On this day (July 28) in 2016, Marianne Ihlen died from leukemia in Oslo, Norway, at the age of 81. She was romantically involved with Leonard Cohen for several years in the 1960s and inspired several of his songs and poems. Notably, “So Long, Marianne,” from Cohen’s debut album, is about her.
Cohen and Ihlen met on Hydra, a Greek island that was a haven for artists and other creative types. They left the island for a short time, each going back to their own lives. Then, they returned to Hydra while Cohen finished his second novel, The Beautiful Losers. Not long after releasing the book, the couple moved to Montreal. Their romantic relationship didn’t last much longer. However, they remained close.
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After Cohen decided he wouldn’t make money as an author, he began focusing on building a career as a singer and songwriter. Ihlen inspired “So Long, Marianne” and “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye,” which both appear on his debut album. She also inspired him to begin writing “Bird on a Wire” from his sophomore album Songs from a Room.
“It’s too simplistic a description,” Cohen said when asked about Ihlen being his muse. “Marianne and I both shared something special and, even though we may have gone our separate ways, what we had together will always remain with us, and it always has,” he added. “That love and those feelings are indestructible.”
Leonard Cohen Said Farewell to Marianne Ihlen
Marianne Ihlen’s health quickly deteriorated after she was diagnosed with leukemia in 2016. Knowing her death was not far away, her good friend Jan Christian Mollestad reached out to Leonard Cohen to give him the bad news, according to The Guardian. Roughly two hours later, he replied with an email that has been widely quoted.
“Well Marianne, it’s come to this time when we are really so old, and our bodies are falling apart,” he reportedly wrote to Ihlen. “I think I will follow you very soon. Know that I am so close behind that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine,” the note continued. “You know that I’ve always loved you for your beauty and your wisdom, but I don’t need to say anything more about that because you know all bout that. But now, I just want to wish you a very good journey. Goodbye, old friend. Endless love. See you down the road,” he concluded.
[RELATED: The Leonard Cohen Lyric About a Love on Its Last Legs]
While touching, that’s not actually what Cohen wrote. Instead, it was Mollestad paraphrasing the correspondence during a radio interview. The letter he sent was actually much shorter. “Dearest Marianne,” the note began. “I’m just a little behind you, close enough to take your hand. This old body has given up, just as yours has too. I’ve never forgotten your love and your beauty. But you know that. I don’t have to say any more. Safe travels, old friend. See you down the road,” he wrote before closing with “Endless love and gratitude.”
Cohen died in his home in November 2016.
Featured Image by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
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