leonardcohenforum.com

Graffiti on my pillow
interrogates my dreams
Graffiti on the mirror
condenses and forms streams
of graffiti flowing freely
down the wall
and to the floor
where I stand on ceremony
eclipsing all before
Graffiti on my skin
delays the age of time
so that everyone can read
the graffiti that is mine
Graffiti in my eyes
refracts the truth from lies
Graffiti in my mind
absolves me from these lines

Pete

Dear Pete, I don't read a poem here , but the potential lyrics of a song.
Can I get back to you on that one?
Andrew

Hi Andrew
I never thought of it as a song but now you mention it. Get back to me.
I wrote quite a few poems 2000/2001 when I was in the process of moving job and location and spent a lot of time away from home. Now I am settled in my new job and new house the need to write seems to have disappeared so I occasionally post some of these poems.
There is only one poem I have made into a song ( I haven't posted it yet). In fact it's the only poem I've put to music!
This Graffiti poem is one of my favourites.
I've said before in this forum that I do not profess to be a poet of high calibre but it does keep me out of mischief!
I'm glad it struck a chord!
Regards
Pete

Dear Pete, I'm no expert on song lyrics: like most people(?) I find that the lyrics of good songs offer less if unaccompanied by the music. There are, as always, wonderful exceptions. Can I mention two ?
Simon and Garfunkel's "The Dangling Conversation", and Joan Baez's "Diamonds and Rust". Both stand as writing, yet the music infuses an already rich territory. The same could be said about Leonard's seminal "Suzanne".
As for me, I've written lyrics to music composed by my son Daniel. He used them for a college project, but has never asked me to write lyrics for his band; they write and sing all their own material, and are going to be BIG , the sooner the better. The point is, they don't need me, I'm just a fan when I attend their gigs, but I get to see them back-stage.
Youth is wasted on the young.!
Best wishes, Andrew.
P.S. I will get back to you about "Grafitti", as promised.

Hi Andrew,
Dangling Conversation...I love that song.
That's all I can offer in conversation at the moment so I will leave it to dangle.

Pete

Dangling Conversation and Diamonds and Rust are two of my favorites.
It's a pity Baez didnt write more......Diamonds and Rust is as good as it gets in the poetry business. I think she also wrote Love Song to a Stranger, another classic song. Is that the only two she wrote ?

Hi Kush
Sorry, I can't help you with the Joan Baez ( I'm sure someone will contribute in that direction).
The good thing about this forum is that I now have a mission to hear
Diamonds and Rust.
I can relate to Simon and Garfunkel more.
'For Emily. wherever I may find her' is another song that strikes a chord with its melody and lyrics.
I seem to home in on the songs from 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme' era. Is it nostalgia or is it the album? That is always something to consider when trying to promote a song to someone else.

Pete

I only have one Joan Baez CD and five songs are credited to her on that so I think she is quite a prolific writer with the voice of an angel, my favorite song of hers is "Copper Kettle" I don't know if she wrote it but she sings it beautifully.

We must all have a very similar CD/vinyl collection. Does anyone like Dory Previn,

A lot of Paul Simon's songs were written in England I believe "Homeward Bound" was written at Crewe Railway Station or thereabouts

Hi Paula,
I love Dory Previn, as she dances round and round for her Dad. How about Laura Nyro. Do you like her? Have you ever listened to Chi Coltrane? Joan Baez, I love her, too. Saw her at the New Orleans Jazz Festival a decade ago. She fairly recently played in Jacksonville and I heard she had a good turnout, so will likely return again. I'll see her again, then.
~Lizzytysh

Paula,
A search on the internet reveals that Joan Baez is indeed a prolific songwriter.....and a very good one at that. It seems her voice and singing capabilities have completely overshadowed her writing. Thanks for pointing it out.
Here is the link:
http://www.baez.woz.org/jblyrics.html

Pete click on 101CD.com an array of memories on CD all cheap and cheerful. Joan Baez £5.99, and the rest. I have had loads of stuff off them they are really good.

Lizzie some of the singers you have mentioned are America and we didn't always get them here. I have a problem naming them as when I post a reply I can't see the thread. Is there a way round this.

I will have to check that site out Kush. I only wish I was blessed with a voice like Joan Baez. I am tone deaf but very vocal. Shame really

Hi Paula,

If your screen is set up the way mine is, you have one vertical scroll bar on the far right, which if you scroll down will take you from your Reply box to the Topic Review section containing the previous posts, but only a couple of them visible.

If you look at the bottom of your screen, there's a scroll bar that goes horizontally, left to right. If you scroll all the way to the right on it, it will reveal another, vertical scroll bar, in the Topic Review section itself.

If you scroll down it, it will reveal all the posts on the thread, in reverse order, i.e. most recent one first, below it the one prior, and so on right to the beginning and, in this case, to Pete's wonderful Graffiti poem, which I failed to comment on as I'd read it before and commented directly to him; initially wondering here why and how it could be so familiar, then realizing why. I'm glad to be able to "manipulate" this opportunity to revisit it.

Hopefully, this is the answer to your problem, as it's incredibly frustrating to try to answer strictly from memory. Of course, another option would be to open up the Forum again, only separately, and then toggle back and forth between the two, the original Post to which you're replying, and your Reply to it.

Of course, your tone deafness wouldn't stop you from writing poetry, short stories, and commentary pieces to express your vocality.
The ones I mentioned were Laura Nyro and Chi Coltrane, the latter few have heard of.....but she was/is[?] a personal friend of the owner of the Quiet Knight club in Chicago, where I saw Leonard perform in 1973. On a fluke, I asked the owner if he had ever heard of her. Not only had he, but........and he also told me that she was named after the city. I really think you'd like both her and Laura's music. If you're interested, perhaps we could figure a trade of some sort. I wouldn't mind taping what I have on vinyl for you.

~Lizzytysh

Hi Paula,

I'm glad I couldn't think of the remainder of that "verse" when you first gave the first two lines, because now the rest is even more appropos [your tone deaf comment]:

"Sing as though no one can hear you
Live as though heaven is on earth."

All good things,
Lizzytysh

Paula
Thanks for the link.
I find the search for cds as satisfying as the purchase and the eventual listening.
I like to frequent record fairs. I can spend hours at these flicking through the cds and lps. I have discovered many finds and also an aching back after each visit.
I have ordered music through the internet when I know what I want. I'll have a look in 101cd
Thanks again
Pete

I think it's both, Pete. I've always loved S&G, especially that particular album, but I've never heard anyone mention them here before now. I'm happy to know that others here also like them.
Jo