"Everybody Knows" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

and collaborator Sharon Robinson. It has often been covered and used in soundtracks.

Song

"Everybody Knows" was first released on Cohen's album '' I'm Your Man'', February 1988. Five minutes, 37 seconds in duration, "Everybody Knows" is known for its somber tone and repetition of the title at the beginning of most lines. Featuring phrases such as "Everybody knows that the dice are loaded" and "Everybody knows that the good guys lost", "Everybody Knows" has been variously described by critics as "bitterly pessimistic" yet funny, or, more strongly, a "bleak prophecy about the end of the world as we know it".Holden, Stephen (June 21, 2006)
'Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man': A Documentary Song of Praise
''

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''. Accessed July 14, 2006. The lyrics include references to AIDS, social problems, and relationship and religious issues.

Soundtracks

"Everybody Knows" has been widely used in television and film. Allan Moyle's 1990 film '' Pump Up the Volume'' features the song prominently. A favorite of protagonist Mark Hunter (

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, as the operator of an FM

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station), Cohen's song is played from an on-screen phonograph several times during Mark's clandestine broadcasts. A cover by

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is used at the film's end, and it is this cover version that made it onto the film's soundtrack album rather than Cohen's version. Cohen's original version was also featured prominently in

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's 1994 film ''

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'', as the theme music of exotic dancer Christina (

Mia Kirshner Mia Kirshner (born January 25, 1975) is a Canadian actress, writer and social activist. She is known for television roles as Mandy in '' 24'' (2001–2005), as Jenny Schecter in ''The L Word'' (2004–2009), as Amanda Grayson in '' Star Trek: Di ...

) when she performs at the club of the film's title. The soundtrack album for ''Exotica'', featuring music composed by

Mychael Danna Mychael Danna (born September 20, 1958) is a Canadian composer of film and television scores. He won both the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Original Score for '' Life of Pi''. He has also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition ...

, does not include Cohen's recording of this song, either. "Everybody Knows" was also used in an August 2008 anti-smoking advertisement commissioned by the

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government in Australia with the theme "everybody knows smoking causes these diseases ... yet you still do it".

Cover versions

Like many of Cohen's songs, "Everybody Knows" has been covered by several artists: *

recorded a version for the soundtrack of the 1990 film '' Pump Up the Volume''. It was released as a promotional single in the US and reached number 20 on the '' Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart. A music video was directed by Jane Simpson and produced by Silvey + Co. * Don Henley included a cover on his Greatest hits album '' Actual Miles''. On a 1996

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concert he performed the song as a duet with

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...

. (1995) *

Rufus Wainwright Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright (born July 22, 1973) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and composer. He has recorded 10 studio albums and numerous tracks on compilations and film soundtracks. He has also written two classical operas and set ...

, in

Lian Lunson Lian Lunson (born 3 February 1959) is an Australian actress who became a filmmaker and author. Biography Lian Lunson was born in Victoria, outside Melbourne. After attending The Ensemble drama school in Sydney and working as an actor, she mov ...

's documentary film '' Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man'' (2005). * Sharon Robinson herself, on her debut CD of the same title (2008). * Stephen Stills and Judy Collins, as the title track to their album of the same name (2017). *

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, as the soundtrack for the movie ''

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'' (2017).

Charts

Concrete Blonde version

References

{{authority control 1988 songs Don Henley songs Leonard Cohen songs Songs written by Leonard Cohen Songs written by Sharon Robinson (songwriter) Columbia Records singles Songs about HIV/AIDS The Specials songs