“Goodbye old friend, endless love: see you on the road”

“Well, Marianne, the time has come when we are really old and our bodies are falling to pieces and I think I will follow you very soon”: thus begins the letter that Leonard Cohen he wrote to Marianne Ihlenthe woman who inspired the famous “So long, Marianne”a song included in the Canadian singer-songwriter’s debut album and universally considered one of his masterpieces.

The two met on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960: Marianne was engaged to the Norwegian writer Axel Jensen and Cohen was engaged to the Swedish singer Lena Mandotter. Between Marianne and Leonard Cohenhowever, love was born and the same happened between Jensen and Måndotter. Jensen, however, decided to leave Marianne Ihlen and to return to Norway: Cohen invited the woman and the son born from the relationship between her and the writer to live in Montreal. The relationship between the singer-songwriter and Marianne continued for a few years and the two lived between New York, Montreal and Idra itself, until they broke up.

Marianne Ihlen passed away on July 28, 2016 at the age of 81. A few weeks before dying, a friend wanted to inform Leonard Cohen that Marianne was very ill. He then wrote her a letter that was read to the woman while she was still conscious. Here is another passage from the letter: “Know that I am just behind you as you stretch out your hand and I think it can reach mine and know that I have always loved you for your beauty and your wisdom, but there is no need to say more, because you already know everything. Now, I just want to wish you a good journey. Goodbye old friend, infinite love: I will see you on the road”.

Leonard Cohenas written in the letter, was really just behind her, in fact Marianne followed only a few months later. The Canadian musician passed away on November 7, 2016 at the age of 82.