Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 7:30 am
I just founds this exchange on an interview that Jarkko has on his site:
Interviewers: On your last album you had a song "Un Canadien Errant" with a mariachi band as back-up musicians. It emerged sounding like a very Latin tune rather than a Québécois folksong.
Cohen: I thought the resonances that were developed through that kind of treatment were quite interesting and humorous, because you have a Jew singing a French-Canadien song with a Mexican band. So it really does become a statement of exile.
Interviewers: Is there any reason why you left out the last verse?
Cohen: I never knew the last verse too well. How does it go?
Interviewers: Something like: "Even though I die, my Canada, I will expire or languish with your name forever with me - my dear Canada."
Cohen: I don't think I ever used to sing that. I hadn't sung that song for years and years. What were the French words?
Interviewers: "Non mais on expirant, O mon cher Canada, Mon regard languissant, Vers toi se portera."
Cohen: (Pause.) I remember vaguely hearing those. I never learned those, and the song seemed to work with two verses and instumental and final verse.
Interviewers: Do you see French-Canadiens in the context of that song? Was that song directed specifically at them?
Cohen: The complexities of singing that song are enormous. I think it would take volumes to unfold. It just has a certain irony, humour and poignancy in the way it was done, because in a certain sense, we - the English-speaking Canadiens in Montreal - are the exiles. The song turns around and has harmonics that are quite interesting.
Joe
Interviewers: On your last album you had a song "Un Canadien Errant" with a mariachi band as back-up musicians. It emerged sounding like a very Latin tune rather than a Québécois folksong.
Cohen: I thought the resonances that were developed through that kind of treatment were quite interesting and humorous, because you have a Jew singing a French-Canadien song with a Mexican band. So it really does become a statement of exile.
Interviewers: Is there any reason why you left out the last verse?
Cohen: I never knew the last verse too well. How does it go?
Interviewers: Something like: "Even though I die, my Canada, I will expire or languish with your name forever with me - my dear Canada."
Cohen: I don't think I ever used to sing that. I hadn't sung that song for years and years. What were the French words?
Interviewers: "Non mais on expirant, O mon cher Canada, Mon regard languissant, Vers toi se portera."
Cohen: (Pause.) I remember vaguely hearing those. I never learned those, and the song seemed to work with two verses and instumental and final verse.
Interviewers: Do you see French-Canadiens in the context of that song? Was that song directed specifically at them?
Cohen: The complexities of singing that song are enormous. I think it would take volumes to unfold. It just has a certain irony, humour and poignancy in the way it was done, because in a certain sense, we - the English-speaking Canadiens in Montreal - are the exiles. The song turns around and has harmonics that are quite interesting.
Joe