who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter.
I know that kind of man
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
who is reaching for the sky just to surrender." - Meaning and context.">
"The Stranger Song" (1966)

It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter.
I know that kind of man
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
who is reaching for the sky just to surrender.

— Leonard Cohen

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
who said they were through with dealing
Every time you gave them shelter.
I know that kind of man
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
who is reaching for the sky just to surrender." in the context of ""The Stranger Song" (1966)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Leonard Cohen" (Quotes, Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Leonard Cohen

About Leonard Cohen

Leonard Norman Cohen, CC, GOQ (21 September 1934 - 7 November 2016) was a Canadian poet, songwriter, singer, and novelist noted for the bold exploration of religion, politics, sexuality, personal relationships and personal isolation in his works.