--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ..you wanted to be the Superman who was…" description: "\"..you wanted to be the Superman who was never Clark Kent\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/leonard-cohen-448_comic_you-wanted-to-be-the-superman-who-was-ne_709644.jpg" --- # ..you wanted to be the Superman who was never Clark Kent ![“..you wanted to be the Superman who was never Clark Kent” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/leonard-cohen-448_comic_you-wanted-to-be-the-superman-who-was-ne_709644.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/leonard-cohen-448_comic_you-wanted-to-be-the-superman-who-was-ne_709644.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/leonard-cohen-448_comic_you-wanted-to-be-the-superman-who-was-ne_709644.jpg) > “..you wanted to be the Superman who was never Clark Kent” [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. The speaker wishes to be a heroic figure without a secret identity, seeking authenticity. **In simple terms:** Desire to be a true hero without disguise. Key Takeaway Be authentic, not a façade. Themes identity heroism authenticity self expression Mood contemplative melancholic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - leadership - creative work - personal branding - public life Key Concepts personal truth mythic archetype public persona Questions to Reflect On - What masks do you wear? - How can authenticity empower you? A Different Perspective Fear of vulnerability can hinder authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Superman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superman/) ## Related quotes > ['Superman' has always been about Lois Lane, Superman and Clark Kent and this love triangle between these three people who really are only two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/superman-has-always-been-about-lois-lane-superman-and-clark-kent-and/) [Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/) > [By no means am I as moral as Clark Kent, by no means at all. I made a lot of mistakes and done a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cain/by-no-means-am-i-as-moral-as-clark-kent-by-no-means-at-all-i-made-a/) [Dean Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cain/) > [Big Ben just kept building up. It ended up coming off the field. It kept taking over. Superman kept taking over Clark Kent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-roethlisberger/big-ben-just-kept-building-up-it-ended-up-coming-off-the-field-it/) [Ben Roethlisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-roethlisberger/) > [There was something special and unique about the love triangle that existed between Clark Kent, Superman and Lois Lane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/there-was-something-special-and-unique-about-the-love-triangle-that/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [On losing the opportunity to star in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman 'You know what? It happened for the right reason.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sorbo/on-losing-the-opportunity-to-star-in-lois-clark-the-new-adventures-of/) [Kevin Sorbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sorbo/) > [The thing with Superman is that he's completely emotionally open to the reader. Meaning what he tells you is what he's feeling; there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-snyder/the-thing-with-superman-is-that-he-s-completely-emotionally-open-to/) [Scott Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-snyder/) > [Clearly, there's a real onus on you to do something correctly when everybody, at least in the United States, had a really clear, specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/clearly-there-s-a-real-onus-on-you-to-do-something-correctly-when/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [What I'm interested in exploring with Clark Kent is when you have the power to do something that goes beyond what you think is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-snyder/what-i-m-interested-in-exploring-with-clark-kent-is-when-you-have-the/) [Scott Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-snyder/) > [When your a kid,everybody runs around witha red cape-we all wanted to be SUPERMAN or BATMAN,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/when-your-a-kid-everybody-runs-around-witha-red-cape-we-all-wanted-to/) [Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/) > [When I was little, I think that I wanted Superman to be my boyfriend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/when-i-was-little-i-think-that-i-wanted-superman-to-be-my-boyfriend/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [There's an honesty to Clark, Kal-El - Kal-El's the better way of saying it because he is both Superman and Clark - there's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/there-s-an-honesty-to-clark-kal-el-kal-el-s-the-better-way-of-saying/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [Batman is the one you go to for answers and Clark Kent is the one you go to to really do the right thing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-snyder/batman-is-the-one-you-go-to-for-answers-and-clark-kent-is-the-one-you/) [Scott Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-snyder/) > [My favorite record was the one I produced with Clark Kent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-dash/my-favorite-record-was-the-one-i-produced-with-clark-kent/) [Damon Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-dash/) > [The ‘I’ character in journalism is almost pure invention. Unlike the ‘I’ of autobiography, who is meant to be seen as a representation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-i-character-in-journalism-is-almost-pure-invention-unlike-the-i/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [Perhaps the most prevailing expectation of men is our Superman expectation: the fear we are merely Clark Kents who won't be accepted unless we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/perhaps-the-most-prevailing-expectation-of-men-is-our-superman/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) ## 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 Comic quotes > [Any incarnation of 'Batman' I am delighted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/any-incarnation-of-batman-i-am-delighted-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [I always loved as a kid reading 'Spider-Man,' and the 'Fantastic Four' would show up... it was all about that larger universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-reed/i-always-loved-as-a-kid-reading-spider-man-and-the-fantastic-four/) [Peyton Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-reed/) > [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/) [Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/) > [I identify with Superman. 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So therefore he can't be a superhero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-silvey/batman-doesn-t-have-any-superpowers-he-s-not-superhuman-he-s-not/) [Craig Silvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-silvey/) > [When I was writing 'Black Panther,' on one level, I was angry because DC would never let me write 'Batman,' so I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/when-i-was-writing-black-panther-on-one-level-i-was-angry-because-dc/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [I was really into the first 'Spider-Man' films with Tobey Maguire, so it's pretty cool how it all came full circle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-batalon/i-was-really-into-the-first-spider-man-films-with-tobey-maguire-so-it/) [Jacob Batalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-batalon/) > [Most men are secretly still mad at their mothers for throwing away their comic books. 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