This is a post about the song release. If you’d like to learn more about the story and analysis of the original song and this cover, please check out this page with more details of Who By Fire cover by Leonard Cohen.
WHO BY FIRE Lyrics
Who in the sunshine, who in the night time
Who by high ordeal, who by common trial
Who in your merry merry month of may
Who by very slow decay
And who shall I say is calling?
Who in these realms of love, who by something blunt
Who by avalanche, who by powder
Who for his greed, who for his hunger
And who shall I say is calling?
Who in solitude, who in this mirror
Who by his lady’s command, who by his own hand
Who in mortal chains, who in power
And who shall I say is calling?
More About WHO BY FIRE
This remains a meaningful song decades after it was written. The lyrics are relatively simple, or at least they seem simple, but the song structure is quite unique. Nearly every line starts with “who by” and asks mortal questions that make the listener take a deeper look inside themselves.
Of course, the word “death” is never mentioned in this song, but that’s what this song is about – who will die and under what circumstances. That’s what makes this song timeless. These types of questions remain deeply meaningful to each individual.
Here is a longer write-up about this Who By Fire cover.