The voices in Nightingale

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jurica
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The voices in Nightingale

Post by jurica »

Nightingale may be one of the more 'controversal' songs on DH. I know from talking to Tom Sakic that he doesn't like it all that much. I, on the other hand, think it's a gem of great beauty.

The lyrics are very much in tradition of Romanticism, I think, and music fits sublimely. But the thing that puzzles me the most are voices. Leonard Cohen and Anjani Thomas sing a great range of voices. Can that perfect bass be Leonard's? And how many voices are there? Four? Five?

I think Leonard's voice was digitaly improved for this song. I simply don't think he can sing that low.

The lyrics are supposed to be 30 years old? But does that mean all the lyrics? Who was that song about in the first place, then?

The sun goes down behind a veil
‘Tis now that you would call me
So rest in peace my nightingale
Beneath your branch of holly

...someone did die in these lyrics, right? It's not just departure. Or is every departure from someone we love a sort of intimate death?
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lizzytysh
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Post by lizzytysh »

Even though this posting of yours, jurica, creates some thoughts of my own [and, yes, I concur that "every departure from someone we love a sort of intimate death"] ~ it leads way to a desire to read Joe Way's depth of thoughts on it. I hope he'll respond.

Joe?

~ Lizzy
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tomsakic
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Re: The voices in Nightingale

Post by tomsakic »

jurica wrote:I know from talking to Tom Sakic that he doesn't like it all that much. I, on the other hand, think it's a gem of great beauty.
Well, it grows with the time. Now I find this song rather very pleasant piece of traditional folk writing. Actually I started to like it :oops: On That Day is now at the bottom.
jurica wrote:The lyrics are very much in tradition of Romanticism, I think, and music fits sublimely.
I think somebody wrote this song is connected to Keats' Ode to Nightingale I believe. I really believe the lyrics are from LC's 30 years old poem: it fits well with his early (pseudo)romantic poems.
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tom.d.stiller
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Re: The voices in Nightingale

Post by tom.d.stiller »

Tom Sakic wrote:I think somebody wrote this song is connected to Keats' Ode to Nightingale I believe.
Which really is too long to quote here. But it can be read in full following this link:

John Keats (1795 - 1821)
The Poetical Works of John Keats (1884)
40. Ode to a Nightingale
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tomsakic
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Post by tomsakic »

I found it also, tom, and Joe pointed to Keats in the topic No More Last Year's Man 8) Thank g-d for search option:)
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Post by Tchocolatl »

Dear Jurica, I was waiting to answer you because I was sure (do not be sure of anything said the wise man, when will I know, when will I know?) that somebody, Tom in particular would show up with this :
linmag wrote:(...)BTW has anyone else noticed that there seems to be a second male vocalist on Nightingale, but according to the credits there's only LC and Anjani. I wondered if Adam had sneaked into the recording studio while no-one was looking :lol:
margaret wrote:I think it's his own voice overlaid onto the track.
linmag wrote:Do you think Leonard can still reach those notes, Margaret? I swear if his voice gets any lower it will be sub-sonic. We won't be able to hear him any more - we'll just feel him vibrating through us. (I'm going to stop that thought, right there :oops: )
linmag wrote::oops: I just read Anjani's interview, and apparently Leonard can reach those notes again now. So that puts me in my place. :oops:
Fragments from this thread :
viewtopic.php?t=2954

So. Anjani did lye or what?


BTW in Humbled in Love there is a BiG other male voice....who is he, does somebody know?
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"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

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tomsakic
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Post by tomsakic »

I thought that voice in Nightingale was synthesized, but then Anjani said what she said. (But because it is the song for Carl Anderson, it is more appropriate to think that's his voice :shock: )
Background vocals in Humbled In Love: Stephanie Spruill, Maxine Willard, Julia Tillman, James Gilstrap, and Roger St. Kenerly
So I guess it's Roger or James ("or" meaning "first one, or the second one, not both" :wink: ) All credits for all the albums you can found on our site (I was retyping it for weeks): Click for Albums
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Post by jurica »

'I was so happy to hear him in the tenor register again, which he's regained since quitting smoking a few years ago..that ought to silence the naysayer who doesn't think he can sing anymore!', said Anjani.

tenor has NOTHING to do with the voice i was talking about.
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Post by Tchocolatl »

ok. OK. At least we know this hypothesis is not valid for you. And I had laugh again at (which is not the same thing to me as make fun of) the image of Adam sneaking in the studio.

Would you man baryton, then? What could be more precise? Please.
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
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jurica
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Post by jurica »

Bass.

Perfect in pitch (Leonard was many things but not a perfect pitcher) and a little too steady.
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

For me I hear 2 Anjani and 2 Leonard (and I did not drink) both of them singing in a lower voice and higher voice in the same time. Am I correct?

For the rest... he may was not but may he be now? Ask him.
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
Beautiful Losers
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

I can not help but think this song is also concerned about the problem of the forest.

They (those famous "they" you know, who are not us, but it is almost the only thing that we really know about them) are cutting so much trees, it is like bleeding a body to death, right now. This is a major concern the shrinking ("I built my house beside the wood So I could hear you singing... Tho' you are singing somewhere till I can no longer hear you") of the forests as years are passing. "Twas long ago I found you Now all you songs of beauty fail (who cares about forest, I mean who really care? a bunch of little green people... that's it) The forest closes 'round you (there is enough trees left to cirle a little bird, and that's it).

Fare thee well...
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"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

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lizzytysh
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Post by lizzytysh »

Reading your last posting here, Tchocolatl, with your interpretation of those lines of "Nightingale," makes me feel very sad.

~ Lizzy
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tom.d.stiller
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Post by tom.d.stiller »

Æsop. (Sixth century B.C.) Fables.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

The Labourer and the Nightingale


A LABOURER lay listening to a Nightingale’s song throughout the summer night. So pleased was he with it that the next night he set a trap for it and captured it. “Now that I have caught thee,” he cried, “though shalt always sing to me."

“We Nightingales never sing in a cage,” said the bird.

“Then I’ll eat thee,” said the Labourer. “I have always heard say that nightingale on toast is a dainty morsel.”

“Nay, kill me not,” said the Nightingale; “but let me free, and I’ll tell thee three things far better worth than my poor body.” The Labourer let him loose, and he flew up to a branch of a tree and said: “Never believe a captive’s promise; that’s one thing. Then again: Keep what you have. And third piece of advice is: Sorrow not over what is lost forever.” Then the song-bird flew away.
Btw: it was a nightingale, and not a lark. Those were the days when we were "a-roving / So late into the night"...

Just some more associations to think about and play with...

Tom
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tomsakic
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Post by tomsakic »

Tchocolatl wrote:I can not help but think this song is also concerned about the problem of the forest.

They (those famous "they" you know, who are not us, but it is almost the only thing that we really know about them) are cutting so much trees, it is like bleeding a body to death, right now. This is a major concern the shrinking ("I built my house beside the wood So I could hear you singing... Tho' you are singing somewhere till I can no longer hear you") of the forests as years are passing. "Twas long ago I found you Now all you songs of beauty fail (who cares about forest, I mean who really care? a bunch of little green people... that's it) The forest closes 'round you (there is enough trees left to cirle a little bird, and that's it).
Very consistent reading - in itw own merit. It's funny how you can make such analysis and the text seems to support it :o (Everything's in text, there's nothing outside it - tom, what do you think about that :?: :twisted: ). Anyway, I' not sure can we go with this reading in Leonard's case :shock:

Lyzzie, there's no need to be sad. You must sometimes accept all kinds of readings every text - incl. Leonard's - can bear. It seems unappropriate or blasphemous (not only regarding your or mine feelings for Leonard's work, but on more general level, for the something accepted as common meaning of every text invited to these kinds of readings). It's just fascinating how the text can accept and support such approaches very well in itself. Well done, by I wouldn't go futher - I really don't see Nightingale as the song concerned about the rain forest issue (altghough I personally am). Let's see this as "the minor diversion" (well, where I learned that phrase? Someone wrote that about "I Can't Forget", I think - when I do not know some word, my girlfriend usually uses Leonard's work for explaining :oops: ) Tchocolatl like minor diversions 8) Btw, Lizzie, I got yesterday the card from Cayman islands :D
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