leonardcohenforum.com

Posted: **Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:17 pm**

I believe that puppets should not be understood just in the direction that we are just puppets without any control. This would differ a lot from the whole body of work that LC has done. I think it was Martin Luther who claimed that the human spirit is either driven by the Devil or God. With the condition of Sin it is not not possible to decide ("thought I saw an eagle but it might have been a vulture, I never could decide") However this is why the gospel should be sung. This was done in Suzanne, and for example also spoken before Aint no cure for love...and also in a song like The Guests.
I think the main focus of so many of cohens songs, including Puppets is on the victim. Read the lyrics for "story of Isaac"(...his voice was very cold) or Nanzy(...why dont you look around you, see her everywhere, many use her body, and many comb her hair)
The gospel is that humankind is involved with missuse of power because it wants to be the one to control the puppets. But when this results in violence the answer will always be "I did not choose" The gospel is that mankind is accepted as sinner, in spite of violence, because of love, the only engine of survival.

Peter

Posted: **Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:28 pm**

Dear all -

Fascinating discussion that developed from this thread. It reminded me horribly of my first attempt to write a philosophy essay at university, precisely on this subect. I say 'horribly' to reflect the appaling inadequacy of my effort, not the contributions posted here.

If I may intrude a lighter note - have you come across these limericks?

There was a young man who said "Damn!
I perceive with regret that I am
But a creature that moves
In predestinate grooves
I'm not even a bus, I'm a tram."

And someone wrote a nice reply:

"Young man you should stay your complaint,
For the grooves that you call a constraint
Are there to contrive
That you learn to survive
Trams arrive, buses may or they mayn't."
--Unknown

Posted: **Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:13 pm**

"Are the birds free from the chains of the skyway?" Dylan

"We must believe in free will; we have no choice." author umknown

Posted: **Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:05 pm**

there's a clucking sound in there, in "Book of Longing".

could be just an artifact of the transformations.
or some accident during the recording.

Greg referred to that sound a while back. I didn't read all the pages of the thread so perhaps someone has already suggested my suspicion that it is a cork popping.

I just got the "Two New Songs" a few days a go, and have been busy listening and learning them. I like them a lot!

I think the "Puppet" theme is just a general statement about the extent to which we are manipulated and molded by external forces: society, parents, traditions, culture, religions, conventions, languages, linguistic labeling systems, governments, mother nature, mental habits, the force of our karma. Although we have some free will within the drama, and we use it to respond to the drama, unless we take drastic measures our ability to respond/defend will be limited. I think that's why Leonard went up the mountain; to break those conventions up, to experience some degree of liberation. I suspect he was successful because he doesn't seem to resemble the seriously hedonistic character pre-Mt. Baldy; in interviews he appears altered and I suspect it is due to his extricating himself for such a long time and dismantling "things".

Just my opinion.

Sean

Posted: **Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:34 am**

tomsakic wrote:Hey, it's not much of transcription - I copied The Book of Longing (poem) from Ecco's site, added Dem's corrections, and I tried to hear the other changes. You are right about the "cock of the walk", it rhymes with "stock". Although I'm not quite sure about the meaning of those two lines I didn't hear (and that's why I didn't hear them, logically, it didn't make sense to me). I know what cock is, and what's walk, but cock of the walk, I can only imagine.

The Book of Longing (song) - corrected lyrics

Can’t make the hills
The system is shot
I’m living on pills
For which I thank G-d

I used to be strong
Cock of the walk
But time is long gone
Past my laughing stock

I followed the course
From chaos to art
Desire the horse
Depression the cart

My page was too white
My ink was too thin
The hand wouldn’t write
The song wouldn’t sing

My animal howls
My angel’s upset
But I’m not allowed
A trace of regret

For someone will use
What I couldn’t be
My heart will be hers
Impersonally

She’ll step on the path
She’ll see what I mean
My will cut in half
Freedom between

For less than a second
Our hearts will collide
The endless suspended
The door open wide

She will move on
with nary a care
What no one has done
She’ll heal and repair

I know she is coming
I know she will look
That is my longing
This is my book

I know she is coming
I know she will look
This was my longing
And this was my book

Just uploaded to YouTube by "TheBigJerkface" -

Leonard Cohen - Book of Longing (KCRW Demo Version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_LvBbYOuQA

Posted: **Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:09 am**

Linda,

I'm so glad you posted this link. I feel like a complete idiot on this, but the music that is now combined with the poem, is this something new? Have I missed this somewhere? It is spellbinding!!!

Warmest regards,
Mary

Posted: **Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:44 pm**

MaryB wrote:Linda,

I'm so glad you posted this link. I feel like a complete idiot on this, but the music that is now combined with the poem, is this something new? Have I missed this somewhere? It is spellbinding!!!

Warmest regards,
Mary

Hello. I'm the Youtube uploader. The sparse bit of information I have is that this music predates the Phillip Glass version and the actual published Book of Longing. This is what LC planned on it sounding like for an actual album. It's a demo recorded in his home and played during the KCRW interview. The banging noise you hear once in a while is LC hitting the lower end of the keyboard too hard while playing.

This is definitely one of my favorite Cohen songs. Let's hope this someday gets released in unscratchy, high quality glory.

Posted: **Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:47 pm**

Oh, and Linda requested this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIMnOG6FDls

Demo of 'Puppets' from the same interview.

Posted: **Fri Jul 16, 2010 9:25 pm**

Haha Jason - thanks for uploading! I just posted a link for "Puppets" in another thread.

I love "Book of Longing" - and I too hope it is released in "high quality glory."

Linda

Posted: **Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:33 am**

Well Jason,
I love this song - thank you for putting it on youtube! I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere along the line DrHGuy/Allan doesn't make it available for us to download, as he has done with other hard to find gems.

And Jason, let me just say, what a way to start out in this forum. It's so nice to have you here - hope you stick around. Welcome!

Linda, I'm so glad you got Jason to download 'Puppets'. What a thrill to hear that voice.

Warmest regards,
Mary

Posted: **Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:05 pm**

Oh my....I'm 4 years behind for the book and two years behind on these posts, but still following.

I'm Longing for the Book this Christmas and have added it to my list

Posted: **Thu Sep 08, 2011 2:52 pm**

"Thanks for the Dance" closes it out and puts me in tears. This interview feels nearly as much about the beauty of their relationship as it does about Leonard's book, and their recent and upcoming album. The symbiotic quality of Dick's photo in the park can be heard throughout this interview. Even the balance in their sharing the talking. Leonard clearly takes the lead on their meeting... it sounds crucially important to him that they did, and that he be the one to explain it

. what an amazing interview. so unique to hear thedemos. if cohen was arriving on the scene today he surely would be reguarded as ultra modern and avant garde. i would love to keep this interview or be able to seperate the songs. has anyone managed to do that?

Posted: **Fri Sep 09, 2011 10:54 am**

Book Of Longing and Puppets, both from the June 24, 2006 KCRW interview, are available as tracks on The Other Leonard Cohen Album compilation. The description of and download links for The Other Leonard Cohen Album can be found at the Jan 25, 2010 post - http://1heckofaguy.com/2010/01/25/now-a ... hen-album/

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:20 pm**

Hi all:

I'm reviving this thread in hopes that someone can help me hear the original KCRW interview. The link in the first post of the thread works just fine--and I can get to the KCRW page other ways as well--but for some reason I can't get the interview itself to play (i've tried both Safari and Chrome). It opens, but remains frozen and silent. Does anyone know any other way to get a stream or a download of the audio?

Thanks!

Louis

Posted: **Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:24 am**

Hi Louis,
You are right in what you say about the link being "unlistenable". I did a search there and it seems the only active audio is the first interview two days earlier. I thought you or others might find it interesting.

https://www.kcrw.com/@@search?q=leonard ... rview+2006
https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/book ... nard-cohen

The same link and some comments here - https://www.leonardcohenforum.com/viewt ... orm#p68674

leonardcohenforum.com

Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Free Will v Determinism

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Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview

Re: Listen to the 2nd KCRW interview