Lyrics of Leonard & Marianne — Bastille

Song Info

A love story between the late Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen and Norwegian Marianne Ihlen was the inspiration for Bastille's fifth track on the album titled "&" Ampersand. At the time, Ihlen was on the Greek island of Hydra with her husband Axel Jensen. Here is where they took their first meeting at the Katsikas store (Roloi Cafe) on Hydra harbour. Following an extended period where the conditions in their relationship kept getting worse, Jensen would later leave her along with their kid. After which Leonard and Marianne became lovers. She had been Leonard Cohen's source of inspiration and muse during the years that his first songs were written, where it catapulted his fame. Regardless, Leonard and Marianne's lives eventually became increasingly far from one another, in part because of the different ways of living that they ultimately adopted. Cohen wrote "Leonard & Marianne," which is written from his point of view many years after the couple had separated.

• Album: “&” (Ampersand)
• Release Date: September 13, 2024
• Producers: Mark Crew & Dan Smith
• Writers: Dan Smith & Dan Wilson
• Mastering Engineer: Emily Lazar
• Genre: UK Pop
• Featured Musicians: Charlie Barnes (Piano), Rachel Lander (Cello), Ciara Ismail & Stephanie Benedetti (Violin)

Top 8 Songs Similar to "Leonard & Marianne" by Bastille

1. "So Long, Marianne" by Leonard Cohen

Come over to the window, my little darling

Directly inspired by Cohen’s own relationship with Marianne Ihlen, “So Long, Marianne” gives voice to Leonard Cohen’s deep affection and sorrow in letting go of his muse. Bastille’s “Leonard & Marianne” is a heartfelt homage to this iconic romance, evoking memories of Hydra and echoing Cohen’s own bittersweet nostalgia. Bastille brings Cohen’s raw emotions into a modern perspective, blending sentimentality with a haunting refrain, “In my head, I’m miles away.”

2. "Chelsea Hotel #2" by Leonard Cohen

Cohen’s “Chelsea Hotel #2” also revisits a pivotal love affair with frankness and regret. Bastille’s verses recall the atmosphere of this famous hotel as a place where love, loss, and artistic life intersect. Both songs capture intimate details and memories with palpable yearning; while Cohen’s lyrics detail specific encounters, Bastille’s track takes a more panoramic view, turning Cohen’s passion and struggles into a broader exploration of memory and identity.

3. "Green Light" by Lorde

Lorde’s “Green Light” delves into unresolved feelings and emotional journeys that seem to linger in memory. Like “Leonard & Marianne,” Lorde's song centers around navigating heartbreak with a sense of acceptance and an internalized drive forward. While Lorde is intent on moving on, Bastille's protagonist revels in the nostalgia, reimagining Hydra as an island refuge for love. Both songs show that certain relationships leave lasting imprints, regardless of time or space.

4. "New York" by St. Vincent

Bastille’s “New York ain’t the place to feel lonely” resonates with St. Vincent’s portrayal of isolation in a bustling city. In "New York," St. Vincent reflects on a relationship that feels just out of reach, paralleled by Bastille’s narrator, who navigates love and loneliness amid memories of Hydra and Manhattan. Both songs use New York as a symbol of modern solitude, where memories become haunting reminders of distant connections.

5. "West Coast" by Lana Del Rey

In “West Coast,” Lana Del Rey captures the ambivalence of leaving someone behind while still being emotionally tied to them. This mirrors the duality in Bastille’s “Leonard & Marianne,” where the narrator straddles memories of love on Hydra and the reality of separation. Both songs play with nostalgia and isolation against vivid landscapes—Lana with California beaches and Bastille with the Greek islands—highlighting the beauty and melancholy of love lost.

6. "Exile" by Taylor Swift & Bon Iver

Swift and Bon Iver’s “Exile” tells a story of two people trapped in a love that feels inevitable yet unreachable, echoing the way Bastille’s protagonist remains mentally on Hydra while physically elsewhere. Both “Exile” and “Leonard & Marianne” paint portraits of strained relationships in which emotions are at once intense and unsustainable, with characters who grapple with the distance between love and reality.

7. "If You See Her, Say Hello" by Bob Dylan

Dylan’s “If You See Her, Say Hello” captures a reflective sense of loss akin to the longing in “Leonard & Marianne.” Dylan’s narrator speaks to a lost lover with restrained affection, wondering about her well-being from afar. Bastille’s track, with its direct references to Hydra and New York, mirrors Dylan’s reflective storytelling, where each place recalls a piece of a relationship that can only survive in memory.

8. "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver

While Denver’s song is an anthem of yearning for home, the sense of longing in “Take Me Home, Country Roads” resonates with the deep nostalgia Bastille explores. “Leonard & Marianne” takes the listener on an imagined journey back to Hydra, much as Denver’s protagonist aches for West Virginia. Both songs capture the allure of a place that feels like emotional refuge, even if life has moved on.

[Verse 1] I missed you tonight at the party, oh, oh-oh

The speaker feels a longing for someone absent, possibly Marianne, amidst the social environment of a party.

New York ain't place to feel lonely, oh, oh-oh

New York, typically bustling, contrasts with the speaker’s sense of isolation, highlighting the emptiness they feel without Marianne.

So I left for the stranger who knew me, oh, oh-oh

Seeking solace, the speaker finds temporary comfort with someone else, though the connection lacks true intimacy.

She's sleeping beside me now peacefully, oh, oh-oh

Despite this new companionship, the speaker’s thoughts remain with Marianne, indicating an enduring emotional attachment.

[Chorus] But in my head, I'm miles away Back on the island again

The speaker escapes to memories of Hydra, where their love for Marianne once thrived, symbolizing a retreat into nostalgia.

Laying with you, Marianne

The memory of lying with Marianne evokes warmth and intimacy, contrasting the present’s emotional distance.

In my head, rolling 'round our bed We are an island again

The metaphor of becoming an “island” reflects their once-isolated love, untouched by outside influences or complications.

I'm Leonard and you're Marianne

Embracing their roles, the speaker identifies with Leonard Cohen, and Marianne with his muse, recalling their iconic, passionate relationship.

[Post-Chorus] Never take me back again 'Cause you know just what you'll get

The speaker acknowledges the cyclical nature of their relationship, aware that reuniting could bring familiar heartbreak or disappointment.

You know just what you'll get

This repetition reinforces the inevitability and predictability of their relationship’s dynamic.

[Verse 2] You show me the bird on the wire, oh, oh-oh

“Bird on the Wire,” a famous Cohen song, symbolizes freedom, longing, and the influence Marianne had on Leonard’s artistry.

You gave me my songs and my future, oh, oh-oh

Marianne inspired the speaker’s music and personal growth, illustrating her deep impact on their identity and art.

And I guess you could say that I've taken Manhattan

This line references Cohen’s “First We Take Manhattan,” representing ambition and success but with an underlying emptiness without Marianne.

Well, you're back on Hydra and dressed in white cotton, oh, oh-oh

The image of Marianne on Hydra, in simple attire, reflects nostalgia for their pure, unaffected love, unaltered by fame.

[Chorus] But in my head, I'm miles away Back on the island again I'm laying with you, Marianne

The chorus reinforces the pull of memory, as the speaker longs to return to their idyllic time with Marianne, despite the present reality.

In my head, rolling 'round our bed We are an island again I'm Leonard and you're Marianne [Post-Chorus] Never take me back again 'Cause you know just what you'll get I beg you never take me back again

The plea not to reunite suggests that while the love remains, the speaker is resigned to the idea that it’s better left in the past.

'Cause you know just what you'll get But I go there in my head

The speaker admits they can’t resist reliving the memories, despite knowing the relationship’s bittersweet nature.

[Bridge] At the Chelsea Hotel, wasted in the arms of a stranger

Recalling the infamous Chelsea Hotel, known for its connections to artists like Cohen, the speaker confronts fleeting encounters that fail to satisfy.

Every little detail written in the song that betrays ya

The speaker’s memories are immortalized in their art, which serves as both tribute and exposure, revealing intimate truths about their love.

At the Chelsea Hotel, I'm wasted in the arms of a stranger Every little detail written in the song to betray ya

This repetition emphasizes how art and memory intertwine, preserving yet betraying the raw, private moments shared.

[Chorus] In my head, I'm miles away Back on the island again I'm laying with you, Marianne

The recurring chorus reflects the narrator’s continuous return to memories of Marianne, escaping present disconnection.

In my head, rolling 'round our bed We are an island again I'm Leonard and you're Marianne [Post-Chorus] Never take me back again 'Cause you know just what you'll get

The final post-chorus reiterates the narrator’s acceptance that rekindling the romance might only repeat the same painful cycles.

I beg you never, never take me back again 'Cause you know just what you'll get But I go there in my head

Ultimately, though resigned, the narrator remains bound to their memories of Marianne, a testament to her lasting influence on their life and art.