I met Bob Geldof at a Leonard Cohen gig and wrote a song abo

johnnyquadrio · Post by **johnnyquadrio** » Thu Sep 19, 2013 9:36 pm

Happy Birthday, Leonard.

I wrote a song for you:

http://www.soundcloud.com/johnnyquadrio/geldof

x

musicmania · Post by **musicmania** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:24 pm

It sounds great, however I am finding it hard to make out some of the lyrics so would you mind posting them here for me to read or by PM here if you prefer. I am a huge admirer of Geldof and will be seeing him in Dublin next month so I will make sure to mention this song to him!

johnnyquadrio · Post by **johnnyquadrio** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:32 pm

Me and Christos and Kat and Elaine
Put on our Sunday best
to hear Leonard singing again
And oh, my, my
How the rain came down
When the lightning ripped through the sky

And Geldof sat beside me
Well whaddya know?
Closed his eyes and slipped away

And I knew
Chelsea Hotel Number 2
And Sisters of Mercy
Went in one ear and passed right through
No, the man could not depart
Until Famous Blue Raincoat
Had ripped into his heart

Everyone knows
She made a fool of you
But Bobby, don't go
Leonard Cohen knows what to do
Hear how he dealt
With the gypsy and Jane
Bobby, don't go
Leonard Cohen knows your name

Then, as four in the morning arrived
I saw Geldof stand
And throw his arms out wide
And there he stood on Clinton Street
On a wooden cross
As we knelt and kissed his feet

Everyone knows
She made a fool of you
But Bobby, don't go
Leonard Cohen knows what to do
Hear how he dealt
With the gypsy and Jane
Bobby, don't go
Leonard Cohen knows your name
Leonard Cohen knows your name
Leonard Cohen knows your name

johnnyquadrio · Post by **johnnyquadrio** » Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:37 pm

http://www.soundcloud.com/johnnyquadrio/geldof

musicmania · Post by **musicmania** » Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:15 am

Thanks. Interesting lyrics. I don't know if you know this but it might be of interest to others so I'll post here first and then copy to the Geldof Forum. Bob has always been a huge fan of Leonard and especially Famous Blue Raincoat. In 2004 he released a compilation album of his favourite songs and it included FBR. In the liner notes he wrote about his choices and this is what he wrote about FBR:

'How beautiful is this? How effective in immediately setting the mood. How profound the voice. "Its [sic] 4 in the morning, the end of December"... I'm there Len. Ok we all know Cohen is hardly Captain Chuckles but I've never understood people saying it was wrist-slitting music. It's about beauty and love and living and more gorgeously said than anyone. "Famous Blue Raincoat" is a letter he's writing one snowy winter night.
"Thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good
So I never tried
Sincerely L. Cohen".
Yes indeed.

Sincerely

B. Geldof'

mnkyface · Post by **mnkyface** » Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:32 am

Love this. Thank you, Johnny Quadrio. And thanks for the Geldof info, Gwen.

johnnyquadrio · Post by **johnnyquadrio** » Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:43 am

Beautiful. I've never seen that before.

As it happens, it was Bob Geldof who first introduced me to Leonard Cohen when he was a DJ at XFM. I remember being stuck in rainy traffic and hearing Bob introduce Suzanne with the words: "Shut up and listen." And I did.

I did mention this to him when I saw him, although he seemed fairly indifferent (unsurprisingly - I mean, who was I? Just some pissed up Scouser, right?). He'd arrived late for the show (Brooklands 2009) and, as he sat down, he asked if Leonard had played 'Famous Blue Raincoat' yet. I told him no, but it was on its way. And he was completely disinterested in the set, until Four In The Morning arrived - at which point he almost seemed to glow.

The similarity of the theme in relation to Bob's love troubles weren't lost on me at all, and I felt enormously sorry for him at that moment.

Anyway, as soon as the song finished he got up and left - and that meeting always stayed with me.

If he ever does get to hear it, I hope he doesn't take offence. It was written only with love.

I might have guessed your Leonard buddy is a Scouser - we get everywhere!

Cheers,

Johnny

musicmania · Post by **musicmania** » Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:55 am

Bob won't take offence and I promise I will say it to him for you. I also sort of credit Bob with introducing me to Leonard after seeing an article of greatest writers which mentioned both of them. Being Irish I of course knew about Bob and already loved him and while the intention was there then to check Leonard out it was only when I heard Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah I took notice and immediately investigated more! Now Jeff's version pales in significance to the original!

johnnyquadrio · Post by **johnnyquadrio** » Sat Sep 21, 2013 1:00 am

Sounds like we're living parallel lives . . .

I met Bob Geldof at a Leonard Cohen gig and wrote a song abo

A birthday song for Leonard

Returning to Hydra

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I met Bob Geldof at a Leonard Cohen gig and wrote a song abo

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Re: I met Bob Geldof at a Leonard Cohen gig and wrote a song

Re: I met Bob Geldof at a Leonard Cohen gig and wrote a song