Which two songs does LC sing over and over?

[charlajoy]

OK, some of you "old buffs" will know what I'm talking about: LC states in one of his interviews that a good artist has two songs (themes) that he sings over and over again, and that only the world's top artists have four songs (themes). So, I was thinking, which two? or four?

#1--lost love ??
#2--love he is still looking for ??

With the audience available here, I think this forum could single-handedly place him in the annals of the world's all-time poets by coming up with a super-set of four solid "songs." Leonard Cohen is like the poetry of "deep calleth unto deep."

[Emeraude]

That's a very interesting question. I'd like to think that one over. There appears to be a lot of worshipping going on in his poetry/lyrics. Women often the subject of worship. An erotic type of worship. Hmm...just thinking out loud here - off-the-top-of-my-head kind of thoughts. Back later.

[charlajoy]

There appears to be a lot of worshipping going on in his poetry/lyrics. Women often the subject of worship. An erotic type of worship. .

cool! do return...you've hit upon something--might be a gusher

[iveta]

i guess he mostly sings of love and death....and interconnects them ....
some critics keep finding prooves all the medieval troubadours subconsciuosly desired death when indulging in unrequitted love

[Emeraude]

There appears to be a lot of worshipping going on in his poetry/lyrics. Women often the subject of worship. An erotic type of worship. .

cool! do return...you've hit upon something--might be a gusher

A gusher? I think I got thinking this way just after reading 'Light As a Breeze' a number of years ago. Something struck a chord (not David's) since then and I've been looking for similar themes throughout Mr. Cohen's work for his reverence and worship of women. I'm sure it's nothing new for many fans but I wonder if I'm on the wrong track or what? Anyone want to jump in here?

I think there is a certain amount of unrequited love too and the longing for death. Interesting thoughts.

[John Etherington]

Virtually all of Leonard's songs express the longing for a woman's love (ideally through sexual fulfillment) and/or a spiritual yearning/longing for God. As Leonard himself has said, his best songs are where the two themes get mixed-up! In fact, I think someone else may have mentioned this quote on here, recently. From a psychological perspective, it could be argued that Leonard is seeking for the love that he never fully received from his mother and also for his missing father. I agree that the theme of unrequited love occurs in Leonard's songs (we all know about Suzanne of the song, and Nico). I am not so sure about the longing for death in the romantic sense. This is far more evident in the work of someone like Nick Drake. Leonard has been quoted as saying that he does not consider himself a romantic, since there is nothing romantic about the way he has actively pursued the objects of his desire. Also, it seems that right now he is enjoying life.

All good things, John E

[charlajoy]

I'm thinking that Leonard's longing for love from women is inherently tied to his spiritual longing for G-d. I think that men and women in their best state are first of all perfect spirit beings, and that in our quest for that man or woman, in Leonard's case--woman, we are subconsciously longing for G-d. We hope to find him in each other.

So how can all this be separated? It may still fall into two categories of love lost and longing for love. I think we fall in and out of love, a painful experience sure to drive the poet's soul to almost madness (unless he writes of it?).

I wish someone would get really zealous and start categorizing some songs. I know: whenever you have a good idea, you should do it yourself. Either I'm not sure it's worth the doing or I'm pathetically lazy about this. In either case, I'm just curious about the general ideas from this forum.

I really like the idea of erotic worship. I think that spiritual worship would also be part of this.

[charlajoy]

i guess he mostly sings of love and death....and interconnects them ....
some critics keep finding prooves all the medieval troubadours subconsciuosly desired death when indulging in unrequitted love

Maybe falling in love is like receiving new life and falling out of love is like drinking of death. Charlajoy

[iveta]

post respectfully removed

[lazariuk]

It is not possible to fall out of love and I for one will try never to use that expression. What might happen is that we peel out of one orbit to fall into another.

[iveta]

My deepest apologies. There are so many people in this world I forever adore, but still I tend to analyze them too rationally and use too exact expressions. It's mostly because I would like to discover their problem and help, but for them it sounds so indifferent and cynical....

This is also what I think of LC, but in more appropriate language:
'.

..the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"

/Kerouac/

....the two songs should be somewhere among the hot ashes.....

[charlajoy]

It is not possible to fall out of love and I for one will try never to use that expression. What might happen is that we peel out of one orbit to fall into another.

kind of like a banana, once in a salad, once in a mouth, but taking its turns. Jack, with all true, true respect, because I like your insights, it's the same difference! (please don't take offense). I've been reading Leonard's poems from Stranger Music and am happy to report that he peels from one orbit into another with the most grace, howeverbeit much pain at times, thus my expression that falling "out of love" is like tasting a certain death. Charlajoy

[iveta]

he peels from one orbit into another with the most grace, howeverbeit much pain at times,

Lorca taught me to understand the dignity of sorrow through flamenco. LC

I respect so much what you are both saying
...getting closer to the bone of poetry.....

[lazariuk]

It is not possible to fall out of love and I for one will try never to use that expression. What might happen is that we peel out of one orbit to fall into another.

kind of like a banana, once in a salad, once in a mouth, but taking its turns. Jack, with all true, true respect, because I like your insights, it's the same difference! (please don't take offense). I've been reading Leonard's poems from Stranger Music and am happy to report that he peels from one orbit into another with the most grace, howeverbeit much pain at times, thus my expression that falling "out of love" is like tasting a certain death. Charlajoy

I try to be very careful with words and the reason I wrote that "I for one will never use" instead of writing "one should not" is because I think that my concern might be more of a male thing and not so relevant to women.
Women are continuous in a way that men are not. It is the connection to mother earth sort of thing. I don't think that women can know fear like men can and the big fear stems from the fact that we are not continuous but rather integral and the idea that one can fall out of love might be unbearable for some and it is for their sake that I would never use that expression. Because it would be a horrible lie for them to believe and we have enough believed horrible lies as it is. I also have a terrible fear of falling and it seems I am always falling in one way or another and so I take this falling business pretty seriously. Peeling, on the other hand has fun written all over it. It conjures up waves peeling for our surfboarding pleasure, the end of certain dance moves that leads to new beginnings and all the beautiful flowers that may one day peel open from the heat of my breath.

[charlajoy]

... we have enough believed horrible lies as it is. I also have a terrible fear of falling and it seems I am always falling in one way or another and so I take this falling business pretty seriously. Peeling, on the other hand has fun written all over it. It conjures up waves peeling for our surfboarding pleasure, the end of certain dance moves that leads to new beginnings and all the beautiful flowers that may one day peel open from the heat of my breath.

Dear Jack, you have my respect here, and although I dislike using the word love carelessly, I "love" what you say about the beginnings, flowers, heat of your breath, etc. Also, I have a feeling that the whole falling thing is somehow connected to the fear of death. Anyway, thanks for your detailed explanation. Charla