Thanks for the dance / baby?

[Simon]

Thanks for the dance / baby?

Post by [Simon] »

Thanks for the dance
and the baby I carried
it was almost a daughter or a son
and there's nothing to do
but to wonder if you
are as hopeless as me
and as decent


Birth could be said to be an even greater taboo than death. Leonard Cohen may be a good illustration of that since pregnency and birth rarely surface in his work, whereas death, loss, grief are often present.

That is why I was a bit surprised by the above, and espacially by the almost.

Anyboby knows if it refers to a real event?
Simon
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Post by Simon »

I posted the above. Had not realised the system had logged me out.
Cohen is the koan
Why else would I still be stuck here
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Dem
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Post by Dem »

You mean if Leonard was ever pregnant
but lost the baby?

Dem
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

While you are talking about it.

I like Blue Alert, but it is very sad. I know. Grocer of despairs and bla bla bla, but to me his voice was soothing the pain he was singing, while Anjani is singing it, I mean only sadness. (The pictures Lorca took of her are very beautiful, by the way) I know few songs as sad at this one.
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Post by Simon »

A friend borrowed my Blue Alert CD , so I don't know just now who is credited for the lyrics. But it's not a theme that comes up often in LC's work. It is probably Anjani's input. The video of the song shows it as their song, so I was just wondering if this almost is something they lived together...
Cohen is the koan
Why else would I still be stuck here
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

Oh. Well. OK. This is how I feel about that : I guess that if one or the other wants to make private life public on such a matter he/she will at some point.

I prefer to stay on the artistic ground.

I guess that if you go look on proper sites, you will get your information about the author of the lyrics, though. :D
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Post by Simon »

Well I totally agree, this is very private matter. But putting it in a song is making it public. It is just the more surprising. Of course fans will wonder what the matter of it is... Just thought someone may be aware of something. In itself it would be enough to give the work the color of sadness...

Just got my CD back. The lyrics of the whole album are credited to both LC and Anjani.
Cohen is the koan
Why else would I still be stuck here
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

Well, I don,t think so. But I consider that private lifes of non-celebrities as well is not much of my business than private life of celebrities, this as long as that does not affect my private life, I consider that they don't need my acknowledgment, or my permission to be interested in private life of celebrities if they do. Not my business.

This said, this song is very interesting and while you are talking about it... Don't you think that Anjani sounds a bit like Carole Laure in this song?

I don't know if it is Leonard influence for the sadness on it but the emotions are very well rendered. Sadness. Helpleness.

The subject in itself is rarely discussed, only yesterday I saw (maybe you saw it too) this special place a Montréal's hospital created in a cemetary for babies who died during the last months of pregnancy or while coming into life, a place to burry them and where parents can go on a grave an emotional space to pass this difficult moments in their lifes.
Simon
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Post by Simon »

The crisis was light
As a feather

(From Thanks For The Dance)

So it seems the Holy Dove gets hurt sometimes...

Yes I know about the hospital lots in the cimetaries. Until very recently (until the generalisation of cremation of human bio-medical « rejects » or remains) hospitals also buried the placenta of new born babies on those lots. It is not practiced anymore. Something not generaly known is that both cimetaries on the Mountain, still today, will bury the placenta of a newborn on the family lot of new parents, at the parents request. The placenta has a very high symbolic value in most traditional cultures, where it is often considered the twin of the new born child.
Cohen is the koan
Why else would I still be stuck here
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Dem
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Post by Dem »

I think "Thanks for the Dance"
is as much biographical as
"The Gypsy's Wife" is.

i.e.:

a) Leonard is not a Gypsy

b) he never had a Gypsy wife

c)actually, he never had a wife

Dem
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

Dem, I choose c) as being much more close to the truth. He had so many. a) and b)... hum... not sure.

Simon, another good portrait of the century. In another century, when pregancy and parenthood were not planned and children arrived like another year and child mortality rate was so high, people were not attached to their children (only adults were considering to have a value of some sort) and it was very bad behaviour for a mother to be sad for the death of a baby or a child. Mothers were expected not to complain about the loss at all.
Very strange attitude in our time.
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Dem
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Post by Dem »

Sorry babe but it was not a multiple choice question.


Dem
Tchocolatl
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Post by Tchocolatl »

Now you sound like Bush answering to the opponents of his proposal about war in Iraq.

I learn a lot with you Dem, I understand better the mentality of this country now that I see that you more stupid posts are ackowledged with such jubilation as could be compared with a Mr. President So and So's acts of wisdom by the most quantitatively representative of this country of that board.

Full consciouness of mankind is not for tomorrow. I guess I make the right choice being "zen" about that. 8)
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Post by lizzytysh »

I learn a lot with you Dem, I understand better the mentality of this country now that I see that you more stupid posts are ackowledged with such jubilation as could be compared with a Mr. President So and So's acts of wisdom by the most quantitatively representative of this country of that board.
:lol: Not for the obtuse :lol: ? So many words for such... :wink: .


In jubilation :lol: ...
parry on, Dem :wink: ,
Lizzy


As for the song, Simon, these are very poignant lines, aren't they?
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Post by Tchocolatl »

So here is the Lz-the-bully harassing me again, and trying (succeeding?) to have others to do the same.

Until I was aware of how big your "problem" is, Lz, I must say that there is a hard feeling now. And that it will stand until you'll understand that people other has rights too.

How could somebody could ever wish to meet you in the flesh at the events when you are acting so weard on the forum? It is a mystery to me. Maybe they don't wish, but they have to, and they say nothing, because, like Squidgy they don,t want to be attack when they will be face to face with you.
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