Humour Of Cohen's Lyrics

[Fljotsdale]

Going back to the subject...

Apart from some other songs mentioned before, I have always found the following lines from "Chelsea Hotel" funny enough:

"You told me again you preferred handsome men
but for me you would make an exception. "

The delivery in the live version with the perfectly-timed chuckle helps a lot.

Yeah, always makes me grin as well.

I have ALWAYS found Cohen songs funny. Not every single one, of course, some are serious, spiritual, etc., but a great many of them are pure funny.
'Everybody Knows' was the first Cohen lyric I ever read, and I was in stitches. I suppose that predisposed me to see the humour in Cohen's songs - yes, often black or bitter humour - so that I really cannot understand how people can view them as 'songs to commit suicide to'. I'd be too busy laughing to commit suicide!

[Tchocolatl]

Flojts, I remember that you were the only one, or the first one, to acknowledge a comment I have made here about the delicious sense of humour of Leonard Cohen and how it was a pity that the stereotypes about his image would be blind to this side. In my mind it is as important in his "trademark" as the rest, but it was rarely mentioned. At least it was mentioned regularly.

Everybody Knows is co-written with Sharon Robinson, it is one of my favourite song.

Among others, one song I think is funny (bitter-sweetly funny, I may say) is "Never Any Good", the music put a kind of humoristic touch, and those lines really make me smile :

"I was never any good at loving you
I was just a tourist in your bed
looking at the view"


"Im sorry for my crimes against the moon light, I didn't think moon would mind at all".

and also when he sings :

"You called my ace, my king, my bluff
Okay, you win, enough's enough"

One has to hear him sing that. Not only the lyrics, but his tone picture such a real argument between lovers.

[Fljotsdale]

I don't know that song, Tchoco. What disc is it on? I know I'm missing one old one, but I thought it was all songs from earlier discs.

[Tchocolatl]

Have a try on the site (discography section) :

http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/



And give me news.

[Fljotsdale]

Thanks Tchoco! That IS the one I havent got! I shall order it instantly, even though I don't already have only two of the tracks!

[Tchocolatl]

Well, two is two. I would have done a MP3 (or something) for you with pleasure, but I am not equiped for doing any trick of that sort. I always wonder why this song was not covered more often. Probably because it is not a classic of the "grocer of despair" type label. I don't know.

[Fljotsdale]

Exactly! Two is two!

I don't have an MP3 player anyway, love. But thank you for thinking of it.