One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong

[Steven]

Jerry,

I remember some late nights listening to WNEW also. Alison Steele,
the "Nightbird," I think she was called, had a voice that was intimate
and evocative. I don't remember Alison Steele playing this
Leonard Cohen song, but knew from the first listening of
Springsteen on that station, that like you, things weren't
going to be the same. On another New York station,
I'd listen to Bill Ayers who had a weekly show and was
friends with Harry Chapin and co-founder with Harry Chapin
of an anti-hunger organization. You say you heard the
Leonard Cohen song late in the night, well, you know:
"There is a crack in everything," even the darkness of night,
and: "That's where the light gets in." (Or got in.) (People tend to
listen better with eyes closed or in the dark.)

[linda_lakeside]

People tend to
listen better with eyes closed or in the dark.)

....and mind wide open. Ain't life fun?

[jazz4111]

Ah, the Allison Steele comment really got to me. Many, many years ago I owrked nights in New Jersey - and always listedned to "the night bird."
I was so sorry to learn shedied of cancer in 1995 - another one gone too young.
One other comment about the song in question:
in 1973-1975 when I lived on Hydra, all the houses had cisterns (well... they still do): natural breeding grounds for mosquitos - so everyone used "mosquito coils" in the summer - or we all would have been eaten alive during the night. They were thin green candle-like coils that emitted smoke and glowed all night long. There was never any doubt in my mind - that was what LC was referring to in the song.(I also never doubted who he was referring to - but that's a different story)

[linda_lakeside]

Interesting aside about 'the thin green candles' Always interesting to learn of another's perspective on an old classic. Every time I hear this song and I'm leaning more to his older music/poetry now, I learn a little something new.

Tks.

[lizzytysh]

Hi Jazz ~

GREAT to see you here !!!!!!!

"I lit a think green candle / to make you jealous of me / but the room just filled up with mosquitoes / they heard that my body was free..."

I've always wondered why a green candle, beyond that of the 'trademark' colour for jealousy... now the candle has arrived with its other layer, along with the mosquitoes. Perfect.

Thanks, Jazz!


Love,
Lizzy

[linda_lakeside]

I always thought the 'thin green candle' is what some of the religious lit to say a prayer for the dead.

[lizzytysh]

Is that right, Linda? If so, that would be another layer, or perhaps even the original one, with Jazz's beneath or alongside it.


~ Lizzy

[Sherry]

I suspected the 'thin green candle' was a mosquito coil, but somehow I couldn't reconcile it with the Eskimo! Thanks for pointing out the Hydra connection.

Sherry

[linda_lakeside]

Well, I do know that in some Roman Catholic ceremonies - I've read of it where they are usually most 'devout', say Italy, Mexico ... that a 'thin, green candle' would be lit as a 'remembrance' - I just took the Eskimo, etc. to be another layer, if you will. And that, is all she wrote, unable to read Leonard's mind. Tho it is fun trying.

Tally ho.

[lazariuk]

It seems to me that this song is a prayer. The title convinces me that it cannot be otherwise - "One of us cannot be wrong" How many relationships do you know of where there is one in the relationship who 'cannot' be wrong. Every relationship that I have been in it seems that we are both wrong almost, if not all, of the time.

The form of address is in line with the teachings of Maimonides who was a Jewish teacher of great distinction who Leonard must have been familiar with because he has quoted him on occasions. Moses Maimonides teaches that it is not appropiate to name the positive attributes of God but more appropriate to name the negative attributes. He says: "Know that the negative attributes of God are the true attributes: they do not include any incorrect notions or any deficiency whatever in reference to God, while positive attributes imply polytheism, and are inadequate." When he writes of negative attributes he is referring to such as not saying that God is Always Right but rather that God if Never Wrong. This is not a statement to be taken lightly and in his writings he gives well thought out reasons that led to this conclusion. I am certain that anyone who has come into contact with his work would be well aware of this aspect. I am almost certain Leonard was.

Assuming that the song is a prayer works for me in trying to understand what he can be singing about in the song. For example:

I heard of a saint who had loved You
I studied all night in his school
He taught that the duty of lovers
Was to tarnish the golden rule

In the jewish tradition the golden rule had it's origin when a rabbi named Hillel was asked by a non-jew to teach him the sum total of the Torah (The Law) while standing on one leg. Hillel replied "What is hateful to you do not do to your neighbour" or as it is usually expressed "Love your neighbour as yourself"
In the Christian tradition the golden rule had it origin when Jesus said that all of the Torah can be filled by observing two commandments. The first is to love God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind and with all of your might and He said that the second was like unto the first (maybe implying that they were in ways the same) that you should love your neighbour as yourself.

I think that the saint that Leonard is singing about is Hillel. It seems to me that any Jew who studies the Holy Scriptures in the jewish tradition is studying in the school of Hillel. The reason for this is because Hillel's commentaries have become attached to all of the Scriprures that are passed on, both in the written and the oral traditions. " I studied all night in his school"

When looking at the Scriptures with the commentaries one can see that Hillel is involved in teachings which seem to be at great odds with the golden rule. As an example his words are right there in the middle of the discussion about how one is to treat a Jewish slave in comparison to how one is to treat a gentile slave. The jewish slave is to be released after one year while you can pass on your gentile slaves from generation to generation forever and ever. One of Hillel's personal contributions to this teaching is that it is OK to compel the gentile slave to teach his trades to others while you should not compel your jewish slave to do so.
I have on more than one occasion seen Hillel's name referenced as the authority given when a jew is making the argument that to love one's neighbour means to love your jewish brothers and not necessarily gentiles. I think that Leonard was thinking that the golden rule really was golden - he sang : "I who was born to love everyone" He recognized that gold is a metal which cannot be tarnished and so he was observing that the tradition was teaching what was at heart contrary to the tradition. Teaching you to tarnish what cannot be tarnished. " to tarnish the golden rule"
It is not hard for me to come to these conclusions especially because of all of the comments that Leonard has made which support it. In speaking about his Jewish tradition he has made the statement that the tradition has betrayed the tradition and it seems that the one central criticism he has had was the tendency of the tradition to become exclusive with their love. A love that demands to be all inclusive.

having written this I should point out that from everything I have ever read this Hillel guy seemed like such a beautiful person and in no way would I want to show him any disrespect. Hillel is not the only one to write commentary for the Talmud and his commentary is more often than not more loving than others. As an example there are over 300 places where he differed from the fellow commentator Shammai. This has led to where sometimes the jewish tradition being divided into the house of Hillel and the house of Shammai. An example of where they can differ is as follows:
If were to want to convert and become a jew both the followers of Hillel and those of Shammai would agree that I would need to be circumized. Since I am already circumized the followers of Hillel would say that it is no longer an issue while the followers of Shammai would still want me to pull out my penis so that they could take a knife and draw some blood. Without doubt Hillel seems a little kinder.

Also if I am correct in imagining Leonard was thinking of the picture of Hillel on one leg being able to pass on the pure gold of the law then maybe in his later years he too would try to stand on that one leg with the Law. Being on one leg would make it very hard to run. He wouldn't be able to run with the lawless crowd.

Jack

"The real struggle is not between East and West, or capitalism and communism, but between education and propaganda" Martin Buber

[tomsakic]

Thank you, Jack. It seems so clear now:-) I always perceived this song as love prayer, with clear plea on its end. ("Oh please let me come into the [your] storm.") But as we know, a man never got the woman, not by begging on his knees.

[Sherry]

Jack,

Thank you for that very enlightening response. It certainly makes
me want to learn more. I would have described the song with the
term "lament", but now I am wondering what, if any, is the difference
between a prayer and a lament. Something for me to think about and
research.

Sherry

[mat james]

interesting, but cloudy.

so say it in 4 lines, Lazariuk.

[lazariuk]

interesting, but cloudy.

so say it in 4 lines, Lazariuk

Sorry that I am lacking that kind of skill. I am willing to learn if you can demonstrate for me.

Jack

[lazariuk]

interesting, but cloudy.

so say it in 4 lines, Lazariuk

Sorry that I am lacking that kind of skill. I am willing to learn if you can demonstrate for me.

Jack

I am a little embarrassed by this above response to you. I think it was a knee jerk reaction to what seemed to me a rude jesture on your part by addressing me by my last name when I signed my post using my first. If you tell me what you find cloudy Mat, I will do my best to clarify.

Jack