Hummingbird Quote by Leonard Cohen
“I'd written a lot of songs with hummingbirds in them. None of them ever came to anything, but I did write a few lines last month. It went like this: 'Listen to the hummingbird whose wings you cannot see. Listen to the hummingbird, don't listen to me'.”
About This Quote
Source Song: Unreleased lyrics, 2020
The hummingbird metaphor urges listening to subtle, unseen truths rather than the speaker’s words.
In simple terms: Listen to hidden messages, not just the speaker.
Key Takeaway
Pay attention to subtle signals.
Themes
perception
communication
metaphor
Mood
contemplative
poetic
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- art critique
- mindfulness practice
- creative writing
Key Concepts
poetry
music
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- What unseen messages do you ignore?
- How can you hear the hummingbird?
A Different Perspective
Listeners may misinterpret subtle cues.
![“I always loved those little creatures [hummingbird], always feel blessed when they appear nearby. There's a magical quality to them. I finally put one in a song.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a5d/leonard-cohen-448_animals_i-always-loved-those-little-creatures-hu_2880211.jpg)
![“Most elegantly finished in all parts, [the hummingbird] is a miniature work of our Great Parent, who seems to have formed it the smallest, and at the same time the most beautiful of the winged species.” quote by J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/64e/j-hector-st-john-de-crevecoeur_beautiful_most-elegantly-finished-in-all-parts-the_2207589.jpg)
![“We’re constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed. [But] we should always feel like a hummingbird. I may feel insignificant, but I don’t want to be like the other animals watching the planet go down the drain. I’ll be a hummingbird, I’ll do…” quote by Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/25d/wangari-maathai-2479_animal_we-re-constantly-being-bombarded-by-prob_1333608.jpg)
![“I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on [some of my songs].” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ae4/leonard-cohen-448_deserve_i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deser_37465.jpg)
