'1,000 best songs about love' - and no Cohen

[david birkett]

The Guardian newspaper in the UK today launched the beginning of its latest '1,000 best' cultural products. They've just done books, and now it's songs, beginning with the most popular subject of love. I was aghast to see not even a small Leonard Cohen song included, (although I'm sure he'll pop up in, or even be, the Jewish Existential Mysticism category) and even aghaster to be unable to register a flaming response because the stated url in which to do so - guardian.co.uk/1000songs - does not seem to exist.

Can I rally the LC faithful to investigate and address this act of cultural blasphemy?

Peace.

David

[Bartleby]

Don't worry - chances are he'll be in tomorrow's heartbreak songs section or Tuesday's sex songs.

[John Etherington]

Here are the love songs (including "Leader of the Pack" and "Wannabe"!):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/table/2 ... -must-hear

[beatrice]

Wannabe? Oh, dear.

So if there was one Cohen song on the list, which would you want it to be?

[david birkett]

The 'modified' version of Hallelujah.

[lizzytysh]

Good Lord. There are so many of his that fit and they all oughta be on the list. PLUS the other categories. That's really outrageous. Did he pass on an interview with them or something?

[John Etherington]

If Bartleby is serious about forthcoming heartbreak and sex songs, then I guess that Leonard's songs may fit more neatly into these categories (though "parting" and "longing" would be more appropriate) It is true that Leonard has rarely,if ever, written a simple "I love you" type of song. Even "Dance Me to the End of Love" has been associated with the gas chambers! The first Leonard song to spring to mind when I heard about the list was "Hey That's No Way to Say Goodbye", but that's more a song about leaving. Re: songs that Leonard has sung: I'm glad that "Can't Help Falling in Love" is included in the list. "To Love Somebody" should also be there.

All good things, John E

[Evie B]

Wow, I have always thought 'Dance me to the end of love' is almost worth getting married again so that it could be the now traditional first dance together, but I am not sure that I would want that if it was associated with dancing into the gas chambers. Fortunately, one would have to have an incredible imagination to put this interpretation on it, I can find no possible words that bring me to that conclusion.

Though it is probably not the type of 'love' referred to in this Best Love Tunes exercise, more the male/female kissy, kissy type (wonderful too, of course) my first instinct is that 'Famous Blue Raincoat' shows a love for a friend/brother(??) which transcends his treachery and betrayal of the highest order. "I guess I forgive you, I guess that I miss you, I'm glad that you stood in my way" - I choke with emotion every time I listen to it.

[Tony]

Do lists really matter in affairs of the heart?

[John Etherington]

Of course not! (unless you're a Virgo).

[somewhat_nifty]

I too was disappointed when I got my Guardian yesterday to see that there was none of Leonard's songs in the Love songs list, but as people have pointed out, I think it's difficult to slot any of his songs neatly into the conventional 'love' category, as there are usually many layers of meaning there. Perhaps Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye comes the closest, or one of the gentler songs like Our Lady of Solitude. I'm sure Leonard will feature in later lists (my money's on Heartbreak as that'll fit the stereotypical view) - the Guardian did a series about great lyricists a while back and he was included, although quite frankly it would have been a joke if he wasn't!

[Laura]

Do lists really matter in affairs of the heart?

I suspect not in the beginning, Tony, but then, when you start adding on the list who takes out the garbage and who washes the dirty socks... Not that I'd know anything about that!

Laura

[somewhat_nifty]

Lo and behold, in the Heartbreak section ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/table/2 ... -must-hear

... we've got So Long, Marianne

[AvidCohenFan]

So Long, Marianne isn't really a song about heartbreak...Leaving Green Sleeves would have been a better option. I think Ain't No Cure For Love should have been included in the songs about love one. I hate The Guardian now, I'm switching to The Daily Mail.

[TheWrongMan]

I have the Heartbreak section open in front of me. Leonard has one song listed, however it isn't So Long, Marianne but Famous Blue Raincoat (plus a half page Photo).
Bob Dylan has 6 entries in the list which seems a little unfair.