This is the situation. You have been given the task of supplying the track list for a new compilation release "The very best of Leonard Cohen". You can only select 15 tracks from the entirety of his recordings. Which, if any, tracks would you include from "Dear Heather".
My personal choice would be "The Faith" and no more.
Rob.
Compilation
The Letters and Morning Glory.
Nothing else, because it's to disperse recording. And never The Faith - I would never include the song about which mix there are so various opinions, and I wouldn't like to end my very best of without L.C., with Anjani singing alone the whole verse.
The song is great - we must leave something to the people who will buy the original album after they hear the compilation!
No more compilations without The Letters for me.
Nothing else, because it's to disperse recording. And never The Faith - I would never include the song about which mix there are so various opinions, and I wouldn't like to end my very best of without L.C., with Anjani singing alone the whole verse.
The song is great - we must leave something to the people who will buy the original album after they hear the compilation!
No more compilations without The Letters for me.
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
The song is mesmerizing, and that sax particularly. But I miss Leonard's voice there 
Henning, do you have the original poem from Intensity? Courtois posted it somewhere here.
Henning, do you have the original poem from Intensity? Courtois posted it somewhere here.
Leonard Cohen Newswire / bookoflonging.com (retired) / leonardcohencroatia.com (retired)
Intensity: Undertow
I will also look through my issues of Intensity, and - unless someone is faster than I am - post any information given about Undertow.Tom Sakic wrote:Henning, do you have the original poem from Intensity? Courtois posted it somewhere here.
Funny: the other day on this board we discussed the dvd of Ladies and Gentleman... Mr Leonard Cohen, and yesterday I saw the dvd for the first time in a record shop in Amsterdam (Fame). I think I've even seen the documentary once, on a friend's video tape.
Oh, and my vote goes to To a Teacher for inclusion on the hypothetical new Very, Very, Very Best.
Courtois
-
Andrew (Darby)
- Posts: 1114
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 5:46 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
Henning my friend,
I'll happily join your club!
I find this track hauntingly beautiful (strongly accentuated by the sax) - the music superbly matches the poignant lyrics, which for me deftly convey a sense of somewhat chilling resignation. Nevertheless, at the very end, the fatalism is balanced by a spark of hope around the notion of human (or divine) charity and good will prevailing.
However, like Tom I would like to have heard just a little more of Leonard than a background whisper towards the end of the track!
Cheers
Andrew (Darby)
I'll happily join your club!
I find this track hauntingly beautiful (strongly accentuated by the sax) - the music superbly matches the poignant lyrics, which for me deftly convey a sense of somewhat chilling resignation. Nevertheless, at the very end, the fatalism is balanced by a spark of hope around the notion of human (or divine) charity and good will prevailing.
However, like Tom I would like to have heard just a little more of Leonard than a background whisper towards the end of the track!
Cheers
Andrew (Darby)
'I cannot give the reasons
I only sing the tunes
The sadness of the seasons
The madness of the moons'
~ Mervyn Peake ~
I only sing the tunes
The sadness of the seasons
The madness of the moons'
~ Mervyn Peake ~
Undertow earlier poem
I perused my eight or so issues of the discontinued fan magazine Intensity four times in a row. I failed to turn up the earlier poem version of Undertow which must be in there somewhere. How else could I have learnt it by heart (see below)? I even found a piece of paper onto which I had copied the poem.
I think the reference was a small part of an interview, which may include some information as to the time it was written... Maybe somebody else's sleuthing skills surpass mine?
I set out for love but I did not know
I'd be caught in the grip of an undertow
To be washed to a shore where the sea needs to go
With a child in my arms and a chill in my soul
And my heart the size of a begging bowl
Courtois
I think the reference was a small part of an interview, which may include some information as to the time it was written... Maybe somebody else's sleuthing skills surpass mine?
I set out for love but I did not know
I'd be caught in the grip of an undertow
To be washed to a shore where the sea needs to go
With a child in my arms and a chill in my soul
And my heart the size of a begging bowl
Courtois
-
tom.d.stiller
- Posts: 1213
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2003 8:18 am
- Location: ... between the lines ...
- Contact:
Re: Undertow earlier poem
Try this link: http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/buzz.htmlCourtois wrote: I think the reference was a small part of an interview, which may include some information as to the time it was written... Maybe somebody else's sleuthing skills surpass mine?
I set out for love but I did not know
I'd be caught in the grip of an undertow
To be washed to a shore where the sea needs to go
With a child in my arms and a chill in my soul
And my heart the size of a begging bowl
Courtois
. I hesitate, as well. Still immensely enjoy what others do with them. Jump in myself from time to time. Yes, the mystery remains.
…. and this songs' rhythm rolls like the flow of time, previously symbolized by melting clocks. Yes, I also enjoy to read people’s interpretations – it is just that I don't trust my own dirty phantasie and how misguided I was when I thought that “sometimes I need you to kill a child” was a reference to oral sex. Since then I love to sink with the magic of a song just by its tune and arrangement, sometimes picking a line just to see how it fits to my own current situation. I am happy to hear that I am not alone being caught in the grip of “Untertow”.