leonardcohenforum.com

Hi all,

Last year I prepared the following quiz of LC’s songs, thinking I might introduce it during the Event in Ghent this coming summer. It would have been much more fun, and also more challenging, doing it live with a large group of competitive participants, but since the Event is indefinitely postponed, and since so many people are locked up in their homes with much time on their hands, I thought I should introduce it here on the Forum as a sort of public service. And since I can’t offer any prizes, it will remain as a personal challenge, but perhaps the main prize is being reminded of, and celebrating, so many great songs which hold such a major place in the soundtrack of our lives.

My request to you all: please don’t start posting your answers right away. Take your time, try to see how many questions you can answer from memory before you start looking up facts. I suggest waiting until next Sunday (19 April) before posting your answers (that is, if you’d like to do so, either for some or for all the questions). I’ll post my own answers at a later date.

Right, here we go.


The Leonard Cohen Song Quiz

Including all songs recorded by LC on studio or live albums, excluding the posthumous album.

Prepared by Doron B. Cohen (2019)

1. Name 5 songs mentioning LC’s first or last name.
2. Name 3 major European cities mentioned in songs, one of which mentioned in two songs.
3. Name 3 songs sung partially or fully in French.
4. Name 4 songs mentioning Babylon.
5. Name 2 songs mentioning other biblical towns.
6. Name 4 songs mentioning gypsy or gypsies + a bonus one.
7. Name 4 songs mentioning New York or some part of it + a bonus one.
8. Name 4 songs referring explicitly or implicitly to oral sex.
9. How many songs contain the word “naked” (estimate).
10. How many songs contain the word “lady” or “ladies” (estimate).
11. Name 9 songs mentioning some form of gambling.
12. Name 2 songs mentioning the names of other singers.
13. Name one song mentioning three screen idols.
14. From the first album, name one song on each side with somewhat unusual use of “almost” (and one from the late albums).
15. Name the 2 songs first released on the first album’s remastered CD.
16. Name the one song released as a single and never issued on any album.
17. LC didn’t want drums on his first album yet one song has them; which one?
18. LC makes an ironic reference to his trip to Cuba in one song; in an earlier song he made a more obscure reference to his visit; which are they?
19. How many songs contain the word “love” in their titles (estimate).
20. Name 6 songs mentioning types of weapons (including “weapon”).
21. Name 2 songs written by LC in the 1960’s, both lyrics and music, but not recorded by him.
22. How many songs not written by him are covered by LC on various albums, including live ones from the tour.
23. Name one song mentioning three kinds of birds.
24. Name 5 other kinds of birds and 8 songs in which they are mentioned.
25. Name 6 musical instruments and 8 songs in which they are mentioned.
26. Name 7 women’s first names mentioned in songs on the first 3 albums, and 5 more in songs on later albums.
27. In the world tour, which were the two albums not represented at all, and which was the one with the highest ratio of representation (not counting Old Ideas).
28. What is the sum of the number of windows in the lobby in Vienna, the number of angels who tied him to the table, and his age when the door opened slowly and his father came in?
29. Name a song containing a variation on two lines from a poem by Robert Frost.
30. Name 4 originally Hebrew words in songs, 3 which are now international words (mentioned in 3, 2, and 1 songs respectively), and one that isn’t (in one song).

Good Luck!

O Wow, that will be fun but also hard to get all the correct answers. Will try and post some answers next week

Good job, Doron-there are some really tough questions.

Thank you, it will be fun.

Wonderful Doron, you made a very competitive quiz. It will keep us busy in our isolation.

W&W

Good one, Doran! I've almost finished this quiz. I can't say all my answers are right
It's been an interesting way to spend a few hours with Leonard that wasn't listening to his music

EDIT: I've finished this quiz now and am just waiting for the time to go by to post my right or wrong answers
I couldn't help but notice that one song kept popping up consistently - guess which one

Ik know it is not Sundat yet in the Netherlands but it is in UTC+3

This was so much fun! After initially answering from memory I soon found my self without answers. I had to search for the answers in books and the internet. But that was also very satisfying and even more fun. Had to work hard and spent quite a lot of time to find all the answers, but fortunaly I have a few books with the lyrics, biographies, Leonard Concordance pages and ofcourse our friendly enemie Google which seems to know everything. On top of that what else was there to do . Therefore I took the time and liberty to answer some of the questions extensive.
I am sure there are more then a few mistakes but that made it no less fun to participate.
My compliments for making this quiz and, due to the circumstances, putting in online. I encourage you to make a similar one at the next event! Doing this quiz live would be just as much fun ( and a lot harder).
Hope there will be a lot of response form other members to this quiz!

And now,as Leonard once said, “ All the answers are here”:

1.Name 5 songs mentioning LC’s first or last name.
Famous Blue raincoat / Bird on the wire / Going Home / Field Commander Cohen/
Because of / Ballad of the absent mare

2. Name 3 major European cities mentioned in songs, one of which mentioned in two songs.
Berlin ( first we take Manhattan / the Future)
Barcelona (The traitor)
Vienna ( take this waltz)

3. Name 3 songs sung partially or fully in French.
The partisan / La manic / Un canadian Errant

4. Name 4 songs mentioning Babylon.
By the rivers dark / Last years man / Is this what you wanted / Dance me to the end of love

5. Name 2 songs mentioning other biblical towns.
The window (Jerusalem)
Last years man (Bethlehem)

6. Name 4 songs mentioning gypsy or gypsies + a bonus one.
The gypsy wife / Please don’t pass me by / Famous blue rain coat / So long, Marianne / Almost like the blues

7. Name 4 songs mentioning New York or some part of it + a bonus one.
First we take Manhattan / Famous Blue raincoat / On that day / Please don’t pass me by / Chelsea hotel
8. Name 4 songs referring explicitly or implicitly to oral sex.
Chelsea Hotel / Don’t go home with your hard on / Memories / Light as a breeze

9. How many songs contain the word “naked” (estimate).
17 :
Memories / Anyhow / Please don’t pass me by / Last years man / Because of / Closing time / Light as a breeze / You know who I am / Dance me to the end of love / Everybody knows / Humbled in love / Tonight will be fine / Take this longing / Waiting for the miracle / paperthin hotel / Aint no cure for love / Leaving green sleeves

10. How many songs contain the word “lady” or “ladies” (estimate).
16:
Lady midnight /Our lady of solitude / Death of a ladies man / Leaving green sleeves / a singer must die/ story of Isaac / Last years man / Love calls you by your name / Mastersong / Diamonds in the mine /Suzanne / Stories of the street / Tonight will be fine / Who by fire / Why don’t you try / Winterlady

11. Name 9 songs mentioning some form of gambling.
Stranger song (cards) / Tonight will be fine (cards) / Everybody knows (dice) / Never any good (cards) /Thousand kisses deep (betting) / There is a war (roulette) / Lady midnight (betting) / I came so far for beauty (casino) / The Captain (War) /You want it darker ( cards/dice) / Leaving the table (cards/dice)
and there a few more depending how you interpret “gambling”

12. Name 2 songs mentioning the names of other singers.
Tower of songs (Hank Williams)/
Memories (Frankie Lane )

13. Name one song mentioning three screen idols.
Is this what you wanted (Rin Tin Tin, Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen)

14. From the first album, name one song on each side with somewhat unusual use of “almost” (and one from the late albums).
Suzanne ( Almost human)/ So long Marianne ( almost young)
Thanks for the dance ( it was almost a daughter or a son)

15. Name the 2 songs first released on the first album’s remastered CD.
Store Room and Blessed Is the Memory

16. Name the one song released as a single and never issued on any album.
“Do I have to Dance all night”

17. LC didn’t want drums on his first album yet one song has them; which one?
So long Marianne

18. LC makes an ironic reference to his trip to Cuba in one song; in an earlier song he made a more obscure reference to his visit; which are they?
Field commander Cohen and Stories of the street

19. How many songs contain the word “love” in their titles (estimate).
10:
Dance me to the end of love / Love call you by your name / Aint no cure for love / Love itself / Humbled in love / did I ever love you / You have loved enough / If I didn’t have your love / true love leaves no traces / crazy to love you

20. Name 6 songs mentioning types of weapons (including “weapon”).
Never mind (knives) / Gypsies wife (knives) / Slow (Gun) / Night comes on (gun) / Love call you by its name (gun) /Seems so long ago Nancy (45 Gun) / First we take Manhattan (Weapons) / Lover Lover (Weapon)

21. Name 2 songs written by LC in the 1960’s, both lyrics and music, but not recorded by him.
Priest and God is alive, magic is afoot

22. How many songs not written by him are covered by LC on various albums, including live ones from the tour.
The Partisan / Le manic / Passing Through / Un Canadien errant / Be for real / Always /
Go no more A roving / Wither tou Goest / Save the last dance for me

23. Name one song mentioning three kinds of birds.
Story of Isaac ( Eagle, Vulture and Peacock)

24. Name 5 other kinds of birds and 8 songs in which they are mentioned.
Sparrow : Death of al ladies man
Dove : Anthem, Take this waltz, Hallelujah, the Gypsies Wife, Dance me to the end of love
Swan : The traitor
Bird of paradise: Do I have to dance all night
Robin: Chelsea Hotel

25. Name 6 musical instruments and 8 songs in which they are mentioned.
Violin: Dance me to the end of love, Take this waltz, First we take Manhattan, Closing time
Guitar: Traveling light
Horn: Bird on the wire
Drum: Last years man, Waiting for the miracle, Anthem
Harp: Last years man
Banjo: Boogie street and Banjo
Bugle: Waiting for the Miracle

26. Name 7 women’s first names mentioned in songs on the first 3 albums, and 5 more in songs on later albums.
First 3 albums: Marianne (so long Marianne) , Suzanne ( Suzanne) , Nancy ( seems so long ago) , Jane and Lili ( famous blue raincoat), Joan (Joan of Arc and Last years man)), Anne and ,Judy (love calls you by your name)

Later Albums: Heather (Dear Heather) , Victoria (Queen Victoria) , Alexandra (Alexandra leaving) , Jill (Why don’t you try) Madonna (Death of a ladies man)

27. In the world tour, which were the two albums not represented at all, and which was the one with the highest ratio of representation (not counting Old Ideas).

Not represented: Dear Heather and Death of a ladies man
Most represented: I’m your Man

28. What is the sum of the number of windows in the lobby in Vienna, the number of angels who tied him to the table, and his age when the door opened slowly and his father came in?
900+27+9= 936

29. Name a song containing a variation on two lines from a poem by Robert Frost.
A Thousand kisses deep

30. Name 4 originally Hebrew words in songs, 3 which are now international words (mentioned in 3, 2, and 1 songs respectively), and one that isn’t (in one song).
Amen ( Last years man/Amen/Democracy)
Hallelujah : You got me singing / Halleluja
cider ( closing time)
jubilee (treaty)
Hineni ( You want it darker)

Good morning Hugo,
It's nearly 9am on Sunday here in Australia and as the time zones go, not that it matters, I thought I would be the first to post

Well, I think I knew a lot of answers straight away. Ha, we’ll soon find out! Some others I had to ponder upon and some I’ve just guessed. And finally, some I had to look up. It would have been interesting done live. Whatever happens I had fun, so thanks Doron!

And just for fun also, I hope no one minds that in a few instances I’ve added some applicable entries from my personal book, Songs & Versions & Improvisations written or sung by LC. It’s still being added to with more improvisations and my own artwork of LC etc.

1. Leonard: Going Home, Ballad Of The Absent Mare, Because Of, Bird On The Wire (Live in London & Dublin).
Cohen: Field Commander Cohen, Famous Blue Raincoat.

Concert variations from 1988 to 2013 – Leonard: Bird On The Wire

(improvisation – BOAW tour Manchester 20th March 1972)
(Who can take this seriously as a career?)
Leonard Cohen is going to sing his song
of anguish and despair, here he comes folks,
the organ is playing, the scores appear,
they’re lowered by wires by a man above the stage

Mr Cohen Must Be Goin’
(improvisation - Paris late 19th Oct 1974)
I want to thank Mr Cohen
For coming here tonight
Thank you, Leonard Cohen
I’m sorry you’ll be goin’
That you’ll be comin’ back sometime

Famous Blue Raincoat
(Tel Aviv 24th Nov 1980)
Sincerely, Eliezer ha’Cohen

2. Berlin (First We Take Manhattan), Berlin wall (The Future), Barcelona (The Traitor), Vienna (Take This Waltz).

Dance Me To The End Of Love was originally called In Old Berlin and First We Take Manhattan was derived from it.
The original title for The Future was If You Could See What’s Coming Next – “And you’d say, Give me back the Berlin Wall”.

No One After You (Blue Alert) “I've lived in many cities/ From Paris to LA”.

3. Bird on the Wire, The Partisan, The Lost Canadian (Un Canadien Errant), La Maniac (The Manic).

Je Veux Vivre Tout Seul (To Live Alone)
is Serge Lama’s cover of Bird On The Wire in French with Serge’s additional verses that Leonard sings in French in 1976.

4. Last Year’s Man, By The Rivers Dark, Dance Me To The End Of Love, Is This What You Wanted.

(Philip Glass BOL 2007 – sung version of By The Rivers Dark was called Babylon)

5. Last Year’s Man (Bethlehem), The Window (Jerusalem), Everybody Knows & Passing Through (Calvary).

(San Sebastian 20th May 1988 – sung verse)
Everybody knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem
without a single dime
Everybody knows the homeless people
could be himself some other time
Everybody knows the deal is rotten ...

(Boston 16th July 1993 – spoken verse)
Everybody knows that Christ was born in Bethlehem
without a dime
Everybody knows the homeless people
could be you some other time
Everybody knows the deal is rotten ....

6. The Gypsy’s Wife, So Long Marianne, Famous Blue Raincoat, Almost Like The Blues, Please Don’t Pass Me By.
7. Famous Blue Raincoat, On That Day, Chelsea Hotel 2 & 1, Please Don’t Pass Me By, First We Take Manhattan.
8. Light As The Breeze, Chelsea Hotel, Take This Longing, (The) Darkness, Take This Waltz.
9. 20 songs:
Be For Real, Last Year’s Man, Leaving Greensleeves, Closing Time, Light As The Breeze, Memories, Because Of, Ain’t No Cure For Love, Dance Me To The End Of Love, You Know Who I Am & Nothing To One, Everybody Knows, Paper Thin Hotel, Anyhow, Humbled In Love, Please Don’t Pass Me By, Take This Longing, Tonight Will Be Fine, Waiting For The Miracle, Came So Far For Beauty.

I Always Want To Sing For Naked People
(improvisation – Amsterdam 15th April 1972)
I always want to sing for naked people
But I never had the chance
I knew if I could sing for the naked people
I’d not only sing but I probably would dance

10. 16 songs:
Lady Midnight, Winter Lady, Our Lady Of Solitude, Last Year’s Man, Suzanne, Master Song, Diamonds In The Mine, Stories Of The Street, Leaving Greensleeves, Tonight Will Be Fine, Why Don’t You Try, Love Calls You By Your Name, Who By Fire, Story Of Isaac, A Singer Must Die, Death Of A Ladies Man.
11. Everybody Knows, The Captain, The Stranger Song, Tonight Will Be Fine (Live Songs), You Want It Darker,
Leaving The Table, Nevermind, First We Take Manhattan, Never Any Good, Lady Midnight, Anyhow.
12. Memories (Frankie Lane), Tower Of Song (Hank Williams)
13. Is This What You Wanted (Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, & Rin Tin Tin)
14. Suzanne & So Long Marianne, Almost Like The Blues (Popular Problems)
15. Store Room & Blessed Is The Memory
16. Do I have To Dance All Night
17. So Long Marianne
18. Field Commander Cohen & Stories Of The Street.
19. 10 songs:
Love Calls You By Your Name, Love Itself, Dance Me To The End Of Love, Ain’t No Cure For Love, True Love Leaves No Traces, You Have Loved Enough, Humbled In Love, Crazy To Love You, Did I Ever Love You, If I Didn’t Have Your Love.
(this question took me the longest to do because at first I mis-read it for title and body of song!
btw - inclusive of both there are about 92 songs)

Never Got To Love You, No One After You (Blue Alert)

21. Priests (LC said it was recorded but lost by Sony or maybe he had it somewhere), God Is Alive Magic Is Afoot, The Mist (As The Mist Leaves No Scar), Standing On The Stairs.
22. 12 songs:
Be For Real, Save The Last Dance For Me, Choices, La Manic, Passing Through, Tennessee Waltz, The Partisan, Always, Villanelle For Our Time, Go No More A-Roving, The Lost Canadian (Un Canadien Errant), Whither Thou Goest.
23. Story Of Isaac (eagle, vulture, peacock)
(btw... I was just watching out my window sea eagles soar over the mangroves and this song instantly came to me, ha!)

24. holy dove & dove (Anthem), holy dove (Hallelujah - Cohen Live), doves (Take This Waltz) dove (The Gypsy’s Wife), homeward dove (Dance Me To The End Of Love), nightingale (Nightingale), bird of Paradise (Do You Want To
Dance All Night), fallen robin (Chelsea Hotel), senile robins & retired nightingales (The Great Event), swan (The
Traitor), sparrow (Death Of A Ladies Man).

Hawk (The Mist) sung by Anjani Thomas

Lover Lover Lover
(The Song Of LC tour of 1979 by Harry Rasky)
I cannot change your name, he said
It is my very human word
Your name is mine, he said
But you repeat it like a mocking bird

The Broken-Down Nightingale
(improvisation – BOAW tour Manchester 20th March 1972)
he stands there the broken down nightingale,
Oh, the broken down nightingale’s
gonna sing you a little song

25. burning violin (Dance Me To The End Of Love), plywood violin (First We Take Manhattan), cheap violin (Take
This Waltz), broken banjo (Banjo), old banjo (Boogie Street), Jew’s harp (Last Year’s Man), guitar (Travelling
Light), drum (Anthem & Last Year’s Man), September drum (A Street), bugle & drum (Waiting For The Miracle),
music of rubber bands (Master Song), fiddler fiddles (Closing Time).
26. Suzanne, Marianne, Joan, Judy, Anne, Nancy, Jane & Lili.
Heather, Alexander, Victoria, Jezebel & Madonna.
27. Death Of A Ladies Man & Dear Heather. I’m Your Man (besides the studio compilation and live albums).
28. 900 + 27 + 9 = 936
Take This Waltz, Tower Of Song, Story Of Isaac
29. A Thousand Kisses Deep – “And maybe I had miles to drive/ And promises to keep”.
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening – “But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep”.
30. Amen (Amen, Democracy & Last Year’s Man), Hallelujah (Hallelujah & You Got Me Singing), Jubilee (Treaty), Jesus (Suzanne, Last Year’s Man, Passing Through, Is This What You Wanted, Jazz Police), Messiah (To A Teacher), Hineni (You Want It Darker).

Clap! Clap! (Mirror Song) - Night Magic
Saint Francis with the birds
Jesus with the leper

Wishing Window - Night Magic
(Everyone) O Jesus, not the heart, the heart again
So boring. Everyone's like everyone

(San Sebastian 20th May 1988 – sung verse)
Everybody knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem
without a single dime


Have fun everyone and keep safe!

Great efforts so far! I intend to relate to it all on Monday.

Absolutely brilliant answers! I am very impressed. Congratulations to HugoD and to B4real. Also thanks to Doron for having set the quiz.

Congratulations, B4real and Hugo-brilliant answers to very difficult questions!

And thank you so much Doron for setting it up-this was much fun.

Joe

Hi all,

I guess more people have challenged themselves with the quiz, but did not see the need to post their answers, especially after the quite exhaustive efforts posted above by HugoD and B4real. As I suspected, they outdid me on some questions, bringing up some data missed by me when initially preparing the quiz. So, first prize is jointly granted to the two of them (an I’ll buy you each a drink on the next event ). Following are my own answers, with some additions or quibbles (in most cases, the songs in each answer are mentioned in order of release).

1. LC’s name: Famous Blue Raincoat; Field Commander Cohen; Ballad Of The Absent Mare; Because Of; Going Home

Bird On A Wire was also mentioned, but as I stated on top of the quiz, it covers only released albums (studio and live) and the mentioned improvisations are not on any of those; so strictly speaking this song should not be included in the answer, but it is good to know about it.

2. European cities: The Traitor (Barcelona); First We Take Manhattan (Berlin); Take This Waltz (Vienna); The Future (Berlin)

3. French: The Partisan; The Lost Canadian; La Manic

Again, Bird On A Wire was mentioned, but it isn’t on any album.

4. Babylon: Last Year's Man; Is This What You Wanted; Dance Me To The End Of Love; By The Rivers Dark

5. Biblical towns: Last Year's Man (Bethlehem); The Window (Jerusalem)

Here B4real also mentioned Calvary, but although a biblical place, it isn’t a town as asked in the question.

6. Gypsy/Gypsies: So Long, Marianne; Famous Blue Raincoat; The Gypsy’s Wife; Almost Like The Blues; the “bonus” answer is the improvised text on Please Don’t Pass Me By (A Disgrace)

7. New York: Famous Blue Raincoat; Chelsea Hotel #2; First We Take Manhattan; On That Day; again, the “bonus” answer is the improvised text on Please Don’t Pass Me By (A Disgrace)

8. Oral sex: Chelsea Hotel #2; Coming Back To You; Light As The Breeze; Darkness

I believe the consensus over this touchy question, developed over years of discussions on the Forum, is that the above four songs should definitely be included in this short list. B4real also mentioned Take This Waltz, and on reflection, it should probably also be included. HugoD mentioned Don’t Go Home With Your Hardon & Memories; the former is a border case, I’m not sure whether it should be included, but it is possible; the latter I can’t see a reason to include.

9. Naked: My counting is also 17.

10. Lady/Ladies: Here too, my counting of 16 agrees with our two champions'.

11. Gambling includes: Cards: The Stranger Song; Tonight Will Be Fine (Live Songs version); Dice: The Captain; Everybody Knows; Casino (including “dealer”, “table” etc.): There Is A War; Came So Far For Beauty; In My Secret Life; You Want It Darker; Leaving The Table; Horses: Tonight Will Be Fine (Live Songs version); A Thousand Kisses Deep

The above is my answer, which in fact includes 10 songs rather than 9 (plus one song mentioned twice); several other songs were suggested, and I think this is a complicated subject that should be discussed separately (any more suggestions out there?).

12. Singers: Tower Of Song (Hank Williams); Memories (Frankie Lane)

13. Screen idols: Is This What You Wanted (Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, Rin Tin Tin)

14. Almost: Suzanne (“almost human”); So Long, Marianne (“almost young”); Almost Like The Blues

HugoD also mentioned Thanks For The Dance, and he’s right, but again, according to the quiz terms, the posthumous album was not included (however, if it is included, many questions on the quiz will have to be updated; here’s another challenge).

15. Two songs on remastered CD: Store Room; Blessed Is The Memory

16. One song on a single: Do I Have To Dance All Night

17. Drums: So Long, Marianne

18. Cuba: Field Commander Cohen; Stories Of The Street

I’m glad there’s a consensus on this here, because it is a matter of interpretation and not a clear-cut answer, but I always thought so.

19. Love in titles: Love Calls You by Your Name; Lover Lover Lover; Humbled In Love; Dance Me To The End Of Love; Ain’t No Cure For Love; True Love Leaves No Traces; Love Itself; You Have Loved Enough; Crazy To Love You; Did I Ever Love You; If I Didn’t Have Your Love (11)

The others counted 10, but I also included Lover Lover Lover to bring the number up to 11 (so you might say I’ve cheated). And B4real counted 92 songs mentioning “love” which is not surprising but still formidable; thanks!

20. Weapons: Seems So Long Ago, Nancy (“a fourty five”); Love Calls You By Your Name (“gun”); Lover Lover Lover (“weapon”); The Night Comes On (“gun”); First We Take Manhattan (“weapons”); Slow (“starting gun”)

I was only thinking of firearms (and “weapons”) when compiling this question, but I probably should have included other items as suggested by HugoD, such as knives in several songs, as well as “ax” and “hatchet” in Story Of Isaac, and more.

21. Not recorded by LC: Priests; God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot

22. Covers: 10 songs

B4real counted twelve here by including two tracks from Dear Heather, but these are poems written by others to which LC added the music (as much as there is), so these are not really covers (which I believe are songs written and performed by someone else first).

23. Three birds: Story Of Isaac (“eagle”, “vulture”, “peacock”)

24. Other birds: Death Of A Ladies’ Man (“Sparrow”); Chelsea Hotel #2 (“robin”); The Great Event (“robins”); The Traitor (“swan”); Nightingale; dove, in: Hallelujah; Dance Me To The End Of Love; The Gypsy’s Wife; Take This Waltz; Anthem

My answer actually has 9 songs rather than 8 as in the question; but still I embarrassingly missed a few, such as “Bird of Paradise” (Do I Have To Dance All Night), and one more mention for “robins” and “nightingales” in The Great Event.

25. Musical instruments: Guitar: Traveling Light; Violin: Dance Me To The End Of Love; First We Take Manhattan; Take This Waltz; Drums: Last Year's Man; Anthem; Waiting For The Miracle; Bugle: Waiting For The Miracle; Jew’s harp: Last Year's Man; Banjo: Boogie Street; Banjo

I probably should have included the fiddler in Closing Time.

26. Women’s first names: First three albums: Suzanne, Marianne, Nancy, Judy & Anne (Love Calls You by Your Name), Jane & Lili (Famous Blue Raincoat), Joan of Arc; Later albums: Queen Victoria; Jill (Why Don’t You Try); Jezebel (Memories); Alexandra Leaving; Dear Heather

The correct counting for the first part of the question should have been 8, rather than 7; as for the later albums, should Madonna (“She took his blond Madonna and his monastery wine” in Death Of A Ladies’ Man) be counted as a first name? I’m not sure.

27. The world tour: Not represented: Death of a Ladies' Man & Dear Heather; highest ratio: I'm Your Man (7 out of 8 songs)

28. 900+27+9 = 936

29. Robert Frost: A Thousand Kisses Deep (“And maybe I had miles to drive, / and promises to keep”)

30. Hebrew words: Amen: Amen; Last Year’s Man; Democracy; Hallelujah: Hallelujah; You Got Me Singing; Jubilee: Treaty; Hineni: You Want It Darker

Here I had another shameful miss: Messiah: To A Teacher (and of course, on the recent album, if it is to be included); I don’t think I’d count Jesus though, since it is a personal name (and there are scores of other Hebrew personal names used internationally).

Thanks once again for the elaborate answers. If anyone can think of something we missed, please post it here. Also, if you care to tackle any of the challenges mentioned above, please do. Take care and stay safe everyone!

Excellent quiz

I took the approach of meticulously listening to each album in turn, reacquainting myself with songs that had fallen off my radar and learning things I did not know.

Great way to spend a week especially in the current climate.

Would it be greedy to ask for another quiz in the near future?

Thanks
Heather

Thanks, Doron, Tony and Joe for your kind words!
Heather, that's a great way to spend the time in isolation these days - or any other day.

Doron, if you don’t mind, I’d like to comment on a few questions.

1. LC’s name:

Bird On A Wire was also mentioned, but as I stated on top of the quiz, it covers only released albums (studio and live) and the mentioned improvisations are not on any of those; so strictly speaking this song should not be included in the answer, but it is good to know about it.

Leonard does state his name “Leonard” in BOTW on the two officially released live albums as I’ve written
– Live in London AND Live in Dublin. The four improvisations are listed separately below that in small type.


3. French:

Again, Bird On A Wire was mentioned, but it isn’t on any album.

Again, French is heard on BOTW on the officially released live album - Live Songs.
Like my other songs listed here, I didn’t mention which albums they came from. He begins with:
“Comme l'oiseau sur la branche
comme l'ivrogne dans le coeur de la nuit
j'ai cherché ma liberté.”

On reflection, the question says “sung partially or fully in French” and if you listen to it, he seems to deliver it more as an introduction than as singing even though he is playing his guitar.

9. Naked:

My counting is also 17.

I recounted them and found that I had originally included Came So Far For Beauty but it has ‘nakedness’.
Now I get 19 as below and I’m guessing that you didn’t count the two titles in bold type:
Be For Real, Last Year’s Man, Leaving Greensleeves, Closing Time, Light As The Breeze, Memories, Because Of, Ain’t No Cure For Love, Dance Me To The End Of Love, You Know Who I Am, Nothing To One, Everybody Knows, Paper Thin Hotel, Anyhow, Humbled In Love, Please Don’t Pass Me By, Take This Longing, Tonight Will Be Fine, Waiting For The Miracle.

20. Weapons:

“axe” and “hatchet” in Story Of Isaac.

Ha! I remembered “axe” but forgot “hatchet”. Nevermind!
I had Slow but deleted it because I figured an axe was more dangerous than a starting gun!

22. Covers: 10 songs

B4real counted twelve here by including two tracks from Dear Heather, but these are poems written by others to which LC added the music (as much as there is), so these are not really covers (which I believe are songs written and performed by someone else first).

DB, you are right in what you say but LC has sung these two poems that he didn’t originally write here as songs.
I’ve tried to find another name other than “cover” to call them but to no avail.
This is about a cover: "A cover usually refers to a reinterpretation. This might take the form of creating an acoustic version, a different arrangement, or even just taking the lyrics and coming up with an entirely new melody".
I wonder if anyone knows if there actually is an official word for covering a poem as a song?

26. Women’s first names - Later albums

Should Madonna (“She took his blond Madonna and his monastery wine” in Death Of A Ladies’ Man) be counted as a first name? I’m not sure.

Even though I wrote it down, I wasn’t sure either if it was applicable. I was trying to make up the numbers and I completely forgot about “Jill” in Why Don’t You Try but I see Hugo didn’t!

Thanks again for this quiz, I haven’t had to use my thinking cap like this for quite some time!

B4real wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:00 am ...I wonder if anyone knows if there actually is an official word for covering a poem as a song?...

Yes, there is an official word for this: a "setting". One comes across this term a lot in classical music, because poetry has always been used by composers as a primary source for song lyrics.

You may wish to read the following article about classical music settings of British poets, which provides numerous examples of how the word is used:

http://www.classical-music.com/article/poetry-motion

Back to the topic of this thread, thanks to Doron for a fun diversion, and a hearty "Well Done!" to Hugo and Bev! I also enjoyed Bev's additional information about various live versions (not on official albums). Cheers!

Heather,

Yes, this was probably the idea behind the whole thing, being reminded of, and listening again, to all these songs, some very familiar, some less so.

I believe I’ve quite exhausted my personal mine of questions for the time being, but if I get the urge, I’ll try to think up some more. Meanwhile, there are several challenges that I offered above (checking for all references to gambling more thoroughly; finding all kinds of weapons; adding details from the songs on Thanks for the Dance).


B4real,

As for Q1 & Q3 – I stay corrected! An omission on my part in both cases.

As for Q9 – I wouldn’t split hairs here.

Covers: I’d rather use the term in the more limited way (i.e., a song that has already been released previously by a different artist), because if you widen the scope you might also need to include songs based on poems that were translated, or written in collaboration etc.

By the way, I once made a list of all songs (or tracks) released officially by LC, and they came up to 150 (not counting different versions of the same songs). The basic statistics are: 90 songs for which he wrote both music and lyrics (including translations); 48 songs written in collaboration (mostly on the music, but also including the two poems on Dear Heather, and one song on which the credit for the lyrics is shared – do you know which one is it?); 2 tracks of music without lyrics; 10 covers, which are: The Partisan; Passing Through; The Lost Canadian; Be For Real; Always; Tennessee Waltz; Whither Thou Goest; Save The Last Dance For Me; La Manic; Choices.

Finally, regarding Q8: a friend pointed out to me that you also mentioned “Take This Longing” in your answer (and earlier the same friend also suggested it privately as a possible candidate for that list). I can’t say I quite see it, but I guess that’s the point where individual imagination comes into play, so perhaps it cannot be ruled out although I’m not totally convinced.