Leonard Cohen
Lyric guide

Teachers

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

Leonard Cohen visibility1 visits Video on page
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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Leonard Cohen Canonical path: /leonard-cohen/teachers Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Teachers

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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?

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Who performs "Teachers"?

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

Are there related songs to explore after "Teachers"?

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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