Leonard Cohen
Lyric guide

Democracy

Read Democracy lyrics by Leonard Cohen on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Leonard Cohen Canonical path: /leonard-cohen/democracy Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Democracy

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It's coming through a hole in the air

From those nights in Tiananmen Square

It's coming from the feel

That this ain't exactly real

Or it's real, but it ain't exactly there

From the wars against disorder

From the sirens night and day

From the fires of the homeless

From the ashes of the gay

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A

It's coming through a crack in the wall

On a visionary flood of alcohol

From the staggering account

Of the Sermon on the Mount

Which I don't pretend to understand at all

It's coming from the silence

On the dock of the bay

From the brave, the bold, the battered

Heart of Chevrolet

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A

It's coming from the sorrow in the street

The holy places where the races meet

From the homicidal bitchin'

That goes down in every kitchen

To determine who will serve and who will eat

From the wells of disappointment

Where the women kneel to pray

For the grace of God in the desert here

Snd the desert far away

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A

Sail on, sail on

O mighty Ship of State!

To the Shores of Need

Past the Reefs of Greed

Through the Squalls of Hate

Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on

It's coming to America first

The cradle of the best and of the worst

It's here they got the range

And the machinery for change

And it's here they got the spiritual thirst

It's here the family's broken

And it's here the lonely say

That the heart has got to open

In a fundamental way

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A

It's coming from the women and the men

O baby, we'll be making love again

We'll be going down so deep

The river's going to weep

And the mountain's going to shout Amen!

It's coming like the tidal flood

Beneath the lunar sway

Imperial, mysterious

In amorous array

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A

Sail on, sail on

I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean

I love the country but I can't stand the scene

And I'm neither left or right

I'm just staying home tonight

Getting lost in that hopeless little screen

But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags

That Time cannot decay

I'm junk but I'm still holding up

This little wild bouquet

Democracy is coming to the U.S.A

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Who performs "Democracy"?

Leonard Cohen performs "Democracy", and this lyric page sits inside the Leonard Cohen catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Democracy"?

Yes. The related section below points to Minute Prologue and Ain't No Cure For Love with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Leonard Cohen?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Leonard Cohen's lyric pages.

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