Leonard Cohen
Everybody Knows
Leonard Cohen – “Everybody Knows”: A Dark Hymn for a Broken World
Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows”, released in 1988 on his album I’m Your Man, is a biting, cynical, and oddly prophetic anthem of disillusionment. Co-written with longtime collaborator Sharon Robinson, the song weaves together themes of political corruption, societal decay, broken love, and existential despair—all wrapped in Cohen’s signature baritone and a minimalist, synth-laden arrangement.
Despite its bleak worldview, “Everybody Knows” remains one of Cohen’s most beloved and enduring works—used in films, covered by countless artists, and endlessly quoted as a shorthand for grim truths about modern life.
Song Meaning: A Chorus of Disillusionment
At its core, “Everybody Knows” is a bitter inventory of things the world pretends to be shocked by but secretly accepts. The repeated refrain, “Everybody knows,” serves both as accusation and resignation—acknowledging injustice, hypocrisy, and moral decay not as aberrations, but as expected and accepted norms.
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“Everybody knows that the dice are loaded / Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed”
This suggests a rigged system—politics, economy, justice—all inherently corrupt, and yet people still play along, hoping for luck rather than fairness. -
“Everybody knows that the good guys lost”
A dark commentary on the moral fabric of society, implying that truth, justice, and integrity are losing battles. -
“Everybody knows that the plague is coming / Everybody knows that it’s moving fast”
Often read metaphorically, this now feels chillingly prescient in the post-COVID era. Originally, it referenced the AIDS epidemic, pointing to the apathy and slow institutional response. -
“Everybody knows that you love me baby / Everybody knows that you really do”
On a personal level, the song turns its lens inward, revealing how even love becomes another arena for deception, betrayal, and quiet suffering. -
“Everybody knows that the boat is leaking / Everybody knows that the captain lied”
Again, a metaphor for systems failing—government, leadership, corporate structures—collapsing under their own dishonesty.
This combination of personal anguish and societal critique gives “Everybody Knows” its enduring weight: it’s both a protest song and a breakup song, sung with the same dry wit and fatalistic shrug.
Lyrical Style and Tone
Cohen delivers the lyrics with his famously gravelly voice, imbuing the repetitive phrasing with gravity and weariness. The tone is ironic and deadpan, but never playful—there’s a sense of finality in every line. The song functions almost like a sermon or a eulogy, rhythmically listing the ways in which hope has died.
Unlike more uplifting protest songs, “Everybody Knows” doesn’t seek redemption or revolution—it offers a cold embrace of truth. In this way, it’s less Bob Dylan and more a poetic cousin of Orwell or Vonnegut.
Musical Composition and Production
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Written by: Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson
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Produced by: Leonard Cohen
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Released: February 1988
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Album: I’m Your Man
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Length: 5:37
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Label: Columbia Records
The production is spare, driven by programmed drum machines and synths—a departure from Cohen’s earlier folk instrumentation. While some critics were initially skeptical of the '80s production, it now lends the song a haunting, dystopian aesthetic that suits its message perfectly.
Sharon Robinson, who co-wrote the track, also contributed backing vocals and arrangements. Their partnership would continue fruitfully through the 1990s and 2000s.
Music Video
There is no official music video from Cohen himself, but a video version was produced for the 1990 film Pump Up the Volume, featuring a cover by Concrete Blonde. This version gained massive cult popularity, introducing Cohen’s words to a Gen-X audience.
Pop Culture Appearances
“Everybody Knows” has shown up repeatedly in film, television, and pop culture—often as a darkly ironic counterpoint to a scene:
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Pump Up the Volume (1990) – The Concrete Blonde cover became iconic.
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Justice League (2017) – A cover by Sigrid was used in the opening credits, underlining a bleak, post-heroic tone.
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The Program (2015) – About Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal.
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Antiviral (2012) – A sci-fi horror film by Brandon Cronenberg.
The song’s use often telegraphs disillusionment, despair, or the quiet knowledge that a system (or character) is broken.
Notable Covers
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Concrete Blonde (1990) – The most famous cover, darker and more aggressive.
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Don Henley (1995) – A smoother, more polished version for the Tower of Song tribute album.
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Sigrid (2017) – A haunting, ethereal version for Justice League.
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Rufus Wainwright has performed it live, as has Nick Cave.
Chart Performance
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The original version by Cohen did not chart significantly at the time of release.
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However, Concrete Blonde’s version reached a wider audience via radio and MTV after Pump Up the Volume.
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The song has gained legacy status—often featured on “Best of Leonard Cohen” compilations and streaming playlists focused on protest songs or cynical anthems.
Cultural Significance
“Everybody Knows” has become a shorthand for dark truths and unspoken realities. It’s quoted in political speeches, essays, and academic discussions about inequality, power, and corruption. It resonates with audiences who feel alienated, disenchanted, or simply tired of pretending things are okay.
In an era of misinformation, climate anxiety, and institutional collapse, the song feels more relevant than ever. It doesn’t offer a solution—but it does provide clarity: we all know what’s going on, whether we admit it or not.
“Everybody Knows” is a rare kind of song—timeless in its despair, cutting in its accuracy, and poetic in its resignation. Leonard Cohen didn't write it to inspire revolution. He wrote it to remind us that the veil has already fallen. We see the truth. We’ve seen it for a long time.
And, as the song warns, everybody knows.