--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you" description: "\"I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/leonard-cohen-448_fool_i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-y_1997376.jpg" --- # I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you ![“I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/leonard-cohen-448_fool_i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-y_1997376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/leonard-cohen-448_fool_i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-y_1997376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/leonard-cohen-448_fool_i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-y_1997376.jpg) > “I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you” [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. He emphasizes honesty and sincerity in his artistic expression **In simple terms:** He promises truthfulness Key Takeaway Value authenticity in communication Themes truth integrity artistic honesty Mood introspective earnest Type musical philosophical When to use this quote - interviews - public speaking - creative writing Key Concepts Songwriting personal narrative public perception Questions to Reflect On - How does truth impact artistic credibility? - When is honesty more important than comfort? A Different Perspective Listeners may doubt sincerity despite claim ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Liar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liar/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“You lived like a fool and you have come to a fool’s end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/you-lived-like-a-fool-and-you-have-come-to-a-fool-s-end/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [Make no mistake: When I told Senator Mitchell that I injected Roger Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs, I told the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/make-no-mistake-when-i-told-senator-mitchell-that-i-injected-roger/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [I told the truth, and I did it on national TV in a lie-detector test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-jones/i-told-the-truth-and-i-did-it-on-national-tv-in-a-lie-detector-test/) Paula Jones > [“In future days you will call John Mandeville a liar, and my shade will laugh at you and say: true, true, I was, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/in-future-days-you-will-call-john-mandeville-a-liar-and-my-shade-will/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [I've always told the truth. I think that's been part of the foundation of my career. I don't put myself above people. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/i-ve-always-told-the-truth-i-think-that-s-been-part-of-the-foundation/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [The victor will never be asked if he told the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-victor-will-never-be-asked-if-he-told-the-truth/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“I wish someone had just told me the truth right up front, as soon as I was old enough to understand it. I wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/i-wish-someone-had-just-told-me-the-truth-right-up-front-as-soon-as-i/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [I'd rather be told the truth than a good lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-pham/i-d-rather-be-told-the-truth-than-a-good-lie/) [Tommy Pham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-pham/) > [...Though I have told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilbo-baggins/though-i-have-told-you-the-truth-i-may-not-have-told-you-all-of-it/) Bilbo Baggins > [“Only after the words were spoken did she realize what she had said. "My sins are all your fault, Brodick, and if I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-garwood/only-after-the-words-were-spoken-did-she-realize-what-she-had-said-my/) [Julie Garwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-garwood/) > [“You know," I said to my sister later at the funeral. "I think Mom is telling the truth about losing us. We're never going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/you-know-i-said-to-my-sister-later-at-the-funeral-i-think-mom-is/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“...so, what I told you was the truth. From acergtain point if view.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-what-i-told-you-was-the-truth-from-acergtain-point-if-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It was hard to be honest, to open up, and reveal something that sounded crazy. Because once you told someone the truth, that person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-cross/it-was-hard-to-be-honest-to-open-up-and-reveal-something-that-sounded/) [Sarah Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-cross/) > [You may have always been honest but you never told the full truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-may-have-always-been-honest-but-you-never-told-the-full-truth/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I told you I'd do anything for you. That's the truth. The best truth I know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aria-kane/i-told-you-i-d-do-anything-for-you-that-s-the-truth-the-best-truth-i/) [Aria Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aria-kane/) ## 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 Fool quotes > [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [A fool and his money get a lot of publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-bernstein/a-fool-and-his-money-get-a-lot-of-publicity/) [Al Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-bernstein/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-derr-biggers/every-man-must-wear-out-at-least-one-pair-of-fools-shoes/) [Earl Derr Biggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-derr-biggers/) > [If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wc-fields/if-at-first-you-don-t-succeed-try-try-again-then-quit-no-use-being-a/) [WC Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wc-fields/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [I'd be a fool to be in this for the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-d-be-a-fool-to-be-in-this-for-the-money/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [It is a fool of a shepherd who culls his dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-smith/it-is-a-fool-of-a-shepherd-who-culls-his-dogs/) [Jefferson Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-smith/) > [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) [Browse all 5,535 Fool quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fool" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/leonard-cohen-448_fool_i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-y_1997376.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/leonard-cohen-448_fool_i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-y_1997376.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce7/leonard-cohen-448_fool_i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-y_1997376.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I told the truth, I didn't come to fool you” — Leonard Cohen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leonard Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I told the truth, I didn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-told-the-truth-i-didn-t-come-to-fool-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```