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By the Rivers Dark Lyrics by Leonard Cohen

Ten New Songs

2001

By the rivers dark
I wandered on
I lived my life
In Babylon
And I did forget
My holy song:
And I had no strength
In Babylon
By the rivers dark
Where I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me
And he cut my lip
And he cut my heart
So I could not drink
From the rivers dark
And he covered me
And I saw within
My lawless heart
And my wedding ring
I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me
By the rivers dark
I panicked on
I belonged at last
To Babylon
Then he struck my heart
With a deadly force
And he said, 'This heart:
It is not yours.'
And he gave the wind
My wedding ring:
And he circled us
With everything
By the rivers dark
In a wounded dawn
I live my life
In Babylon
Though I take my song
From a withered limb
Both song and tree
They sing for him
Be the truth unsaid
And the blessing gone
If I forget
My Babylon
I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me
By the rivers dark
Where it all goes on:
By the rivers dark
In Babylon
Credits
Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

About “By the Rivers Dark” by Leonard Cohen

Read the complete lyrics to "By the Rivers Dark" by Leonard Cohen from the album "Ten New Songs" in 2001. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under R&B, Folk, Rock.

"By the Rivers Dark" is performed by Leonard Cohen. from the album "Ten New Songs" in 2001 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "By the Rivers Dark", explore more songs by Leonard Cohen using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"By the Rivers Dark" is credited to Leonard Cohen. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"By the Rivers Dark" appears on "Ten New Songs" in 2001.

Visit the Leonard Cohen artist page at /artist/leonard-cohen for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.