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Bird On The Wire is written as Bird On A Wire on (The) Essential!? Why? It seems that no one really knows the right title, even Leonard:-)
Tom

that's interesting!
how could something like that happen?
and what would different titles imply? i feel it should have been called A Bird On A Wire, because it could be any bird on any wire... but then again; this language is foreign to me.

damn!!! i got it all wrong the first time, sorry: it MUST be Bird On The Wire, because it's Leonard himself on his own wire (his own stop on the path to freedom?).

Perhaps when Leonard initially wrote the song, in that it reportedly was a bird he saw on the new[?] telephone wire outside his window on Hydra ~ this being one version of explanation I've read, don't hold me accountable for it ~ it was used metaphorically by him in regard to himself in his own life ["Bird On The Wire"]. As time went on and the song was so well-received and "taken personally" by others, it started to generalize in its title ["Bird On A Wire"] for application to anyone/any bird/anywhere. I've always wondered about it as I've come across the two, different titles, and this is the best I've been able to surmise.

I think your explanation caould be right, Lyzzie... Jurica, your second point was right - my girlfriend (excellent speaker of English) says it must be THE because it's exacrtly that wire on Hydra, so you both have the point. In Ratcliff's book about Leonard's song, he wrote "(sic!)" beside one of those wrong titles - that's how I first time noticed this phenomenon.
Anyway, Leonard cared to say THE always, I noticed, although 1) 1972 movie is titled Bird On A wire, and 2) I'm sure he sung few times A on late tours, like on Reykjavik recording - or I catched it wrong?
Merry Xmas,
Tom

....got it from the bird's beak, so to speak ....

According to Leonard himself the title of the song was "Bird on THE wire",
and he agreed that the title progressed like Lizzytysh described in her first message of this thread.
Jarkko

Thanks to Leonard for following our discussions!:-)
t

....or to a certain someone for keeping Leonard duly apprised on a PRN [medical terminology], "need-to-know, need-to-ask" basis .

Not to be not-picky but I was taught PRN means "as needed".

Yes, you're right, Wilcotree.....that's my medical understanding of it, as well. I bent it somewhat to make a little more sense ~ or perhaps confuse, as the case may be ~ to this particular case, as he doesn't really NEED to know.

love a nurse;
sorry this has nothing to do with Ten New Songs & The Essential Leonard Cohen

"Love a nurse," Wilcotree?

So... should we be calling you "F." from now on!?!?