One of my all-time favourite singers and musicians is Leonard Cohen.
In my eyes, he is also one of the greatest poets of our time. Who else could start a song with great openers like:
- 'They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom / For trying to change the system from within.'
(First We Take Manhattan) - 'I greet you from the other side / Of sorrow and despair / With a love so vast and shattered / It will reach you everywhere'
(Heart With No Companion) - 'I went down to the place / Where I knew she lay waiting / Under the marble and the snow'
(Night Comes On) - 'All summer long she touched me / She gathered in my soul / From many a thorn, from many thickets / Her fingers, like a weaver's / Quick and cool'
(Our Lady of Solitude) - 'As the mist leaves no scar / On the dark green hill / So my body leaves no scar / On you and never will'
(True Love Leaves No Traces)
Believe me when I say it was quite a challenge to pick just one video to share with you today. In the end I decided to go with 'The Future' (1992), performed live in London in 2009.
It's a great song, with great lyrics and I thought the show as a whole represented him well, as a man, a singer, and a poet.
As a side note: I love that he has grown old so gracefully. It gives him a gentler touch, intertwined with the sharp wit and passion that is there. I think it suits his music well.
But I'll let you judge for yourself. Enjoy!
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Image: '090820 Leonard Cohen Nîmes' by gaët. Available under a creative commons license. © 2009, gaët.
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I've never heard of Leonard Cohen. But now that you've shared his poetic lyrics, I think I'll go check him out. thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletenutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
HA! What a hoot. You're right, his words are amazing. What a fun surprise. The guy is as old as my dad, but he's still up there doing his thang. Good for him.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like the way the band is bringing the hat back. :)
@nutschell: I think he's amazing (which was pretty obvious from my post, I'm sure), but I'll let you decide for yourself :-)
ReplyDelete@L.G.: yes, yes and yes :-) I still can't believe I missed his concert here last year. I found out about it the day after ...
I too love the man. His take on Alleluia is amazing, but it is his after all
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to save this and listen. I've long been a fan of George M. (commemorated by Jimmy Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy). Musical geniuses all!
ReplyDeleteAnother A-Z Challenger stopping by to visit. You can find me at:
The Frustrated Foodie
He's never been one of my favourite performers. He's so miserable but I have to agree he's aging well and I enjoyed the clip. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you on the A to Z circuit.
http://rosalindadam.blogspot.com/
'I greet you from the other side / Of sorrow and despair / With a love so vast and shattered / It will reach you everywhere'
ReplyDeleteWow, just wow!
@Stratoz: yes, it's an interesting take, that one :-)
ReplyDelete@SJerZGirl: great. I hope you enjoy it, and nice to 'meet' you here!
@Rosalind: I can stand miserable when it's got depth and a sense of humour. :-) Great theme you have for the A to Z challenge!
@Angela: that one is one of my absolute favourite song openings. Such a great image.
The name was familiar but don't think I've heard him. Thanks for the clip it was fun. I'll have to do some more exploring. I always like adding new artists to my listening. Found you on the A-Z. Now I'm following.:)
ReplyDeleteI get a lot of writing inspiration from my favorite musicians. The imagery in their lyrics, the way they turn a phrase and find just the right word to express exactly what they want. It's wonderful. I'd like to harness that power.
ReplyDelete@Pam: Great to meet you! Wonderful 'K' post, by the way. :-)
ReplyDelete@Shelli: me too. Most of the time I need silence to write, but sometimes I put on a particular piece of music that fits the atmosphere I need. 'Harnessing that power': perfect description!
Hi KC .. how wonderful to listen to that song .. I just love his music .. and that was a real treat .. he just seems such a lovely man .. dour - but with a sense of humour .. loved that - cheers Hilary
ReplyDelete@Hilary: so glad you enjoyed it. 'lovely, dour - but with a sense of humour': I think that's a great way of describing him. :)
ReplyDeleteI was just introduced to him a couple years ago. It's funny when you then do a little research and find out he's been around a really long time!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! :-)
ReplyDelete