so long, marianne

leonard cohen was one of those beautiful people of the sixties who true to the zeitgeist of that colourful and dynamic period of human history, carried their poetry and presence through song into the consciousness of the big world.

this morning i came across a cover version of cohen's song "so long, marianne" and while it began with tremendous promise, it was unable to sustain itself and so i went in search of the original which i’ll share here first . . . . i hadn’t heard it for such a long time and when i heard it today, the hairs on my neck went up and i felt shivers as if hearing it again for the first time. if you have the courage of your conviction, live alone, or just plain couldn’t care less and feel like you might want to sing along with leonard, then here are the lyrics:

"come over to the window, my little darling,
i'd like to try to read your palm.
i used to think i was some kind of gypsy boy
before i let you take me home.

now so long, marianne, it's time that we began
to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.

well you know that i love to live with you,
but you make me forget so very much.
i forget to pray for the angels
and then the angels forget to pray for us.

now so long, marianne, it's time that we began ...

we met when we were almost young
deep in the green lilac park.
you held on to me like i was a crucifix,
as we went kneeling through the dark.

oh so long, marianne, it's time that we began ...

your letters they all say that you're beside me now.
then why do i feel alone?
i'm standing on a ledge and your fine spider web
is fastening my ankle to a stone.

now so long, marianne, it's time that we began ...

for now i need your hidden love.
i'm cold as a new razor blade.
you left when i told you i was curious,
i never said that i was brave.

oh so long, marianne, it's time that we began ...

oh, you are really such a pretty one.
i see you've gone and changed your name again.
and just when i climbed this whole mountainside,
to wash my eyelids in the rain!

oh so long, marianne, it's time that we began ..."



while we’re on the subject of leonard cohen and women . . . "suzanne" was surely one of his biggest hits. its mournful almost desperate tune carries the lyrics like the clouds carry rain . . .
the cbc did a really lovely piece detailing the origins of the song. essentially - “there was a woman named suzanne who was the wife of a friend of mine, armand vaillancourt, who is a great montreal sculptor, still a friend of mine, and his wife was suzanne vaillancourt. she invited me down to her place near the river, and she did serve me constant tea filled with little pieces of orange."

"it was a very private thing that I felt like I had with leonard," verdal recalls. "it was kind of like a very 'sympathical' wavelength thing - that we would read each other's minds. we were very in tune with each other. it was kind of strange to have it blossom into this famous song that everyone was 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
and she feeds you tea and oranges
that come all the way from china
and just when you mean to tell her
that you have no love to give her
then she gets you on her wavelength
and she lets the river answer
that you've always been her lover
and you want to travel with her
and you want to travel blind
and you know that she will trust you
for you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
and jesus was a sailor
when he walked upon the water
and he spent a long time watching
from his lonely wooden tower
and when he knew for certain
only drowning men could see him
he said "all men will be sailors then
until the sea shall free them"
but he himself was broken
long before the sky would open
forsaken, almost human
he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
and you want to travel with him
and you want to travel blind
and you think maybe you'll trust him
for he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
now suzanne takes your hand
and she leads you to the river
she is wearing rags and feathers
from salvation army counters
and the sun pours down like honey
on our lady of the harbour
and she shows you where to look
among the garbage and the flowers
there are heroes in the seaweed
there are children in the morning
they are leaning out for love
and they will lean that way forever
while suzanne holds the mirror
and you want to travel with her
and you want to travel blind
and you know that you can trust her
for she's touched your perfect body with her mind."

”suzanne” . . . .

for all things cohen you should visit his website.