A bunch of lonesome and very quarrelsome heroes
Were smoking out along the open road;
The night was very dark and thick between them
Each man beneath his ordinary load
Cohen starts the song with a kind of oxymoron by pairing the positive word ‘'heroes’‘ with words that contradict heroism: The ’‘heroes’‘ are a ’‘bunch’‘ (which especially contradicts military order), they are ’‘lonesome’‘ (so admiration is lacking or not having any effect) and they are ’‘very quarrelsome’‘ (a quality youdon’t expect to find in idols).
A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes