A Street lyric changes

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MattW
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:41 pm

A Street lyric changes

Post by MattW »

One of my favourite unpublished Leonard Cohen lyrics used to be in "A Street":
It’s gonna be September now
For many years to come
Every heart adjusting
To that strict September drum
immediately before the "I see the Ghost of Culture" line.

I never was a big fan of most art that tries to deal with 9/11 (Springsteen's "The Rising" album or Neil Youngs horrible "Let's Roll" come to mind as well as J.S. Foer's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"), but I always thought that "A Street" and especially those lines were amazing. "It's gonna be September now / For many years to come" -- how very specific and yet how very metaphorical and universal. And it's pure poetry on so many levels (taken literally, it's an oxymoron; for starters; yet 9/11 gives it a very dark meaning). I like the "strict September drum" with its images of war and of (every heart) marching as one; with all the negative connotations that entails.

So imagine my surprise when I found out that on "Popular Problems" the lyrics had changed to
Baby don’t ignore me
We were smokers we were friends
Forget that tired story
Of betrayal and revenge
which is a little bit pedestrian and mundane, in comparison.

So why do you think did he change it? Because it was too on-the-nose before? Before 13 years after 9/11 we don't need another song dealing with it so directly? Because the song is more universally about loss now? Is it the Patrick Leonard influence talked about in the Rolling Stone interview?

We won't ever know, but I'm curious what you think.

Matt
Tchocolatl
Posts: 3805
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:07 pm

Re: A Street lyric changes

Post by Tchocolatl »

It is just a guess because - obviously - I can't know.

For all I have read so far in the articles and reviews, Leonard Cohen changed what he called his "theological position".

Which happens generally to everybody. Opinions are changing with time.

Leonard Cohen also said (I read it in a very ancient interview) that he would not be good in politic because his opinions are changing all the time.

As for the influence of Patrick Leonard, Leonard Cohen said that he helped him with the music, and also to cut "all the friperies". Reading the changes in your post, IMHO, it is too huge a change for anybody than Leonard Cohen to have done it, and it probably is the consequence of his own changes of positions about the event.

Thirtheen years is a lot! It seems that the narator of the song overcomes the trauma. Call this resilience. It seems a return to an original form before the event. A kind of peace and love state of mind. Which I find so very well, as the goal of terrorism is to distill terror in the minds in order to gain control and force people to act as they want.

So for me it is a big victory, to not turn into the puppet of terrorists. The only one worth to be win. (Which does not imply to act like a carpet. If we can figure that a carpet is acting. :) )
***
"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
Posts: 3805
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 10:07 pm

Re: A Street lyric changes

Post by Tchocolatl »

MattW, I read the song all over again, and it may have something to do with the post-traumatic stress disorder.

There is a scar that will always be there, mentioned at the end of the song (but a scar, it is the skin stronger than before the wound).

The scar :

But we’ll never no we’ll never
Ever be that drunk again




And those lines also, may received a new ligthing, completely because of the changed lines above.

I see the Ghost of Culture
With numbers oh his wrist
Salute some new conclusion
Which all of us have missed


I let you think this over. The new conclusion. I have my idea. But I prefer that people find their own.

Baby don’t ignore me
We were smokers we were friends
Forget that tired story
Of betrayal and revenge
I see the Ghost of Culture
With numbers on his wrist
Salute some new conclusion
Which all of us have missed




A STREET

I used to be your favorite drunk
Good for one more laugh
Then we both ran out of luck
Luck was all we ever had
You put on a uniform
To fight the Civil War
You looked so good I didn’t care
What side you’re fighting for

It wasn’t all that easy
When you up and walked away
But I’ll save that little story
For another rainy day
I know the burden’s heavy
As you wheel it through the night
Some people say it’s empty
But that don’t mean it’s light

You left me with the dishes
And a baby in the bath
You’re tight with the militias
You wear their camouflage
You always said we’re equal
So let me march with you
Just an extra in the sequel
To the old red white and blue

Baby don’t ignore me
We were smokers we were friends
Forget that tired story
Of betrayal and revenge
I see the Ghost of Culture
With numbers on his wrist
Salute some new conclusion
Which all of us have missed

I cried for you this morning
And I’ll cry for you again
But I’m not in charge of sorrow
So please don’t ask me when
There may be wine and roses
And magnums of champagne
But we’ll never no we’ll never
Ever be that drunk again

The party’s over
But I’ve landed on my feet
I’ll be standing on this corner
Where there used to be a street
All this is so very powerful. Very interesting.
***
"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
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joyezekiel
Posts: 410
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 10:11 pm
Location: Magnolia, Texas USA (ex UK)

Re: A Street lyric changes

Post by joyezekiel »

Tchocolatl wrote:Thirtheen years is a lot! It seems that the narator of the song overcomes the trauma. Call this resilience. It seems a return to an original form before the event. A kind of peace and love state of mind. Which I find so very well, as the goal of terrorism is to distill terror in the minds in order to gain control and force people to act as they want.
I too wondered about the changes to "A Street". I loved it when it was first written, and admit to being a little disappointed when I first heard the song. However, Tchocolatl's analysis works for me, and now I find myself beginning to love this new version. Thank you.

Joy
1976 Leicester 2008 London O2/Cardiff 2009 NYC/Austin/Weybridge/Nashville 2010 Ghent x 2/Las Vegas x 2 2012 Ghent x 2/Austin/Montreal/Quebec City/Boston x 2 2013 Memphis/New Orleans/Winnipeg/Birmingham/London O2/Amsterdam/Auckland
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