔ Past Simple Tense & Prepositional Phrase of Place

  ➔ The verb "walked" is in the past simple tense. "Into a hospital" is a prepositional phrase indicating location.

• I could not walk at all

  ➔ Modal Verb (could) & Adverb of Degree (at all)

  ➔ "Could" is used to express the ability in the past. "At all" intensifies the negative.

• Some girls wander by mistake

  ➔ Present Simple Tense & Adverbial Phrase of Manner

  ➔ The verb "wander" is in the present simple, describing a habitual action or a general truth. "By mistake" is an adverbial phrase indicating the manner.

• "We teach old hearts to break"

  ➔ Present Simple Tense & Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The verb "teach" is in the present simple. "To break" is an infinitive used to express purpose (why they teach).

• I ate and ate and ate

  ➔ Past Simple Tense (Repetition)

  ➔ The verb "ate" is in the past simple tense and is repeated to emphasize the action and duration.

• Well, how much do these suppers cost?

  ➔ Present Simple Tense (interrogative) & Quantifier

  ➔ The question is formed using the auxiliary verb "do" before the subject "these suppers". "How much" is a quantifier phrase asking about the price.