LA MANIC : a perfect offering to Montreal and the World.
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:24 pm
On nov 29 in Montreal, Leonard sang,in french, québécois singer/songwriter Georges Dor's song LA MANIC.
This received wide attention and positive comments in the topic: "Concert reports : Montreal, Québec nov 28/29.
So much so that I think a new topic devoted to that specific event should be created.
To that effect I have chosen some pertinent lines and links from other members' posts summerizing this rare event of a Leonard's rendition of someone else's music.
1) Leonard's performance : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYXP7n3j ... ata_player
2) reference to George Dor and the song : http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.ca/2012/ ... rench.html
3) Optimized translation of the song :
If only you knew how long the time is at Manic
You'd write way more often, to the Manicouagan
Sometimes I think so hard about you
That I recreate your soul and your body
I look at you and I am filled with wonder
I throw myself into you
Just like the river into the sea
And the flower into the bee
My beautiful lover, what do your silken forehead
And your velvet eyes become, when I am not there
Do you turn towards the Côte-Nord 1
To see a little, to see some more
My hand signalling you to wait
At twilight and at dawn, I reach out
I meet you wherever you may be
And I keep you
Tell me what's going on in Trois-Rivières and in Quebec City
Where there's so much to do, and eveything we do with it
Tell me what's going on in Montreal
In the dirty side streets
Where you're always the more beautiful
Because ugliness can't get to you
You, who I'll love until I pass away
My eternal
We boast around all day long
But we're all good guys faithful to their loves
Some play guitar
Others play accordion
To pass time, when the time is long
But me, I play of my love
And I dance, saying your name
Because I love you so much
If only you knew how long the time is at Manic
You'd write way more often, to the Manicouagan
If you don't have much to tell me
Write the words 'I love you' a hundred times
It will be the most beautiful of poems
I'll read it a hundred times
A hundred times, a hundred times are not a lot
For those who are in love
If only you knew how long the time is
At Manic
You'd write way more often
To the Manicouagan
4) Details about the song's background by cohenite Beatriz Salles :
"La manic" must be more than just a "love song" for Quebec people, it describes the solitude of the dam builders on the river Manicouagan during the 60-70es.
Manic-5, the Manic-5-PA and Daniel Johnson Dam hydroelectric form a Hydro-Québec located on the North Shore of Quebec, the Manicouagan RCM.
The dam is the largest multiple arch dam in the world and foothills. Launched in 1968 and commissioned in 1970 as part of the project Manic-Outardes, it has a drop height of 141.8 m and the total installed capacity of the two plants is 2660 MW.
Construction of the Manic-5 and Daniel Johnson Dam is in the context of Quebec's Quiet Revolution, a time when "Hydro-Québec is quickly becoming a symbol of the new Quebec nationalism and the new economic strategy of State, "said historian Paul-André Linteau in his History of Quebec contemporain9. In this context, the progress is closely monitored by the public is invited in the popular culture of the time.
Thus, the singer Georges Dor wrote his great success The Manic in 1966. The song tells the letters of a worker exiled to the site. It describes how he feels alone so far from home. The "If you knew how we get bored with the Manic ... "has captured the imagination of Quebecers this period. This song was covered in 1998 by Bruno Pelletier (where it is found on his 2001 live among others).2008 Paris.
2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon :
5) Georges Dor's optimized original interpretation of the song :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNPJaKMIufI
6) Pauline Julien's rendition of LA MANIC : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_SbU0NXwA
7) Montreal's music critic Alain de Repentigny interesting comments :
" Il y a plusieurs années que Leonard Cohen essaie de traduire ou adapter La Manic en anglais. Il n’y est pas encore arrivé "
translation : For many years, Leonard Cohen has been trying to translate or adapt La Manic in english. He did not succeed yet.
My final word :I hope the warm reception the song had in Montreal will make Leonard persist in this project.
This received wide attention and positive comments in the topic: "Concert reports : Montreal, Québec nov 28/29.
So much so that I think a new topic devoted to that specific event should be created.
To that effect I have chosen some pertinent lines and links from other members' posts summerizing this rare event of a Leonard's rendition of someone else's music.
1) Leonard's performance : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYXP7n3j ... ata_player
2) reference to George Dor and the song : http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.ca/2012/ ... rench.html
3) Optimized translation of the song :
If only you knew how long the time is at Manic
You'd write way more often, to the Manicouagan
Sometimes I think so hard about you
That I recreate your soul and your body
I look at you and I am filled with wonder
I throw myself into you
Just like the river into the sea
And the flower into the bee
My beautiful lover, what do your silken forehead
And your velvet eyes become, when I am not there
Do you turn towards the Côte-Nord 1
To see a little, to see some more
My hand signalling you to wait
At twilight and at dawn, I reach out
I meet you wherever you may be
And I keep you
Tell me what's going on in Trois-Rivières and in Quebec City
Where there's so much to do, and eveything we do with it
Tell me what's going on in Montreal
In the dirty side streets
Where you're always the more beautiful
Because ugliness can't get to you
You, who I'll love until I pass away
My eternal
We boast around all day long
But we're all good guys faithful to their loves
Some play guitar
Others play accordion
To pass time, when the time is long
But me, I play of my love
And I dance, saying your name
Because I love you so much
If only you knew how long the time is at Manic
You'd write way more often, to the Manicouagan
If you don't have much to tell me
Write the words 'I love you' a hundred times
It will be the most beautiful of poems
I'll read it a hundred times
A hundred times, a hundred times are not a lot
For those who are in love
If only you knew how long the time is
At Manic
You'd write way more often
To the Manicouagan
4) Details about the song's background by cohenite Beatriz Salles :
"La manic" must be more than just a "love song" for Quebec people, it describes the solitude of the dam builders on the river Manicouagan during the 60-70es.
Manic-5, the Manic-5-PA and Daniel Johnson Dam hydroelectric form a Hydro-Québec located on the North Shore of Quebec, the Manicouagan RCM.
The dam is the largest multiple arch dam in the world and foothills. Launched in 1968 and commissioned in 1970 as part of the project Manic-Outardes, it has a drop height of 141.8 m and the total installed capacity of the two plants is 2660 MW.
Construction of the Manic-5 and Daniel Johnson Dam is in the context of Quebec's Quiet Revolution, a time when "Hydro-Québec is quickly becoming a symbol of the new Quebec nationalism and the new economic strategy of State, "said historian Paul-André Linteau in his History of Quebec contemporain9. In this context, the progress is closely monitored by the public is invited in the popular culture of the time.
Thus, the singer Georges Dor wrote his great success The Manic in 1966. The song tells the letters of a worker exiled to the site. It describes how he feels alone so far from home. The "If you knew how we get bored with the Manic ... "has captured the imagination of Quebecers this period. This song was covered in 1998 by Bruno Pelletier (where it is found on his 2001 live among others).2008 Paris.
2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon :
5) Georges Dor's optimized original interpretation of the song :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNPJaKMIufI
6) Pauline Julien's rendition of LA MANIC : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_SbU0NXwA
7) Montreal's music critic Alain de Repentigny interesting comments :
" Il y a plusieurs années que Leonard Cohen essaie de traduire ou adapter La Manic en anglais. Il n’y est pas encore arrivé "
translation : For many years, Leonard Cohen has been trying to translate or adapt La Manic in english. He did not succeed yet.
My final word :I hope the warm reception the song had in Montreal will make Leonard persist in this project.