Leonard Cohen
On That Day, Dear Heather (album)
by Leonard Cohen
Some people say
It's what we deserve
For sins against g-d
For crimes in the world
I wouldn't know
I'm just holding the fort
Since that day
They wounded New York
Some people say
They hate us of old
Our women unveiled
Our slaves and our gold
I wouldn't know
I'm just holding the fort
But answer me this
I won't take you to court
Did you go crazy
Or did you report
On that day
On that day
They wounded New York
Villanelle For Our Time
by Leonard Cohen, Dear Heather (album)
From bitter searching of the heart,
Quickened with passion and with pain
We rise to play a greater part.
This is the faith from which we start:
Men shall know commonwealth again
From bitter searching of the heart.
We loved the easy and the smart,
But now, with keener hand and brain,
We rise to play a greater part.
The lesser loyalties depart,
And neither race nor creed remain
From bitter searching of the heart.
Not steering by the venal chart
That tricked the mass for private gain,
We rise to play a greater part.
Reshaping narrow law and art
Whose symbols are the millions slain,
From bitter searching of the heart
We rise to play a greater part.
-Leonard Cohen
I love Leonard Cohen!
ReplyDeleteWhen we performed Leonard Cohen's music with our Chester Connecticut big house band it was an amazing experience. We felt like we were swimming inside his songs. His music is so elemental and inevitable as if it was waiting to be discovered, granite boulders and water under the earth. We learned that he wrote 100 verses and picked 5 for some of his songs. It made total sense!
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing,
Emily