“Genuflecting”: The song that made Jack Black recognise Leonard Cohen’s genius
Jack Black is a rock obsessive through and through, although you could probably tell that just by looking at him or hearing him speak. Throughout his extensive career in cinema, the Californian has repeatedly been drawn to roles that reflect his all-encompassing dedication to rock, from the elitist record store clerk in High Fidelity to the Led Zeppelin-obsessed substitute teacher in School of Rock. However, the record collection of Jack Black is not entirely limited to wailing guitar solos and distortion pedals.
Outside of acting, Black has exercised his musical potential through the comedy hard rock duo Tenacious D alongside Kyle Gass. Sonically, the material of the pair obviously draws from a rich history of hard rock and metal music, with Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne being a prevalent influence alongside the likes of Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and AC/DC. At their core, however, Tenacious D is a band that likes to tell stories in musical form. In that sense, Black certainly owes a lot to the storytelling history at the heart of folk music.
The age-old traditions of folk music have never particularly disappeared, but they have been adapted and utilised throughout musical history for a variety of different scenes. During the 20th century, for instance, figures like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and even more obscure names like Bridget St John helped to reinvent archaic perceptions of folk music, bringing a renewed relevance to the style in the process. However, very few folk songwriters could ever hope to match the poetic genius of Leonard Cohen.
Often classed as a folk artist, Cohen’s music largely transcends genre conventions and music scenes. His lyricism and poetry has been adored by multiple generations and, even today, he remains one of Canada’s all-time greatest songwriters. Despite their shared interest in storytelling and narrative compositions, it reportedly took Jack Black a little while to fully appreciate the talents of Cohen.
“I had never listened to him,” the actor told the L.A. Times in 2012. “Everyone’s always like, ‘Ah, Leonard Cohen,’ genuflecting over the genius. And I just never listened, or I listened a little bit and never got it.” Admittedly, Cohen’s deep and emotionally affecting tones mark a change of pace from Black’s usual diet of blistering 1970s hard rock, but everybody eventually comes to appreciate the Montreal-born songwriter.
Seemingly, the turning point for Black was hearing Cohen’s stunning 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen. “Finally, I was like, ‘I’ve gotta see what all the hubbub is about.’ And I got his first one, the one with ‘Suzanne,’ and I just listened to it and was like, ‘Hundred years.’’ Originally released as a poem back in 1966, ‘Suzanne’ is among Cohen’s most iconic compositions, inspired by his friendship with the dancer Suzanne Verdal.
Although, at the time of its initial release, ‘Suzanne’ did not impact the musical mainstream much, it was the first song to establish Cohen as a musician. As his career progressed to new heights over the next few decades, the song would become one of his most recognisable and popular works, reflecting his undeniable genius as a lyricist.
It is not clear whether Black’s spiritual awakening, brought on by listening to the 1967 album, continued into the rest of Leonard Cohen’s extensive discography. Either way, it seems as if the actor still occasionally takes a break from immersing himself in the sounds of classic rock to relax into the rich, welcoming, and often heartbreaking tones of the Quebec songwriter and poet. As any dedicated fan of the musician will gladly tell you, ‘Suzanne’ is a gateway track into the diverse and timeless offerings recorded by Cohen over the course of his long and illustrious career in music.
