(Credit: Alamy)
Tackling some of the heaviest emotions felt by humanity with unparalleled lyrical prowess, Leonard Cohen has inspired countless artists into action. Starting out as a poet, the Canadian writer would transition his words into song in the late 1960s. Since then, his work has inspired covers, tribute albums and dedications in the masses, from Jeff Buckley’s celebrated cover of ‘Hallelujah’ to Boygenius’ ‘Leonard Cohen’.
Cohen has acted as a muse to musicians in every genre and generation, but his inspirational impact extends far beyond his own craft and into the world of film. The Canadian’s debut full-length effort, 1967’s Songs of Leonard Cohen, was so well-frequented by director Robert Altman that it inspired him to create his 1971 revisionist Western, McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
As the director once recalled to David Thompson via Rolling Stone, Altman particularly enjoyed listening to Cohen’s first record while smoking, so much so that he had to purchase multiple copies of it. “[W]e’d put that record on so often we wore out two copies,” he exclaimed, “We’d just get stoned and play that stuff. Then I forgot all about it.”
A little while later, Altman stumbled upon Cohen once more and knew that those songs would perfectly underscore the impact of McCabe & Mrs. Miller. “[B]ack in the cutting room we put those songs on the picture and they fitted like a glove,” he explained, “I think the reason they worked was because those lyrics were etched into my subconscious, so when I shot the scenes I fitted them to the songs, as if they were written for them.”
Cohen’s compositions became the only music in the film, with Altman picking out three tracks from Songs of Leonard Cohen to feature – ‘The Stranger Song’, ‘Winter Lady’ and ‘Sisters of Mercy’. Though they existed before Altman conceived of the film, they fit into the story so seamlessly that it almost feels as if they were penned for the picture.
The Canadian songwriter felt similarly about Altman’s work, although not on his first watch. When he first saw the film, it was an early cut in which the music had not yet been added, leaving Cohen unimpressed. But, when he finally saw it in theatres, he was stunned. He was so moved that he spent two days tracking Altman down to call him and declare, “Forget everything I said, it’s really beautiful.”
His assertion was well-founded, as Altman’s film remains one of the most innovative films within the genre, its impact only enhanced by Cohen’s crooning. Watch a clip from McCabe and Mrs. Miller below.
