With a poignant new song that celebrates both history and ancestry, Adam Cohen has paid a profound musical homage to his late father, renowned poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen. The song, titled “In My Father’s Voice,” is an intimate meditation on love, grief, memory, and the unbreakable tie between a father and sonβrendered through the lyrical depth and quiet restraint that distinguished the Cohen name.
Adam Cohen tackles the homage with reverence and humility instead of trying to mimic Leonard Cohen’s legendary gravitas or famous baritone. In My Father’s Voice is a simple, reflective song with soft instrumentation, modest arrangements, and well-chosen lyrics. In keeping with Leonard Cohen’s personal conviction that silence may have just as much impact as music, the song gives room for emotion to flow.
Lyrically, Adam portrays the private man behind the public legend while also reflecting on growing up in the shadow of a legendary artist. The song skillfully switches between universal themesβinheritance, forgiveness, doubt, and graceβand personal memories. Adam honors his father as complicated, inquisitive, and deeply human rather than portraying him as untouchable or saintly. As a result, the homage feels real rather than romanticized.
Adam’s close proximity to his father’s work adds to the song’s emotional impact. Adam provides a genuineness that cannot be created because he worked with Leonard Cohen in the last years of his life, most notably on the critically acclaimed album You Want It Darker. In addition to sorrow, his voice is filled with appreciation for the knowledge gained, the conversations exchanged, and the creative spark that was passed down.
In My Father’s Voice has received appreciation from both critics and fans for its sincerity and restraint. It eschews extravagant gestures in favor of calm truth, something Leonard Cohen himself frequently preferred. The song sounds more like a dialogue that has been carried over time than a performance.
In the end, Adam Cohen’s tribute is a continuation of a creative and spiritual conversation rather than merely a song about Leonard Cohen. In My Father’s Voice underlines that even though Leonard Cohen is no longer with us, his impact is still felt in the world he created as well as in his son, who today speaks with dignity, bravery, and deep respect.
