leonardcohenforum.com

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/r ... p?prgId=13

Leonard Cohen
May 22
"The poet and singer chooses his words carefully. Leonard Cohen joins us to talk about his career, his new volume of poems, and his upcoming album."

Elizabeelzebubeth, my compliments. You have quite the finest name I've seen on this forum.

Thank you for posting this, Elizabeelzebubeth and Welcome to the Forum . I was just coming here to post it, as it's just now begun, with time for others to listen, if it hadn't yet been posted. Enroute home from the depot, I heard again the announcement of it, so I planned to post it. Now, I don't need to, and I hope others are already listening.

On my way out of town to get to the bus depot on Friday, I listened to a special on Pete Seeger/Bruce Springsteen, followed by a snippet of "I'm Your Man" and the announcement of this upcoming feature. I've been home now for 15 minutes and it has just come on. These were signs related to the goodness of this weekend, appearing on each end of it.

For anyone here at this moment, follow that link. It promised to be a very good segment and it's proving to be just that.

I like your name, too... something rather similar [perhaps not in an official capacity] appeared here before. Was that you?

~ Lizzy

I listened and since I've probably missed some of the more recent interviews, it was certainly apparent how Leonard recycles many lines that have served him well for years-like his "If I knew where the good songs come from, I'd go there more often."

However, there were a couple of times that I obtained some new insights such as Leonard speaking about the fading of his Grandfather into senility and how difficult that was. It would certainly color one's view of advancing age and the inherent dangers present.

There was also one question about why Leonard left Mt. Baldy and I was happy to hear Leonard say that the reasons were very private rather than just lay something out there that fits an interview. He can be both disarmingly honest and obfusticatingly programmed all at the same time.

I had to laugh when the interviewer quoted the new words that Leonard wrote for "Always" and called it something like sarcastic and sour. Leonard laughed but I was thinking that it was the "smile when I'm angry" laugh. I've always liked the new words.

The interviewer was a good "fan" but certainly not as insightful as Stina, Pico Iyer or some of the other people who've interviewed him in recent years.

Joe

I listened to it twice, once at 1:00 PM and again at 7:00 PM. I appreciated the part regarding his grandfather, too. Not everyone watches close members of their family disintegrate like this. By citing things his mother had said [how people would come from hundreds of miles, just to hear him speak], Leonard made it clear how renowned and well-respected his grandfather had been and, through a couple graphic examples, how shockingly painful it was to see the dramatic changes brought about through senility. It was a very sharing moment, and Leonard was still able to describe inelegant acts elegantly. It also gave some additional insight to Leonard's caring and sensitivities toward Irving as senility overtook him, and to his poem about being in the house where a respected loved one is going mad. I don't recall the name of the poem. I think the rafters are mentioned in it.

I called my former husband and [since he couldn't bring in the station], we listened together, via phone, to the 7:00 broadcast. In the process of caretaking his own father with Alzheimers for two years, non-stop, now, he was able to relate to and appreciate both examples Leonard gave. The first example Leonard gave, I was able to relate to with my own Dad.

Leonard did change up the wording on that famous line/concept a bit, morphing it into "conditions" and if he knew the conditions that were responsible, he'd be sure to create them and keep them in place [something very close to that effect, but using several longer words after "conditions" to say what followed].

While you were laughing about Terry's comment on "Always," I was confused... totally. When I listened the second time, I thought, "Well, maybe when that part comes around again, I'll 'get it' this time." But a second listen left me just as confused and wondering, "What sarcasm? What sour?" Leonard's additional lines simply 'modernized' the song, bringing it into today's [at least Western] world, where people have trysts, short-term affairs, and live-in romances. His additions remain on-point, though, with regard to the concept of "Always." "Not for just a weekend and a shake-down in the shower" ~ where is the sarcasm or sourness there? It's merely a different, wholly realistic scenario that relates more to today's world than in the era that Irving Berlin wrote the song. "Not for just the summer and the winter going sour" ~ just because the word sour gets used, doesn't make the lyric itself "sarcastic and sour" ~ this, of course, is merely a way of showing how some glorious summer romances fall apart in the fall and winter ~ another very effective way to make the point of, "... but I'll be loving you always." Sarcastic and sour? Well, Leonard's response, to her identifying them in this way, that [paraphrase, but very close], "Well, you can always count on me for that [chuckle]," seemed a way of dismissing her erroneous interpretation and just going with it, even though he clearly knew better. There wasn't time for discussion. Yes, it did make the point that "that was Irving and this is me," but way moreso, it made the point, "That was then and this is now" and Leonard had already described his version as more of a 'drunken' version.

I appreciated the interview, nonetheless, and the selections of Leonard's songs used for it and the poems Leonard chose to read. More later...

~ Lizzy

Lizzy wrote:

While you were laughing about Terry's comment on "Always," I was confused... totally. When I listened the second time, I thought, "Well, maybe when that part comes around again, I'll 'get it' this time." But a second listen left me just as confused and wondering, "What sarcasm? What sour?"

Hi Lizzyl

That was my point-I think Leonard laughed at this-but it was the "smile when I'm angry laugh"-that she didn't understand at all what he was talking about.

I'm sure it is hard for him to discuss these things over and over again. I forgive him for his testiness and ramshackle memory-who knows how the time goes?

Joe

Thanks Elizabeelzebubeth, bet people are always asking' "How do you spell that".
When I clikced on the "listen button" it saved it as a file and would not let me. I know I have real player. Any advice from the computer experts out there?
Have a great day.

The interview with Leonard is still available in streaming audio at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=5422403

THANKS for that, Jarkko~! I tried to get to it yesterday, but got the message, "Request blocked by Weblocker" [something like that]. This link got me right to it, though. I was trying to find the exact words [I think one was "implement" for the way Leonard expressed getting to where the good songs are. I'll get it, yet .

~ Lizzy

I agree with Johnny, that name is the work of genius.

p.

Another surprizing and disarming part of this interview is Leonard's sharing of why he quit smoking.

About his line in the poem about life in the monastery, to the effect of "I hated everyone, but I acted generously and no one found me out"... his return comment to Terry on her follow-up query on it was, "It's not the whole story, but it's enough of the story to justify the line." An effective explanation that covers the bases.

Here it is, Joe! Leonard said this in response to Terry's questioning about how the writing of "Everybody Knows" came about and he was having trouble pinpointing it. His conclusive response was, "If I really remembered the conditions which produce good songs, I'd try to establish them." Says the identical thing, but isn't as easy to remember as a quote as what he said at the Awards.

About "Always," yes, when he said it became dark and sour, he kinda laughed and said, "You can depend on me for that." He still defended his additional lines after she recited them with, "That's good. That's really good," which seems to underscore that he disagreed with her dismissive comment.

I also really like the way Leonard speaks so openly about the realms and dynamics of love and beauty.


~ Lizzy

I am still getting a save this file box when I click on listen. I did save it but it won't play.

This is just a wonderful, wonderful interview !!!
And I am so happy that there is so much going on around Leonard at the moment: Yesterday, I got my copy of the "Book of Longing" and...surprise, surprise...it was a signed one !!! Yes!!! As someone who has never met Leonard Cohen nor seen him in concert, this is really something!! Anjani's CD already arrived at the beginning of the month and is turning round and round in my CD player since then...
And now, let's cross our fingers that there will be a tour:-)

johnny7moons wrote:Elizabeelzebubeth, my compliments. You have quite the finest name I've seen on this forum.

Well, gee, thanks!

Now, why "7 moons?" Are you a cousin of the Monty Python man with three buttocks?

lizzytysh wrote:Thank you for posting this, Elizabeelzebubeth 8) and Welcome to the Forum :D .

I like your name, too... something rather similar [perhaps not in an official capacity] appeared here before. Was that you?

Thank you, Lizzy. I haven’t posted here before. Might you be thinking of the newsgroup? I used to be part of that, until I wandered away from the flock.

Tri-me wrote:Thanks Elizabeelzebubeth, bet people are always asking' "How do you spell that".

It's a nuisance. I don't know what my parents were thinking!