Re: Along the way... Discovering Leonard's albums
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:01 pm
Seeing that no one has answered the call to talk about the early concerts I thought I'd post this link to the first concert in 2008 at Fredericton that we were recently discussing: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=11071
I read through it all and it's full of anticipation and finally reports from the concert. I was sad to see Arlene had the last post there. I miss her and her comments.... Serendipitously, she absolutely loved the song we are discussing now, Joan Of Arc so here is her video of it as a tour debut at Portland 2012 - Thank you so much, Arlene! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9L7uS7RcXQ
And now on with this wonderful song, Joan Of Arc -
If you have LC’s first album Songs Of Leonard Cohen the back cover of it has an image that looks like Joan of Arc burning in the fire and you might think it could easily suit the third album Songs Of Love And Hate where this song comes. I suspect it was a subliminal additional seed for the song from the time of LC’s first album and earlier. In an interview with Jack Hafferkamp in Rolling Stone 4th Feb 1971 Leonard explains that "this is a Mexican religious picture called 'Anima Sola' the lonely spirit of the lonely soul. It is the triumph of the spirit over matter, the spirit being that beautiful woman breaking out of the chains and the fire and prison".
Here are some words Leonard has said about Joan Of Arc from a Pacifica Radio interview with Kathleen Kendel, WBAI Radio, New York City on 4th Dec 1974 -
KK: I had an impassioned argument with a woman who said that Joan Of Arc was a sexist song.
LC: It might be but I think it’s on the side of women. But more accurately I think it’s just a song about the total gift, of total giving and the total consummation of the spirit in that kind of experience. It takes in the whole shot to be man and woman.
Some more words from LC during concerts in the 1970’s -
This is a song called "The Marriage of Joan Of Arc".
A song that I wrote for a brave woman.
Now a song about a woman that has haunted me for a long time.
This song was written for a German girl (it was Nico) I used to know. She's a great singer, I love her songs. I recently read an interview where she was asked about me and my work. And she said, "I was completely unnecessary". Anyhow; I hope she's not here. This song came through her.
You’ve already given some alternate lyrics for Joan of Arc and here are some more -
And/who are you? she sternly spoke
To the/this voice beneath the smoke...
And no man to get her through this dark, this very ugly night...
And saying this she climbed right/inside
For/to be his one, for/to be his only/virgin bride...
Such a cold very lonesome heroine...
Oh, fire make your body cold
when I give you mine to hold...
If she was fire, oh he must be wood...
But must it come so cruel, and so why can’t it be bright?
These next words are sung on the album Cohen Live 1994 from the concert in Toronto 17th June 1993 -
No man to get her through this dark, this very smoky night...
Well, I'm glad to hear, to hear you talk this way
You see, I've watched you riding almost every single day...
"And I love your solitude, and oh, how I love your sense of pride”...
It was deep into his fiery heart
he took the dust of our Joan of Arc,
and high above all of these assembled wedding guests
he hung the ashes of her very lovely wedding dress...
It was deep, deep into his fiery heart
That he took the dust of our precious Joan of Arc...
Btw - to me these lines below always conjure up an image of a pregnant unmarried woman wanting to be wed
“a wedding dress or something white
to wear upon my swollen appetite”.
I read through it all and it's full of anticipation and finally reports from the concert. I was sad to see Arlene had the last post there. I miss her and her comments.... Serendipitously, she absolutely loved the song we are discussing now, Joan Of Arc so here is her video of it as a tour debut at Portland 2012 - Thank you so much, Arlene! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9L7uS7RcXQ
And now on with this wonderful song, Joan Of Arc -
If you have LC’s first album Songs Of Leonard Cohen the back cover of it has an image that looks like Joan of Arc burning in the fire and you might think it could easily suit the third album Songs Of Love And Hate where this song comes. I suspect it was a subliminal additional seed for the song from the time of LC’s first album and earlier. In an interview with Jack Hafferkamp in Rolling Stone 4th Feb 1971 Leonard explains that "this is a Mexican religious picture called 'Anima Sola' the lonely spirit of the lonely soul. It is the triumph of the spirit over matter, the spirit being that beautiful woman breaking out of the chains and the fire and prison".
Here are some words Leonard has said about Joan Of Arc from a Pacifica Radio interview with Kathleen Kendel, WBAI Radio, New York City on 4th Dec 1974 -
KK: I had an impassioned argument with a woman who said that Joan Of Arc was a sexist song.
LC: It might be but I think it’s on the side of women. But more accurately I think it’s just a song about the total gift, of total giving and the total consummation of the spirit in that kind of experience. It takes in the whole shot to be man and woman.
Some more words from LC during concerts in the 1970’s -
This is a song called "The Marriage of Joan Of Arc".
A song that I wrote for a brave woman.
Now a song about a woman that has haunted me for a long time.
This song was written for a German girl (it was Nico) I used to know. She's a great singer, I love her songs. I recently read an interview where she was asked about me and my work. And she said, "I was completely unnecessary". Anyhow; I hope she's not here. This song came through her.
You’ve already given some alternate lyrics for Joan of Arc and here are some more -
And/who are you? she sternly spoke
To the/this voice beneath the smoke...
And no man to get her through this dark, this very ugly night...
And saying this she climbed right/inside
For/to be his one, for/to be his only/virgin bride...
Such a cold very lonesome heroine...
Oh, fire make your body cold
when I give you mine to hold...
If she was fire, oh he must be wood...
But must it come so cruel, and so why can’t it be bright?
These next words are sung on the album Cohen Live 1994 from the concert in Toronto 17th June 1993 -
No man to get her through this dark, this very smoky night...
Well, I'm glad to hear, to hear you talk this way
You see, I've watched you riding almost every single day...
"And I love your solitude, and oh, how I love your sense of pride”...
It was deep into his fiery heart
he took the dust of our Joan of Arc,
and high above all of these assembled wedding guests
he hung the ashes of her very lovely wedding dress...
It was deep, deep into his fiery heart
That he took the dust of our precious Joan of Arc...
Btw - to me these lines below always conjure up an image of a pregnant unmarried woman wanting to be wed
“a wedding dress or something white
to wear upon my swollen appetite”.