and the translation word by word.
Do leonard cohen fans favor sad songs?
Do leonard cohen fans favor sad songs?
Cohen's esthetic sweet and deep melancholy warms my heart up because it shows me that melancholy change into happiness. Not only as far as artistic creation is concerned but also in human every-day -life inventive activities. U have to claim what you can't change at all in/at yourself. Sorry for the language
and the translation word by word.
and the translation word by word.
michele dassy
. You make an excellent point in two directions 
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Fljotsdale
- Posts: 800
- Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 1:27 am
- Location: Birmingham, UK
A lot of his songs are also very funny. He's clever with words. He can make me laugh and cry at the same time.
Only just found this video of LC:
http://ca.youtube.com/user/leonardcohen?ob=4" target="_blank
This one does make me cry.
http://ca.youtube.com/user/leonardcohen?ob=4" target="_blank
This one does make me cry.
funny
Could you bring few samples of those funny lines?
It's not that I doubt it. I just maybe pass by them or maybe not heard those songs yet. I can feel gentle irony then and now.
Thanks.
It's not that I doubt it. I just maybe pass by them or maybe not heard those songs yet. I can feel gentle irony then and now.
Thanks.
Irony and sarcasm, yes. Everybody Knows. Jazz Police. First We Take Manhattan. Is This What You Wanted. Leaving Green Sleeves. Memories. Don't Go Home With Your Hard On. Dear Heather. Because Of. The Future. Democracy. Closing Time. Diamonds in the Mine. Field Commander Cohen. Go No More A-Roving. (OK, that one is the whole readable as gentle irony toward Layton's and Cohen's old age.) I Can't Forget. I'm Your Man. Never Any Good. The Captain.
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
Everybody knows that you love me, baby. Everybody knows that you really do. Everybody knows that you’ve been faithful, [pause] ah, give or take a night or two.
That is funny.
Everybody knows you’ve been discreet but there were so many people you just had to meet [pause] without your clothes. And everybody knows.
The moment of pause is important. Many artists who covered it simply didn't get the twists.
And another title to the list: Tower of Song. The thing is also that many of these songs operate on higher, "meta-level" of irony, which can't be depicted from just few lines, and in that way they're overall comic. *Not* comic as people usually do say for late Cohen (comic = his style and voice and arrangements; they aren't comic), but the tone of the work is the tone of irony, even if the song is *very* serious like The Future of Everybody Knows. - Interesting thing is that there are many albums who are simply "serious" and you can't see it otherwise (and what's important, this self-seriousness doesn't become kitch as on most of art works which are aware of its seriousness). Recent Songs, Ten New Songs, they are *serious*. You can't find irony - I think - as the major mode (although there are some lines and songs in Various Positions and TNS, over all album, especially in That Don't Make It Junk) on those albums. While the main device of I'm Your Man and The Future is irony, although there are many songs on them which aren't ironic (particularly on The Future: Anthem, Light As The Breeze).
That is funny.
Everybody knows you’ve been discreet but there were so many people you just had to meet [pause] without your clothes. And everybody knows.
The moment of pause is important. Many artists who covered it simply didn't get the twists.
And another title to the list: Tower of Song. The thing is also that many of these songs operate on higher, "meta-level" of irony, which can't be depicted from just few lines, and in that way they're overall comic. *Not* comic as people usually do say for late Cohen (comic = his style and voice and arrangements; they aren't comic), but the tone of the work is the tone of irony, even if the song is *very* serious like The Future of Everybody Knows. - Interesting thing is that there are many albums who are simply "serious" and you can't see it otherwise (and what's important, this self-seriousness doesn't become kitch as on most of art works which are aware of its seriousness). Recent Songs, Ten New Songs, they are *serious*. You can't find irony - I think - as the major mode (although there are some lines and songs in Various Positions and TNS, over all album, especially in That Don't Make It Junk) on those albums. While the main device of I'm Your Man and The Future is irony, although there are many songs on them which aren't ironic (particularly on The Future: Anthem, Light As The Breeze).
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
oh thanks.
Oh Thanks. I was afraid i could miss something.
In my opinion his songs are melancholic, both music and lyrics. It's not a shame at all. In fact a lot of top art is connected to melancholy.
Of course, a melancholy itself is not enough. If I have to describe his songs by one sentence: English words emerge an dip in nice dark tunes.
Usually I do not even think about meaning it's just a passion for my ears.
In my opinion his songs are melancholic, both music and lyrics. It's not a shame at all. In fact a lot of top art is connected to melancholy.
Of course, a melancholy itself is not enough. If I have to describe his songs by one sentence: English words emerge an dip in nice dark tunes.
Usually I do not even think about meaning it's just a passion for my ears.
I think that's why I don't like most of the cover songs. They are the same words, but the feelings behind them are never the same.Tom Sakic wrote: The moment of pause is important. Many artists who covered it simply didn't get the twists.
Anything that doesn't kill you only serves to postpone the inevitable.
http://www.myspace.com/madisonblythe
http://www.myspace.com/madisonblythe
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Diane
I seriously do not get why Cohen's music is so often described as 'depressing.' I can see somber, sad, lonely, melancholic, dpressED, but not as actively adding to or creating depression. I listen to Cohen when I'm about to go off the deep end and he never fails to pull me back.
And so much of it has a ring of joy to it - not happiness maybe, but joy, which can coexist quite easily with sadness and melancholy. I don't think most people are comfortable with melancholy and see it as a negative thing. It's just a contrast, contour.
Like...well, right now I've got Noel Harrison's version of "Dress Rehearsal Rag" playing. So the person doesn't off themselves in the end anyway, but I appreciated the song from the beginning anyway. At least he had some idea of what he was doing.
I do not care for Buckley's version of Hallelujah. I find his interpretation depressing. Wheras I find Cohen's version(s) seem to again have some joy, some light at the end of the tunnel, of sadness. Hallelujah! it's a cry of praise.
And so much of it has a ring of joy to it - not happiness maybe, but joy, which can coexist quite easily with sadness and melancholy. I don't think most people are comfortable with melancholy and see it as a negative thing. It's just a contrast, contour.
Like...well, right now I've got Noel Harrison's version of "Dress Rehearsal Rag" playing. So the person doesn't off themselves in the end anyway, but I appreciated the song from the beginning anyway. At least he had some idea of what he was doing.
I do not care for Buckley's version of Hallelujah. I find his interpretation depressing. Wheras I find Cohen's version(s) seem to again have some joy, some light at the end of the tunnel, of sadness. Hallelujah! it's a cry of praise.
Hi Beccka ~
I agree with Leonard's songs not being sad or depressing... and they have the same positive effect with me. Never been caused to feel worse, always been caused to feel better, when I've listened to them. I always prefer his own, original songs to the covers. Just the way it is... I believe you're right that his voice and delivery do infuse a certain hope, optimism, and even joy.
I like my friend's comment that they have a sense of longing. I wonder if the whole of his song catalog could even be dubbed "Songs of Longing." Whether for woman or for G~d or both, or for peace or resolution or whatever.
~ Lizzy
I agree with Leonard's songs not being sad or depressing... and they have the same positive effect with me. Never been caused to feel worse, always been caused to feel better, when I've listened to them. I always prefer his own, original songs to the covers. Just the way it is... I believe you're right that his voice and delivery do infuse a certain hope, optimism, and even joy.
I like my friend's comment that they have a sense of longing. I wonder if the whole of his song catalog could even be dubbed "Songs of Longing." Whether for woman or for G~d or both, or for peace or resolution or whatever.
~ Lizzy
Hi Lizzy -
longing, yes, that's it - longing for different things at different times, but longing. A lot of times longing is mistaken for incompleteness or emptiness, but really it's the driving force behind human action.
It would be depressing if the songs all said that in the end the journey was a failure and the thing longed for (sex, a woman, faith, G~d) was never to be found. But I don't think anything of Cohen's has that sort of finality.
longing, yes, that's it - longing for different things at different times, but longing. A lot of times longing is mistaken for incompleteness or emptiness, but really it's the driving force behind human action.
It would be depressing if the songs all said that in the end the journey was a failure and the thing longed for (sex, a woman, faith, G~d) was never to be found. But I don't think anything of Cohen's has that sort of finality.