--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You go to Heaven once you've been to Hell" description: "\"“You go to Heaven once you've been to Hell”\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/leonard-cohen-448_quote_you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hel_2063622.jpg" --- # You go to Heaven once you've been to Hell ![“You go to Heaven once you've been to Hell” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/leonard-cohen-448_quote_you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hel_2063622.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/leonard-cohen-448_quote_you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hel_2063622.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/leonard-cohen-448_quote_you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hel_2063622.jpg) > ““You go to Heaven once you've been to Hell”” [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. Enduring hardship can precede spiritual reward, suggesting suffering precedes enlightenment. **In simple terms:** Hardship may lead to heaven. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges as part of growth. Themes suffering spirituality redemption Mood reflective hopeful Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - personal loss - addiction recovery - spiritual quests - mental health journeys Key Concepts existentialism transcendence Questions to Reflect On - How have personal trials shaped your values? - Can pain be a catalyst for change? A Different Perspective Not all suffering results in positive outcomes; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Heaven Ve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven-ve-568053/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Ve Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-hell-666081/) ## Related quotes > [I'm going to dance my way to heaven, because I've already been through Hell..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/i-m-going-to-dance-my-way-to-heaven-because-i-ve-already-been-through/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“They say theres a Heaven...but all I've ever been through is Hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-salvador/they-say-theres-a-heaven-but-all-i-ve-ever-been-through-is-hell/) [Josh Salvador](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-salvador/) > [Everything's adding up, you've been through hell and back. Thats why you're bad as f-ck and you know you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/everything-s-adding-up-you-ve-been-through-hell-and-back-thats-why/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [You can't tell 'em that I've been from hell & back ð](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-t-tell-em-that-i-ve-been-from-hell-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My idea of Heaven is what we've got right now, right here!-All this beauty and pleasure and fun and inspiration and spirit and fellowship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/my-idea-of-heaven-is-what-we-ve-got-right-now-right-here-all-this/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [I have been to Heaven, I've been to Hell, I've been possessed by Lucifer. You can't really get much bigger than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-padalecki/i-have-been-to-heaven-i-ve-been-to-hell-i-ve-been-possessed-by/) [Jared Padalecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-padalecki/) > [“Our gods," said the Warlord, "favor men that smile before they die. You'll go straight to heaven, Agent Ree." "I doubt it," said Royce.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-mercer/our-gods-said-the-warlord-favor-men-that-smile-before-they-die-you-ll/) [Aldous Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-mercer/) > [“Don't talk about heaven if you've never been to Bali.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/don-t-talk-about-heaven-if-you-ve-never-been-to-bali/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Everything's adding up, you've been through hell and back, that's why you're bad as fuck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor/everything-s-adding-up-you-ve-been-through-hell-and-back-that-s-why/) [Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor/) > [Well, I looked my demons in the eyes laid bare my chest, said 'Do your best, destroy me. You see, I’ve been to hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lamontagne/well-i-looked-my-demons-in-the-eyes-laid-bare-my-chest-said-do-your/) [Ray LaMontagne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lamontagne/) > [I don't want to go to Peru. "How do you know? You've never been there." I've never been to hell either and I'm pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/i-don-t-want-to-go-to-peru-how-do-you-know-you-ve-never-been-there-i/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [I've been through hell not totally unscathed, but I came out not too bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tito-ortiz/i-ve-been-through-hell-not-totally-unscathed-but-i-came-out-not-too/) [Tito Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tito-ortiz/) > [I've been through hell because of you. Now watch me leave hell because I'm finally without you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cori-morton/i-ve-been-through-hell-because-of-you-now-watch-me-leave-hell-because/) [Cori Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cori-morton/) > [If you've made your own hell, then only you have the power to escape it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/if-you-ve-made-your-own-hell-then-only-you-have-the-power-to-escape-it/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I've had a hell of a lot of fun and I've enjoyed every minute of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-flynn/i-ve-had-a-hell-of-a-lot-of-fun-and-i-ve-enjoyed-every-minute-of-it/) [Errol Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-flynn/) ## 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 Heaven quotes > [Heaven lies around us in our infancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/heaven-lies-around-us-in-our-infancy/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [A real Christian in an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-real-christian-in-an-odd-number-anyway-he-feels-supreme-love-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that on any trip to heaven, there are always detours through hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-finney/i-believe-that-on-any-trip-to-heaven-there-are-always-detours-through/) [Richard Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-finney/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/every-saved-person-this-side-of-heaven-owes-the-gospel-to-every-lost/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [When you have accomplished your goal simply walk away. This is the path way to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/when-you-have-accomplished-your-goal-simply-walk-away-this-is-the/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [By the time you have no difficulties in your life, you have achieved Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brown/by-the-time-you-have-no-difficulties-in-your-life-you-have-achieved/) [Charles Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brown/) > [I'm what is known as gradually disintegrating. I don't fear the next world, or anything. I don't fear hell, and I don't look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/i-m-what-is-known-as-gradually-disintegrating-i-don-t-fear-the-next/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [I do not want a kingdom, or heaven; what I want is to remove the trouble of the oppressed, the poor, and the needy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-a-kingdom-or-heaven-what-i-want-is-to-remove-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“God is the highest good of the reasonable creature, and the enjoyment of him is the only happiness with which our souls can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/god-is-the-highest-good-of-the-reasonable-creature-and-the-enjoyment/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“The Creator sat upon the throne, thinking. Behind him stretched the illimitable continent of heaven, steeped in a glory of light and color; before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-creator-sat-upon-the-throne-thinking-behind-him-stretched-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) [Browse all 9,540 Heaven quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You go to Heaven once you've been to Hell”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hell/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heaven" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hell/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/leonard-cohen-448_quote_you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hel_2063622.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/leonard-cohen-448_quote_you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hel_2063622.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32c/leonard-cohen-448_quote_you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hel_2063622.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You go to Heaven once you've been to Hell” — 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": "“You go to Heaven once you've...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hell/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-go-to-heaven-once-you-ve-been-to-hell/#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 } } ] } ```