Leonard Cohen dedicated his song «Dance Me to the End of Love» to the victims of the Holocaust that inspired him to write the song.
Scenes in the video are from the film: «Schindler's List» by Steven Spielberg
In an interview, Cohen said of the song: It's curious how songs begin because the origin of every song has a kind of grain or seed that somebody or the world hands you and that's why the process is so mysterious about writing a song.
This song came from just hearing or reading or knowing that in certain death camps during the second world war, beside the crematoria, a string quartet of classical music was pressed into performance while the horror of prisoners being killed and burnt, was going on. So, when writing: "Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin" I was referring to the consummation of life, the end of existence. But it's the same language we use for surrender to the beloved, so that the song be able to embrace all.
Lyrics
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
dance me to the end of love
Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now though every thread is torn
dance me to the end of love
Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
dance me to the end of love.
harisego