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Length: 5:13
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I wandered on.
I lived my life
in Babylon.
And I did forget
My holy song:
And I had no strength
In Babylon.
By the rivers dark
Where I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me.
And he cut my lip
And he cut my heart.
So I could not drink
From the river dark.
And he covered me,
And I saw within,
My lawless heart
And my wedding ring,
I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there,
Who was hunting me
By the rivers dark
I panicked on.
I belonged at last
To Babylon.
Then he struck my heart
With a deadly force,
And he said, 'This heart:
It is not yours.'
And he gave the wind
My wedding ring:
And he circled us
With everything.
By the rivers dark,
In a wounded dawn.
I live my life
In Babylon.
Though I take my song
From a withered limb,
Both song and tree,
They sing for him.
Be the truth unsaid
And the blessing gone,
If I forget
My Babylon.
I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there.
Who was hunting me.
By the rivers dark,
Where it all goes on:
By the rivers dark
In Babylon.
RIP Leonard.
Is there a musical artist more overrated than Leonard Cohen?
I can't think of one. 🤔
Thankfully, Bill disagrees. I love this album and would not have heard it were it not for RP. Thank you Bill!
Indeedy! So I'm at a party in Old Montreal circa 1969. Brought some Molson's beer with me (never show up at a canuck party empty-handed!) and gave one to some guy in the corner. Then he picks up his guitar and starts singing:
"Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there..."
To quote another song: "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end!"
Les bon vieux temps!
As a post office clerk I had a customer named Suzanne. I told her I am ways reminded of lenorard cohen's song. I must have heard that in elementary school.
For me, Leonard Cohen occupies the same space as Bob Dylan. Exceptional songwriters, bordering on timeless poets, but I just cannot for the love of god stand their voices. I wish Cohen and Dylan had frontmen/women giving their songs actually decent voices.
There are a lot of voices I can't stand, but I don't mind Cohen or Dylan at all. It works for their music. I feel the same about Tom Waits. His music wouldn't be his music without that gravelly voice.
I'm trying not to imagine why you know what that sounds like.
I found this response funny and the original comment funny....It is getting so I listen to RP just to read the song comments.
I can't think of one. 🤔
Just seeing the album cover is worth hearing any song off that album.
Now 50 some-odd years later I still enjoy his music. I was sad to learn of his passing.
fast forward please
Try a concert... well it is not possible now, but let me tell you... the love and fragility of life is shared with all who attend(ed).
Life does not have a fast forward button...
Dear radioparadise
I adore you. I enthusiastically send you money monthly -- just started.
How much would you need from me to ensure you never play another LC recording? :)
Dear Radio Paradise,
I'll double that amount if you keep playing them...
I adore you. I enthusiastically send you money monthly -- just started.
How much would you need from me to ensure you never play another LC recording? :)
My take:
Dylan wrote about 50% of the great songs
Leonard about 25%
The rest are mostly 1 hit wonders
YMMV
My mileage definitely varies, as Nirvana had more than one Great Song on Nevermind by itself. And don't even get me started on Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones. Point is, this is an incorrect take.
Cover photo is a selfie?
Possibly. But the creativity in the album title blows me away.
I find people are generally attracted to, and curious about their own darkness. Is this all there is to these lyrics?
Sorry; not a Leonard fan. pressing 'next'.
Silly and endless stupidity
Enough, enough, you have collectively beaten me into submission!
Leonard Cohen is THE GREATEST SONGWRITER EVER!
Please forgive my previous comments-I harken back to the olden days, when all were allowed their opinions, but in retrospect, in America, those days seem long passed. We live in the new America, where those of different opinions are ignorant A**BAGS!
Forgive my meager intellect, when Mr. Cohen's glorious voice again rings down from RP, I shall retreat to the soundproof broom closet of my deluxe trailer here on Cape Cod, and attempt to count my limited brain cells.
Does anyone have an abacus I may borrow?
You'll only need your fingers and toes
Gosh, you really need to hear some other songwriters. I suggest you start with early Joni Mitchell.
I've heard lots of songwriters over more than 50 adult years.
My take:
Dylan wrote about 50% of the great songs
Leonard about 25%
The rest are mostly 1 hit wonders
YMMV
RP followed this with Dance Me to The End of Love"" written by ...
Almost everything he did before Various Positions is, for me, god-like.
Too drastic, in my opinion. Cohen didn't make a bad album, it slightly changed his path, because he had to do it.
Almost everything he did before Various Positions is, for me, god-like.
We agree to disagree.
Almost everything he did before Various Positions is, for me, god-like.
Nice try :-))
Or hang out and have a beer with
Indeedy! So I'm at a party in Old Montreal circa 1969. Brought some Molson's beer with me (never show up at a canuck party empty-handed!) and gave one to some guy in the corner. Then he picks up his guitar and starts singing:
"Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there..."
To quote another song: "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end!"
Les bon vieux temps!
I think I'll disagree. Even if Cohen wasn't IMHO an important novelist and poet, his lyrics touch themes which I believe are timeless in and of themselves. My guess, then, is that you're looking—instead of genuine discourse about an important 20th century literary figure—for a fight. Bully for you.
Buffy Sainte-Marie sang a page from Cohen's novel, "Beautiful Losers" in God Is
Alive Magic Is Afoot...
Tony in NJ
W.A.S.T.E.
Me too..
I would agree with you except you are 180 degrees of exceptional wrongness. Cohen is the best songwriter I have ever heard, better than Dylan imo, but other than that, yea you are right.
Gosh, you really need to hear some other songwriters. I suggest you start with early Joni Mitchell.
Or hang out and have a beer with
Me too. I tried to dislike him for years due to his voice alone but he just grew on me. And when I really began to listen I discovered his lyrics were amazing and his persona was intriguing. So I watched a tribute concert for him on CBC and got hooked. Bought a couple compilation albums (Greatest Hits and Live in London) and never looked back. I wish I'd been a little more open minded when he was alive.
Enough, enough, you have collectively beaten me into submission!
Leonard Cohen is THE GREATEST SONGWRITER EVER!
Please forgive my previous comments-I harken back to the olden days, when all were allowed their opinions, but in retrospect, in America, those days seem long passed. We live in the new America, where those of different opinions are ignorant A**BAGS!
Forgive my meager intellect, when Mr. Cohen's glorious voice again rings down from RP, I shall retreat to the soundproof broom closet of my deluxe trailer here on Cape Cod, and attempt to count my limited brain cells.
Does anyone have an abacus I may borrow?
You're pretty sharp, a musician, often funny, and you’ve got eclectic tastes which include a few polarizing artists. I don't find any evidence that you're a troll except when it comes to Leonard Cohen. And I'm betting you're not an intentional troll, it's just that you really don't like him and when he pops up in the playlist you can't help yourself, you gotta pop off. All of that is fine. Polarizing artists polarize people, we love 'em or hate 'em, and I think we know where you land on that spectrum.
You have my sympathy, or, you would have had if not for the comment above. Let’s review — Here are some of the prior multiple comments you made:
• 'Leonard Cohen is the lamest songwriter ever!'
• 'Not much of a songwriter either, really. Honestly, he wrote a song called, "Hallelujah," that was about 120 verses, that became famous at four verses. Everything else he wrote, sucks.'
• 'Nope. Still can't sing.'
Then, the responses you got were amazingly civil, restrained, and reasoned on the whole (if unconvincing, reason doesn't work in matters of subjective judgment). Yet you cry as if you'd been abused. You most certainly were not. And you trot out that false accusation about not tolerating dissent. It most certainly was tolerated, just not agreed with. That’s a critical distinction you disregard.
You may have landed on "Leonard's doorstep" without choosing to but you landed here nonetheless, lobbed the firebombs above, and were treated quite fairly afterwards.
Please consider: you may feel that you've been abused, either by Leonard's music or by his fans, but from the perspective of those who admire or respect Leonard Cohen, or by any objective measure I'd say, it's you that's been abusive, not they.
Bill has good taste; he'll do it again.
....yeah BillG - next time you should play them BACK TO BACK....we'll see how much of a devotee rpdevotee really is ;-)
Bill has good taste; he'll do it again.
Silence.
Is the entire CD comparable to this song.? I'm thinking of downloading this one.
Everybody in my elevators loves this groovy classic... we be dancing slowly like happy hippies... hope life is grand for you these days, juanos, and your ears feel good!
Today I woke up and learned he died. :( :( So shocking.
So sad to hear of his death....he was a great poet/storyteller.
Here's to you LC...
I'm speaking lead!
He also signs their paychecks.
I'm speaking lead!
. . . and why he felt compelled to share it.
Beyond tmi.
I hear Cohen and think to myself "What a great song, but that voice sounds like a loose, flapping anus".
Maybe is because you're hearing with your ass, instead of your heart.
I hear Cohen and think to myself "What a great song, but that voice sounds like a loose, flapping anus".
I'm trying not to imagine why you know what that sounds like.
I hear Cohen and think to myself "What a great song, but that voice sounds like a loose, flapping anus".
Tell us why, do some thinking, give us your take on where it stands in the universe of music, and why.
After all, this is rock and roll history we're writing across the sky here!
This pairing of voices, Cohen and Sharon Robinson, is just perfect on a harmonic level.
It's what enlightenment looks like, and sounds like.
Don't know about genius part but average rating 7.1 tells the story
And yes, I'm signed in, and yes it's updated to the latest version of RP.
I like..
I turn off the volume when I hear Leonard Cohen.
beautiful and awesome
I turn the Volume UP when I hear Leonard Cohen
Applause..thats good taste !.. please play something from Sharon's album Everybody Knows
On the song comments page of another (of the four Thousand songs of LC here on RP) LC song, someone wrote something like:
"Whenever someone says this is terrible, fans of LC are all like "but the poetry" and so on. Well, write a book then Mr. Cohen and stop reading poets over utter crap lame elevator music."
I couldn't agree more. The attempt to create "muzak" as guidance for Mr. Cohen's poetry is a complete failure. This sounds terrible. Please, read and write your poetry but do not try to merge it with music because it's horrible.
1
"BUT THE POETRY......."
I turn off the volume when I hear Leonard Cohen.
The highest frequency of response to this song is an 8 - pretty high for RP. Most seem to disagree...
It has nothing to do with amplitude , more with frequency across the line.
The highest frequency of response to this song is an 8 - pretty high for RP. Most seem to disagree...
same here ! But somehow, today, I'm listening to this one till the end, it's tolerable and almost pleasant. I'm the first surprised !
Update : not so almost pleasant today... rating back down from 3 to 2 ... Sorry Leonard...
Honestly, he wrote a song called, " Hallelujah," that was about 120 verses, that became famous at four verses.
Everything else he wrote, sucks.
I think I'll disagree. Even if Cohen wasn't IMHO an important novelist and poet, his lyrics touch themes which I believe are timeless in and of themselves. My guess, then, is that you're looking—instead of genuine discourse about an important 20th century literary figure—for a fight. Bully for you.
Enough, enough, you have collectively beaten me into submission!
Leonard Cohen is THE GREATEST SONGWRITER EVER!
Please forgive my previous comments-I harken back to the olden days, when all were allowed their opinions, but in retrospect, in America, those days seem long passed. We live in the new America, where those of different opinions are ignorant A**BAGS!
Forgive my meager intellect, when Mr. Cohen's glorious voice again rings down from RP, I shall retreat to the soundproof broom closet of my deluxe trailer here on Cape Cod, and attempt to count my limited brain cells.
Does anyone have an abacus I may borrow?
I'm feeling a bit intellectually challenged right now. I was actually really enjoying this song (first time I've heard it). What is wrong with me?
Enough, enough, you have collectively beaten me into submission!
Leonard Cohen is THE GREATEST SONGWRITER EVER!
Please forgive my previous comments-I harken back to the olden days, when all were allowed their opinions, but in retrospect, in America, those days seem long passed. We live in the new America, where those of different opinions are ignorant A**BAGS!
Forgive my meager intellect, when Mr. Cohen's glorious voice again rings down from RP, I shall retreat to the soundproof broom closet of my deluxe trailer here on Cape Cod, and attempt to count my limited brain cells.
Does anyone have an abacus I may borrow?
Honestly, he wrote a song called, " Hallelujah," that was about 120 verses, that became famous at four verses.
Everything else he wrote, sucks.
You don't have much to listen to in your trailer park (in Cape Cod).....do you?
You trolled.....we bit.
LC is one of the finest song writers of this generation.
Honestly, he wrote a song called, " Hallelujah," that was about 120 verses, that became famous at four verses.
Everything else he wrote, sucks.
I would agree with you except you are 180 degrees of exceptional wrongness. Cohen is the best songwriter I have ever heard, better than Dylan imo, but other than that, yea you are right.
You're kidding, right?
Exodus, movement of Jah people, oh yeah
Open your eyes and let me tell you this
Men and people will fight ya down (Tell me why?)
when ya see Jah light
Let me tell you, if you're not wrong (Then why?)
ev'rything is alright
So we gonna walk, alright, through the roads of creation
We're the generation (Tell me why)
trod through great tribulation
Exodus, movement of Jah people
Exodus, movement of Jah people
Open your eyes and look within
Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
We know where we're going; we know where we're from
We're leaving Babylon, we're going to our fatherland
Exodus, movement of Jah people
(Movement of Jah people)
Send us another Brother Moses gonna cross the Red Sea
(Movement of Jah people)
Send us another Brother Moses gonna cross the Red Sea
Exodus, movement of Jah people
Exodus, Exodus, Exodus, Exodus,
Exodus, Exodus, Exodus, Exodus
Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move!
Open your eyes and look within
Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
We know where we're going; we know where we're from
We're leaving Babylon, we're going to the fatherland
Leonard Cohen is the lamest songwriter ever!
Babylon is a metaphor here.
LC Lamest song writer ever? That says all I need to know about your critical thinking skills.
What's the Exodus song got to do with this, other than to demonstrate how far you missed Cohen's point here?
Honestly, he wrote a song called, " Hallelujah," that was about 120 verses, that became famous at four verses.
Everything else he wrote, sucks.
LC has been around for decades. Have you listened to all his stuff? If so, that's an impressive level of masochism.
Try "Suzanne" and "So Long, Marianne" and songs from that era; they're a lot different from his recent, dark croonings/burblings/mutterings.
better lay off the ganja man.
jhorton wrote:
Exodus, movement of Jah people, oh yeah...
Leonard Cohen is the lamest songwriter ever!
Could not agree more, minman.
And you have made your point/fool of yourself, horton who hears a who. Give it a rest.
PS more than one lyricist can make a Biblical reference without being considered lame. (Oh yeah...)
better lay off the ganja man.
jhorton wrote:
Exodus, movement of Jah people, oh yeah...
Leonard Cohen is the lamest songwriter ever!
I think you mean the singer, not the song, and Cohen is now nearly 80. Not bad for an old gimmer, eh? I've really come to appreciate Cohen in the years of being exposed to his works by RP. He's quite the modern prophet who speaks of universal human traits, and I hope that he'll be as much played a century hence as he is now. The guy's songs are deeper than his voice, and that's near subsonic.
Modern prophet? In what way?