--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man never got a woman back... not by…" description: "\"A man never got a woman back... not by begging on his knees.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/790/leonard-cohen-448_begging_a-man-never-got-a-woman-back-not-by-begg_2465074.jpg" --- # A man never got a woman back... not by begging on his knees. ![“A man never got a woman back... not by begging on his knees.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/790/leonard-cohen-448_begging_a-man-never-got-a-woman-back-not-by-begg_2465074.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/790/leonard-cohen-448_begging_a-man-never-got-a-woman-back-not-by-begg_2465074.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/790/leonard-cohen-448_begging_a-man-never-got-a-woman-back-not-by-begg_2465074.jpg) > “A man never got a woman back... not by begging on his knees.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True reconciliation cannot be forced; begging undermines genuine connection. **In simple terms:** Begging won’t win love back. Key Takeaway Respect autonomy; avoid pleading. Themes relationships respect authenticity power dynamics Mood melancholic thoughtful Type poetic advice When to use this quote - breakups - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts emotional labor self‑worth Questions to Reflect On - What healthier ways exist to reconnect? - When is persistence appropriate? A Different Perspective Pleading may create resentment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begging/) [Begging Knees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begging-knees-696987/) [Got Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-woman-696989/) [Knees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knees/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) [Woman Begging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-begging-696988/) ## Related quotes > [Can you help the hopeless? Well, I'm begging on my knees, Can you save my bastard soul? Will you wait for me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/can-you-help-the-hopeless-well-i-m-begging-on-my-knees-can-you-save/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [“This is a matter of curiosity; and you have got a woman for your ally. Under such conditions success is certain, sooner or later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-is-a-matter-of-curiosity-and-you-have-got-a-woman-for-your-ally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-hannah/a-man-s-got-to-do-what-a-man-s-got-to-do-a-woman-must-do-what-he-can-t/) [Barry Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-hannah/) > [I don't know anyone else I could have hooked up with who could have handled me. I've got my woman and she's a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-dunbar/i-don-t-know-anyone-else-i-could-have-hooked-up-with-who-could-have/) [Adrian Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-dunbar/) > [I got a woman that's mean as she can be, sometimes I think she's almost as mean as me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-orbison/i-got-a-woman-that-s-mean-as-she-can-be-sometimes-i-think-she-s/) [Roy Orbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-orbison/) > [“It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/it-s-good-you-know-when-you-got-a-woman-who-is-a-friend-of-your-mind/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“But if you've got a woman, what are you doing here?" "I don't have a woman but I'm afraid she has me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-sylvan/but-if-you-ve-got-a-woman-what-are-you-doing-here-i-don-t-have-a/) [Dianne Sylvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-sylvan/) > [Since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman & our game from a woman , I wonder why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obey/since-we-all-came-from-a-woman-got-our-name-from-a-woman-our-game/) [Obey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/obey/) > [“The best I ever got was that woman who kept having me come up to fix her TV. There was a lot of bending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/the-best-i-ever-got-was-that-woman-who-kept-having-me-come-up-to-fix/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) > [A man in love ... is the master, so it seems, but only if his lady friend permits it! The need to interchange the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-desclos/a-man-in-love-is-the-master-so-it-seems-but-only-if-his-lady-friend/) [Anne Desclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-desclos/) > [“He kept begging God, “Please, please, please open my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-kept-begging-god-please-please-please-open-my-heart/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Any fool that had once helped you will someday make known to everyone that you were once a needy. No matter how broke you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/any-fool-that-had-once-helped-you-will-someday-make-known-to-everyone/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [How much more of the mosque, of prayer and fasting? Better go drunk and begging round the taverns. Khayyam, drink wine, for soon this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-khayy-m/how-much-more-of-the-mosque-of-prayer-and-fasting-better-go-drunk-and/) [Omar Khayyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-khayy-m/) > [Daddy always said the only thing worth begging for was your life, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe sometimes your love is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/daddy-always-said-the-only-thing-worth-begging-for-was-your-life-but/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“You are the queen, he ought to be begging leave of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/you-are-the-queen-he-ought-to-be-begging-leave-of-you/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Begging quotes > [“You are the queen, he ought to be begging leave of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/you-are-the-queen-he-ought-to-be-begging-leave-of-you/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Daddy always said the only thing worth begging for was your life, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe sometimes your love is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/daddy-always-said-the-only-thing-worth-begging-for-was-your-life-but/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [How much more of the mosque, of prayer and fasting? Better go drunk and begging round the taverns. Khayyam, drink wine, for soon this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-khayy-m/how-much-more-of-the-mosque-of-prayer-and-fasting-better-go-drunk-and/) [Omar Khayyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-khayy-m/) > [“Any fool that had once helped you will someday make known to everyone that you were once a needy. No matter how broke you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/any-fool-that-had-once-helped-you-will-someday-make-known-to-everyone/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“He kept begging God, “Please, please, please open my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-kept-begging-god-please-please-please-open-my-heart/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [We long for our father. We wear his clothes, and actually try to fill his shoes. . . . We hang on to him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/we-long-for-our-father-we-wear-his-clothes-and-actually-try-to-fill/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [The desperation was coming off you in waves. You were all but begging to dance with me. I am doing you a favor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/the-desperation-was-coming-off-you-in-waves-you-were-all-but-begging/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [While you're ignoring me, someone else is begging for my attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-you-re-ignoring-me-someone-else-is-begging-for-my-attention/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would willingly stand at street corners, hat in hand, begging passerby to drop their unused minutes into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-berenson/i-would-willingly-stand-at-street-corners-hat-in-hand-begging/) [Bernard Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-berenson/) > [A man in love ... is the master, so it seems, but only if his lady friend permits it! The need to interchange the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-desclos/a-man-in-love-is-the-master-so-it-seems-but-only-if-his-lady-friend/) [Anne Desclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-desclos/) > [As for poker, I've stayed away from that, even though when I was in Vegas for Ocean's Eleven, I would get accosted by these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/as-for-poker-i-ve-stayed-away-from-that-even-though-when-i-was-in/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [“The whole four to five weeks that we've been here in this courtroom has been for one reason. And that is because Theodore Robert…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-rule/the-whole-four-to-five-weeks-that-we-ve-been-here-in-this-courtroom/) [Ann Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-rule/) > [“This is scary,” she whispers. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before. I don’t know how this works. Do people become exclusive this fast? 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