A Thousand Kisses Deep: Reflection in Song
In the spring of 2013, during an online live-streamed DJ set, a track played that brought with it a striking moment of pause. The artist was Leonard Cohen, and the song was A Thousand Kisses Deep.
From that first listen, the song left an impression I couldn’t quite shake. Over the years, its words have echoed during quiet moments of reflection, reminding me of life’s unresolved turns and the quiet grace in letting go.
Cohen’s voice, weathered, deliberate, and unmistakably sincere, carries lyrics that speak of time, change, and the quiet ache of what could have been. The song resonates with themes familiar to all: missed chances, roads not taken, and the lingering presence of those who’ve moved on from our lives.
Endings. Things that will never be. Journeys not to be taken. People left behind. Futures never realized.
“And quiet is the thought of you,
The file on you complete,
Except what we forgot to do,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.”
There is something timeless in the way this song captures the emotional aftermath of life's turning points. Whether it’s a relationship left unresolved or a path once imagined but never pursued, A Thousand Kisses Deep reflects on those quiet spaces in the human story, where memory, longing, and acceptance meet.
“And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.”
The message is both mournful and redemptive. In acknowledging what’s behind us, there’s also room to recognize what lies ahead. Endings are often the birthplace of new beginnings. Closure can lead to clarity. And through it all, the rhythm of life continues, expanding, contracting, reshaping us with each turn.
Cohen’s poetry reminds us that reflecting on the past doesn’t mean staying there. It means honoring it, learning from it, and using it as the quiet fuel for what’s next.
“I’m turning tricks,
I’m getting fixed,
I’m back on Boogie Street.”
Let the past echo, but let the present carry the beat. The next chapter is already beginning.