Enjoy This Video of Lover Lover Lover Lyrics Live in Tel Aviv, October 2009
Lyrics are Below the Video – Sing Along if you Like
Lover Lover Lover Lyrics
I asked my father,
I said, “Father change my name.”
The one I’m using now it’s covered up
with fear and filth and cowardice and shame.
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me,
yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
He said, “I locked you in this body,
I meant it as a kind of trial.
You can use it for a weapon,
or to make some woman smile.”
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me
yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
“Then let me start again,” I cried,
“please let me start again,
I want a face that’s fair this time,
I want a spirit that is calm.”
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me
yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
“I never never turned aside,” he said,
“I never walked away.
It was you who built the temple,
it was you who covered up my face.”
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me
yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
And may the spirit of this song,
may it rise up pure and free.
May it be a shield for you,
a shield against the enemy.
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me
yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me
yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
Some Facts About Lover Lover Lover Lyrics and Their Meaning
Leonard Cohen wrote Lover Lover Lover lyrics while singing for Isreali soldiers during the Yom Kippur war. The song was then produced by Mati Caspi, one of the iconic Israeli rock stars. Interestingly enough Mati Caspi also had songs which dealt with theological and philosophical aspects. His lyrics are similar to Cohen in a way, although it’s hard to compare Hebrew songs to American. At the end of each verse Cohen sings with a very much pronounced Yiddish melody, which makes this song very Jewish in many ways. 
The lyrics deal with Jewish identity, and more so with Jewish identity in the State of Israel. If I can interpret the text, the new face – is the new way of relating to Jewish culture, to being a Jew in new times when there is finally a state which didn’t exist before, the state which needs protection. Old stereotypes about Jews unable to defend themselves must be destroyed. And the reply as I see it, God says that Jews already have everything they need to protect themselves, “you can use it as a weapon”, and to multiply “or make some woman smile” in order to build their state. God also says that he always protected his people and will do it again if needed.
This is such a powerful and proud song, I can see how fitting it is in the context of war. Sheer brilliance.
