---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe there's a god above but the only…"
description: "\"Maybe there's a god above but the only thing I learned from love was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you.\" — Leonard Cohen"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/leonard-cohen-448_broken_maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-t_1322353.jpg"
---

#  Maybe there's a god above but the only thing I learned…

![“Maybe there's a god above but the only thing I learned from love was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/leonard-cohen-448_broken_maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-t_1322353.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/leonard-cohen-448_broken_maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-t_1322353.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/leonard-cohen-448_broken_maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-t_1322353.jpg)

> “Maybe there's a god above but the only thing I learned from love was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew 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.

Love taught him to confront rivals with aggression, reflecting pain and competition.

**In simple terms:** Love can feel like a battle.

Key Takeaway

Recognize love’s complex emotions.

Themes

love conflict competition pain

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

- breakups
- creative expression
- personal growth

Key Concepts

psychology of relationships emotional resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you channel love’s pain constructively?
- What does “shoot” symbolize in emotional contexts?

A Different Perspective

Violence is not a healthy response to heartbreak.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Broken ; heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-heart/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/)

## Related quotes

> [Maybe there's a God above, As for me, all I've ever seemed to learn from love Is how to shoot at someone who outdrew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/maybe-there-s-a-god-above-as-for-me-all-i-ve-ever-seemed-to-learn/)

[Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/)

> [“Love is a shoot star that lands in your heart, and lives forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/love-is-a-shoot-star-that-lands-in-your-heart-and-lives-forever/)

[Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/)

> [Ex's you can't love them but can't shoot them either](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishak/ex-s-you-can-t-love-them-but-can-t-shoot-them-either/)

[Vishak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishak/)

> [I can shoot the ball a lot. Love to shoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-hield/i-can-shoot-the-ball-a-lot-love-to-shoot/)

[Buddy Hield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-hield/)

> [So, I took lessons, and I love to shoot now. It's a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/so-i-took-lessons-and-i-love-to-shoot-now-it-s-a-lot-of-fun/)

[Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/)

> [I could stand in the middle Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-could-stand-in-the-middle-fifth-avenue-and-shoot-somebody-and-i/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [We don't shoot somebody soon, I'm gonna forget how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/we-don-t-shoot-somebody-soon-i-m-gonna-forget-how/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [If you ever go temporarily insane, don't shoot somebody, like a lot of people do. Instead, try to get some weeding done, because you'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-ever-go-temporarily-insane-don-t-shoot-somebody-like-a-lot-of/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [When I hold a gun, I know how to be sensible about it. I'm not holding it to wild out or just to shoot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/when-i-hold-a-gun-i-know-how-to-be-sensible-about-it-i-m-not-holding/)

[DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/)

> [If you wanna get away with murder, all you gotta do is shoot somebody in the head and put a demo tape in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/if-you-wanna-get-away-with-murder-all-you-gotta-do-is-shoot-somebody/)

[Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/)

> [Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, little star. Up comes Brady in a 'lectric car. Got a mean look all 'round his eye. Gonna shoot somebody jus'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lead-belly/twinkle-twinkle-twinkle-little-star-up-comes-brady-in-a-lectric-car/)

[Lead Belly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lead-belly/)

> [I'm going to shoot somebody," Maddie said. "Sawyer hates when people do that. It's a whole bunch of paperwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/i-m-going-to-shoot-somebody-maddie-said-sawyer-hates-when-people-do/)

[Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/)

> [When I make a hundred, I'mma buy a new Bugatti. I be with some Philly niggas, they just trying to shoot somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meek-mill/when-i-make-a-hundred-i-mma-buy-a-new-bugatti-i-be-with-some-philly/)

[Meek Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meek-mill/)

> [ “\[...\] I talk to the dead although I don't believe in ghosts. But it makes me feel good to speak with them. Maybe that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/min-jin-lee/i-talk-to-the-dead-although-i-don-t-believe-in-ghosts-but-it-makes-me/)

[Min Jin Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/min-jin-lee/)

> [When you cannot sleep at night, have you even thought maybe it's God sayin' We need to talk and know you have time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-cannot-sleep-at-night-have-you-even-thought-maybe-it-s-god/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## 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 Broken quotes

> [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/)

[Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/)

> [You don't want to fix things that aren't broken, so that kind of stops you from make changes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-weidman/you-don-t-want-to-fix-things-that-aren-t-broken-so-that-kind-of-stops/)

[Chris Weidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-weidman/)

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Marriage is a desperate thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/marriage-is-a-desperate-thing/)

[John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/)

> [The child who ran weeping to you with a cut finger is now brought home, smiling gamely, with a broken collarbone and incredible contusions-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-brown/the-child-who-ran-weeping-to-you-with-a-cut-finger-is-now-brought/)

[Pam Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-brown/)

> [There is no pain like the first time you get your heart broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ne-yo/there-is-no-pain-like-the-first-time-you-get-your-heart-broken/)

[Ne-Yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ne-yo/)

> [Broken china lasts longer than unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-renard/broken-china-lasts-longer-than-unbroken/)

[Jules Renard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-renard/)

> [My life was incoherent to me. I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/)

[Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/)

> [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/)

[Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/)

> [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/)

[Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/)

> [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/)

[Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/)

> [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/)

[Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/)

> [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/)

[Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/)

Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Maybe there's a god above but the only thing I learned from love was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Leonard Cohen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-thing-i-learned-from-love-was/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Broken"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-thing-i-learned-from-love-was/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/leonard-cohen-448_broken_maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-t_1322353.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/leonard-cohen-448_broken_maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-t_1322353.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff7/leonard-cohen-448_broken_maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-t_1322353.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Maybe there's a god above but the only thing I learned from love was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew 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": "Maybe there's a god above but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-thing-i-learned-from-love-was/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/maybe-there-s-a-god-above-but-the-only-thing-i-learned-from-love-was/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```