A thousand kisses deep

[paraclete]

Thankyou so much Florian for transcribing that poem. I went to see the concert at the O2 last night, and this was undoubtedly one of the highlights. The audible gasps from other membes of the audiences show that it was not just me that thought so.

Have spent much of today trying to find the version that was in last night's show, this is the closest that I have come. Have signed up to this site, just to express my thanks to you.

[davies30cat]

I was at Bournemouth BIC on 11 Nov and the version he did was pretty much the one in the programme which wasn't available in June when I saw him. The verses included in the 2nd version in the book of longing somehow don't have the same depth as the ones he recites and also I don't like the sung version as on Ten New Songs. It was only when I heard him speak it in Manchester in June that I really felt moved by it and it has become one of my favourites.

From both the programme and the book of longing it was verses one, two, three (with no changes), six (ending with: they love you on the street. If I could move I'd kneel for you, a thousand kisses deep) then verse four (substituting I ran with Diz and Dante for I ran with Diz I sang with Ray) then verse five, repeat verse two then 2nd half of verse seven.

I have been a fan since I became aware of Leonard at the age of 17 and now at 54 if I were one for praying I would pray that he does not lose his taste for expressing his thoughts to those of us who can only listen and admire treating us 'to a flake of his life'. His live performances are awesome in the true sense of the word.

[Florian]

@ paraclete:
thank you very much for your words, very kind of you, thanks !

florian

[lyndac]

Thanks everybody for those verses - really a magic moment of the concert

[sturgess66]

These are the verses he recited at the Philadelphia show on October 22 -

A Thousand Kisses Deep

You came to me this morning
And you handled me like meat
You'd have to be a man to know
How good that feels, how sweet...

My mirrored twin, my next of kin
I'd know you in my sleep
And who but you would take me in
A thousand kisses deep...

I loved you when you opened
Like a lily to the heat
You see, I'm just another snowman
Standing in the rain and sleet
Who loved you with his frozen love
His second hand physique
With all he is and all he was
A thousand kisses deep...

I know you had to lie to me
I know you had to cheat
To pose all hot and high behind
The veils of sheer deceit...
Our perfect Porn Aristocrat
So elegant and cheap
I'm old - but I'm still into that
A thousand kisses deep...

I'm good at love, I'm good at hate
It's in between I freeze
I've been working out, but it's too late
It's been too late for years...

But you look good, you really do
They loved you on the street
If I could move I'd for kneel you
A thousand kisses deep...

I'm still working with the wine
Still dancing cheek to cheek
The band is playing "Auld Lang Syne"
But the heart will not retreat...

I ran with Diz, I sang with Ray
I never had their sweep
But once or twice, they let me play
A thousand kisses deep.

I loved you when you opened
Like a lily to the heat
You see, I'm just another snowman
Standing in the rain and sleet
Who loved you with his frozen love
His second hand physique
With all he is and all he was
A thousand kisses deep...

But you don't need to hear me now
And every word I speak
It counts against me anyhow
A thousand kisses deep...

[lightasabreeze]

I am STILL hoping that Leonard will recite this on a disc. I know we have it on a live performance and I know we all like to cheer after certain lines, but how I would just love to hear him recite it with just the gentle background. It is such a beautiful poem
My favourite lines are

'My mirror twin my next of kin
I'd know you in my sleep
And who but you would take me in
A thousand kisses deep'

Those words were written with feeling and make me feel sad.

[MaryB]

It doesn't make me feel sad. Since this was written in his 'mature' years, I like to think the following. As we get older and we realize we all have our faults, with a sense of wonderment, we are grateful our companion still loves us despite our signs of aging and the fact that we are not perfect.

Kindest regards,
Mary