--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It…" description: "\"Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It disfigures everyone/It is the world's excuse for being ugly.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d35/leonard-cohen-448_excuse_love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disf_1765333.jpg" --- # Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It disfigures everyone/It… ![“Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It disfigures everyone/It is the world's excuse for being ugly.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d35/leonard-cohen-448_excuse_love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disf_1765333.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d35/leonard-cohen-448_excuse_love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disf_1765333.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d35/leonard-cohen-448_excuse_love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disf_1765333.jpg) > “Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It disfigures everyone/It is the world's excuse for being ugly.” [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. Love is a destructive force that masks ugliness under the guise of passion. **In simple terms:** Love can hide ugliness behind fire. Key Takeaway Recognize love’s dark side. Themes love destruction beauty ugliness Mood melancholic critical Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - artistic expression - societal critique Key Concepts existentialism human nature Questions to Reflect On - How does love reveal hidden flaws? - When does love become a justification? A Different Perspective Love also heals, not just harms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burns Disfigures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burns-disfigures-1730581/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Excuse Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse-ugly-1730579/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-burns-411612/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Ugly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugly/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-excuse-1730580/) ## Related quotes > [I've always felt that feminism was just an excuse for ugly women to march.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-flynt/i-ve-always-felt-that-feminism-was-just-an-excuse-for-ugly-women-to/) [Larry Flynt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-flynt/) > [I have the easiest job in the world! It's an excuse to get up there, goof around and have fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-degarmo/i-have-the-easiest-job-in-the-world-it-s-an-excuse-to-get-up-there/) [Diana DeGarmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-degarmo/) > [Steve Jobs was born out of wedlock, put up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college, then changed the world. What's your excuse?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/steve-jobs-was-born-out-of-wedlock-put-up-for-adoption-at-birth/) [Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/) > [There may often be excuse for doing things poorly in this world, but there is never any excuse for calling a poorly done thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/there-may-often-be-excuse-for-doing-things-poorly-in-this-world-but/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [I still love you and it burns in my chest. how I wish I had listened to my heart and chosen you in place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel/i-still-love-you-and-it-burns-in-my-chest-how-i-wish-i-had-listened/) [Rachel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel/) > [“Nothing sings as sweetly as love, or burns quite like betrayal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-riley/nothing-sings-as-sweetly-as-love-or-burns-quite-like-betrayal/) [Lucinda Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-riley/) > [True love burns the brightest...scar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gabriel/true-love-burns-the-brightest-scar/) [Peter Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gabriel/) > [Before I met you, I didn't know what love was about.. You gave me something to hold on.. Your love for me still burns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reelow-leesah/before-i-met-you-i-didn-t-know-what-love-was-about-you-gave-me/) [ReeLow LeeSah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reelow-leesah/) > [They say a good love is one that sits you down, gives you a drink of water, and pats you on top of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-a-good-love-is-one-that-sits-you-down-gives-you-a-drink-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“With love comes the risk of losing it. With love comes the risk of getting burnt with it. When love burns, it consumes even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jyoti-arora/with-love-comes-the-risk-of-losing-it-with-love-comes-the-risk-of/) [Jyoti Arora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jyoti-arora/) > [True Love burns the brightest, But the brightest flames leave the deepest scars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-burns-the-brightest-but-the-brightest-flames-leave-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Married love burns as fire, and seeks nothing more than the mate. It says, "I want only you"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/married-love-burns-as-fire-and-seeks-nothing-more-than-the-mate-it/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“Love is a fire that burns unseen, A wound that aches yet isn't felt, An always discontent contentment, A pain that rages without hurting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lu-s-vaz-de-cam-es/love-is-a-fire-that-burns-unseen-a-wound-that-aches-yet-isn-t-felt-an/) [Luís Vaz de Camões](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lu-s-vaz-de-cam-es/) > [“Angelique, my dear child, love is not what heals us. Love is what burns us. And in you the flame burns pure and hot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-golon/angelique-my-dear-child-love-is-not-what-heals-us-love-is-what-burns/) [Anne Golon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-golon/) > [“Love burns past logic and all rational time lines to consume everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kitty-thomas/love-burns-past-logic-and-all-rational-time-lines-to-consume/) [Kitty Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kitty-thomas/) ## 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 Excuse quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [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/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/) [Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/) > [Win without boasting. Lose without excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-payson-terhune/win-without-boasting-lose-without-excuse/) [Albert Payson Terhune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-payson-terhune/) > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Dont leave without a reason, and then try to come back with an excuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-leave-without-a-reason-and-then-try-to-come-back-with-an-excuse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Using, as an excuse, others' failure of common sense is in itself a failure of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/using-as-an-excuse-others-failure-of-common-sense-is-in-itself-a/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I resolutely believe that respect for diversity is a fundamental pillar in the eradication of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. There is no excuse for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/i-resolutely-believe-that-respect-for-diversity-is-a-fundamental/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [I'm not the guy who will sit in a room with somebody who's using a bunch of big words and just act like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-m-not-the-guy-who-will-sit-in-a-room-with-somebody-who-s-using-a/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Worst Break Up Excuse; 'You deserve so much better.' Translation: They've already moved on whether you like it or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/worst-break-up-excuse-you-deserve-so-much-better-translation-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A lie is an excuse guarded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/a-lie-is-an-excuse-guarded/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Live with No Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyanendra/live-with-no-excuse/) [Gyanendra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyanendra/) [Browse all 2,435 Excuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It disfigures everyone/It is the world's excuse for being ugly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disfigures-everyone-it-is-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Excuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disfigures-everyone-it-is-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d35/leonard-cohen-448_excuse_love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disf_1765333.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d35/leonard-cohen-448_excuse_love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disf_1765333.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d35/leonard-cohen-448_excuse_love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disf_1765333.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It disfigures everyone/It is the world's excuse for being ugly.” — 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": "Love is a fire/It burns everyone/It...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disfigures-everyone-it-is-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/love-is-a-fire-it-burns-everyone-it-disfigures-everyone-it-is-the/#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 } } ] } ```