Leonard Cohen was a Canadian singer-songwriter and poet known for his deep voice and thoughtful lyrics about love, faith, and the human spirit. His song "Hallelujah" was largely ignored when it first came out in 1984 — his U.S. record label even rejected the album — before it slowly became, through other musicians' cover versions, one of the most beloved songs ever written. He wrote poetry and novels for years before turning to music in his thirties.