Leonard Cohen
"The Guests" lyrics

The Guests

One by one
The guests arrive
The guests are coming through
The open-hearted many
The broken-hearted few

And no one knows
Where the night is going
And no one knows
Why the wine is flowing
Oh love I need you
I need you
I need you
I need you
Oh I need you now

And those who dance
Begin to dance
Those who weep begin
And "Welcome, welcome"
Cries a voice
"Let all my guests come in"

And no one knows
Where the night is going
And no one knows
Why the wine is flowing
Oh love I need you
I need you
I need you
I need you
Oh I need you now

And all go stumbling through that house
In lonely secrecy
Saying "Do reveal yourself"
Or "Why has thou forsaken me?"

And no one knows
Where the night is going
And no one knows
Why the wine is flowing
Oh love I need you
I need you
I need you
I need you
Oh I need you now

All at once
The torches flare
The inner door flies open
One by one
They enter there
In every style of passion

And no one knows
Where the night is going
And no one knows
Why the wine is flowing
Oh love I need you
I need you
I need you
I need you
Oh I need you now

And here they take their sweet repast
While house and grounds dissolve
And one by one the guests are cast
Beyond the garden wall

And no one knows
Where the night is going
And no one knows
Why the wine is flowing
Oh love I need you
I need you
I need you
I need you
Oh I need you now

Those who dance
Begin to dance
Those who weep begin
Those who earnestly are lost
Are lost and lost again

And no one knows
Where the night is going
And no one knows
Why the wine is flowing
Oh love I need you
I need you
I need you
I need you
Oh I need you now

One by one
The guests arrive
The guests are coming through
The broken-hearted many
The open-hearted few

And no one knows
Where the night is going
And no one knows
Why the wine is flowing
Oh love I need you
I need you
I need you
I need you
Oh I need you now