New poem "Steer Your Way"

News about Leonard Cohen and his work, press, radio & TV programs etc.
rizing82
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 12:10 pm

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by rizing82 »

Bennyboy wrote:The ancient stones and blunted mountain are surely about the old genitals still having a little life in them yet, despite earlier statements to the contrary.
Injured stones and blunted mountain(s)...

Makes sense only if Cohen was a diphalic sadomasochist.

:shock: :shock:
Bennyboy
Posts: 97
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:35 pm

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by Bennyboy »

rizing82 wrote:
Bennyboy wrote:The ancient stones and blunted mountain are surely about the old genitals still having a little life in them yet, despite earlier statements to the contrary.
Injured stones and blunted mountain(s)...

Makes sense only if Cohen was a diphalic sadomasochist.

:shock: :shock:
Its 'ancient' not 'injured'.
rizing82
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 12:10 pm

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by rizing82 »

Bennyboy wrote:
rizing82 wrote:
Bennyboy wrote:The ancient stones and blunted mountain are surely about the old genitals still having a little life in them yet, despite earlier statements to the contrary.
Injured stones and blunted mountain(s)...

Makes sense only if Cohen was a diphalic sadomasochist.

:shock: :shock:
Its 'ancient' not 'injured'.
I give the doubt of how does it sound in the song.
To me it sounded "injured" even before I've read the lyrics.

In the link to lyrics on the top of the topic also writes "injured".

Google is 154:172 for
leonard cohen steer your way lyrics "ancient stones"
leonard cohen steer your way lyrics "injured stones"

So I'll stick with injured :)

Nevertheless, even if it was "ancient", it would still make him diphalic as google agrees that it is definitely "blunted mountains" not "blunted mountain"
Jacob Chacko
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 3:39 pm

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by Jacob Chacko »

An approach to the verse 'As He died to make men holy, Let us die to make things cheap' must take into consideration the strong Christian and Jewish themes in the album.
As He died to make us holy obviously refers to the sanctifying sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The words let us to make things cheap is a bit more difficult. It is a variation of ' let us die to make men free' from the battle hymn of the republic. However it may refer to this verse from Paul's letter to the Philippians.


But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

Thus it may be a reflection of what a life well lived looks like.
Considering that the thoughts of death seem to haunt this last album from the great poet well versed in Christian and Jewish scripture it may not be a stretch to think that relationships more than possessions may seem infinitely more valuable to cohen.
Einat
Posts: 103
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 12:26 am
Location: Israel

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by Einat »

I'm feeling like Sherlock Holmes lately , trying to steer my way very very carefully around 'You want it darker' which is so very beautiful , a real masterpiece IMHO , but not very easy to understand. I will keep my interpretations to myself - I can't compete with how articulate some writers here are, anyway :) But I do have 2 questions about the lyrics- (perhaps it was asked before, but I didnt see) : in the line about the stones- is it 'injured' or 'ancient' ? and also- in the line 'who knows he will be shot' is LC singing 'he' or 'she'?
London O2 July 2008 / Ramat Gan September 24 2009
holydove
Posts: 1579
Joined: Sat Jul 25, 2009 5:38 pm
Location: Connecticut

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by holydove »

Einat wrote: But I do have 2 questions about the lyrics- (perhaps it was asked before, but I didnt see) : in the line about the stones- is it 'injured' or 'ancient' ? and also- in the line 'who knows he will be shot' is LC singing 'he' or 'she'?
Hi Einat,

About the stones: It's written as "injured" (in the New Yorker & the CD booklet), but on the album, Leonard sings "ancient"; so I guess it's both.

And it sounds like "he will be shot".
Einat
Posts: 103
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2002 12:26 am
Location: Israel

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by Einat »

Thanks holydove ! Sounds cryptic and a bit spooky, either way ,to be honest, but still a great song.
London O2 July 2008 / Ramat Gan September 24 2009
sobornost
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2017 11:20 pm

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by sobornost »

rizing82 wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2016 12:49 pm
Steer your way, O my heart, though I have no right to ask
To the one who was never, never equal to the task
Who knows he's been convicted, who knows he will be shot

- This one I'm pretty clueless about. Some notion of Leonard not feeling worth for asking God/Jesus for help. But it is pretty loose impression.
Anyone willing to take on this part of song in discussion, I'm happy to talk about.
Hi rizing82,
although your post was long ago, I will try to reconsider this part:
I have the impression, that LC speaks this poem to his own heart (and sharing this in a very compassionate way with his reader, who is living a similar experience). He understands the heart, as being unequal to the incredibly huge task of life. The relationships (past the women), the experience of pain (being sometimes the realest aspect in the experience), the research of truth and goodness...
And the heart has to deal with all these challenges. "Steer your way" sounds to me like:
"I profoundly understand your difficulty, heart, but stay awake, do not give up hope, keep on seeking, keep on being present etc."
Actually the verse, you say you are clueless about, seems so beautiful and deep to me!
Leo
Lilly Rose
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 10:22 pm

Re: New poem "Steer Your Way"

Post by Lilly Rose »

Response to Jerry who wrote that Steer Your Way is "Very mediocre for LC.":

Of all the songs on You Want it Darker, all of which move me deeply, Steer Your Way is the most personally meaningful. I take it with me everywhere I go. It plays in my head, my heart and my soul, and keeps Leonard alive there, even though his physical presence is no more. While I may not understand the full implications of Steer Your Way, it guides a journey I hope I am able to make.
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