Leonard Cohen in 300 years: how will future men see him?

Antonio · Post by **Antonio** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 1:19 am

Hey freaks!

This time, with the aniversary of Mozart, I have thought if some kind of things will be done in thee hundred years or so for Cohen; how do you think the generations far away in the future will "read", understand and think about Cohen? Don't be shy, let's risk a bit.

Greetings

Antonio

ForYourSmile · Post by **ForYourSmile** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 2:11 am

Dear Antonio,

Some kind of freaks we are, in one night as this, listening to his music and thinking about Leonard - tomorrow we have much more, you know. But I like it.

No, I don't worry for the Cohen's position in the history, the memory of his work, his influence. I understand it as an intimate and personal matter that I can share with a few friends. I wish to him the whole success and happiness, and if I have to share it with the whole humanity, if I have to hear him constant in all the mass media then it "... won't make me jealous".

See you,

ForYourSmile

Nightstalker · Post by **Nightstalker** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 4:36 pm

I feel certain he will have his following. His songs will appear from time to time in some entertainment media, holographic movies or enteractive entertainment or some such. Some will 'catch' the tones and become dedicated fans.

This is a complicated question, BTW. Society is being iundated with raw information, the number of celebrities is increasing with world population growth, the proliferation of art forms and human expression continues, true experts in many fields must limit their devotion to 'art' because they can barely keep abreast of developements in their own areas of interests, historical facts continue to pile up century upon century, etc. And 300 years is a small fraction of a blink of the eye of what I hope will be human legacy. Think of 3000 years, of 300 milinea! Now what does one do? Still, I believe, there will be some who remember and cherish Mozart and Cohen. Who knows? Humans voyage to distant worlds, health science reaches the era where life is sustained indefinitely, populations grow exponentially and there may be larger numbers of LC fans in a million years than now even if the percentage of fans in the population declines. Or he may take so many to his 'place' that his fans are the majority.

Have you ever had someone who is unaware of LC listen to Suzzanne and not like the song? And then play Take This Watlz and create an instant devotee? I was in a bicycle shop having the first check up on my son's new bike. They had a CD on by Jack Johnson and I liked it. I went out and bought one in fact, but the next time we went back I told the young men that I liked Jack but I had something 'new' for them to hear. I had them put on LC. I went back a year later to buy my other son a new bike and LC is playing there still. LOL And all these guys were 20-40 years old!
Even the older owners love him now!

dar · Post by **dar** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:15 pm

My first reaction, because I'm down today, is what humans in 300 years?!
The human race is losing and at the rate we're going, there may not be any humans around in 300 years.
Then I thought, the artists/poets/troubadores/prophets have been around and have come and gone for thousands of years and have been the one force that points us beyond being simply human and closer to something divine.
Will LC be studied or will his work live on in The Future? His path is to provide insight into our nature and give us food for thought. To help us tap into the depths of our souls - to make us think about ourselves and what drives us. I believe he has done his duty...as keeper of truth and guardian of beauty...he had no choice.
Whether it's on the walls of a cave somewhere or a crater on Mars doesn't matter I just hope there will always be eyes and ears somewhere who truly see.
Hallelujah and ah men!

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 11:27 pm

The first phrase that came to mind when I read the question was, " . . . as a shining artifact of the past," immediately followed by "I certainly hope not... except as an expression of his quality." The first portion of this was no doubt influenced by the topic of the other thread here.

My question regarding the far future regards how deeply people will be thinking or being introspective... or will sound bytes be even briefer, our attention spans even more limited.

I'm feeling down today, too, and it's reflected in my answer. I feel and hope that Leonard will be then, as he is now, an oasis, a reprieve, from the norm. I would prefer to believe that his ways of examining life will be the norm, but I suspect they won't. So, my prayer is that he will be available for those who are interested in or feel the need for doing that.

Not the best answer I could have to this question, but for now...

~ Lizzy

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Sun Mar 12, 2006 5:13 pm

If the future isn't murder, he'll keep singing to you from the Tower of Song, unjustifiably beneath Hank Wlliams but justifiably beneath many others.

Cohen Kid · Post by **Cohen Kid** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 11:48 pm

Very interesting idea...
I thought about starting the thread about how people will see him in 50 years, but hey!! 300 years is ok too!!!

I think not many people will know him... and I think his music won't be easy to access... (because we probably wont have any cd's then

and the computers with musicprogrammes will be different too...

I think ancient music (as it will be then) will be explored by a few fanatics, like people now, who dig the ground for historic treasures...
his music will be like that too, i guess...
a very few people will know about it, but the ones that do have certainly found a very very valueable treasure... and hopefully the music will be spread around then. Yes, people are still hearing mozart now, so why not cohen then!!!

Tri-me · Post by **Tri-me** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:25 pm

Yesterday on the radio I listened to an interview with an author:

"Letters of a Portuguese Nun - Uncovering the Mystery behind a 17th Century Forbidden Love" is Myriam Cyr's first book.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Letters of a Portuguese Nun (Fr. Les Lettres portugaises), first published anonymously by Claude Barbin in Paris in 1669, are a work believed to be epistolary fiction (comprising five letters) written by Gabriel-Joseph de La Vergne, comte de Guilleragues (1628–1685). Until the 20th century, the letters were ascribed to a 17th century Franciscan nun in a convent in Beja, Portugal, "identified" in 1810 as Marianna Alcoforado (1640-1723), who was said to be writing to her French lover, the Marquis de Chamilly (1635-1715), who came to Portugal to fight on behalf of the Portuguese in their struggle for independence from 1663-1668. The passionate letters were a European publishing sensation (in part because on their presumed authenticity) and set a precedent for sentimentalism and for the literary genres of the sentimental novel and the epistolary novel into the 18th century. A recent book written by Myriam Cyr argues that the letters are in fact authentic.
Dated between December 1667 and June 1668, the five letters described the successive stages of faith, doubt and despair through which the Portuguese writer passed. The letters could also be considered pieces of unconscious psychological self-analysis. The five short letters written by Marianna to "expostulate her desertion" form one of the few documents of extreme human experience, and reveal a passion which in the course of three centuries has lost nothing of its heat. Their absolute candour, exquisite tenderness and entire self-abandonment have excited the wonder and admiration of great men and women in every age from Madame de Sévigné to Gladstone.

SO HAT IS MY POINT??? Love and passion exploration of emotion will always be popular. The works of Rumi are very popular, he is from the 13th century. Mr. Cohen's work will be around in 300 years.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:26 pm

Excellent point. So true. Well said. Kudos to you, Tri-me.

~ Lizzy

Cohen Kid · Post by **Cohen Kid** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:44 pm

good his work will be around then!
shame we won't

Bob Dawson · Post by **Bob Dawson** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:45 pm

He will be one of the great prophets, Biblical and universal, in line with Isaiah, but much more loved.
He will be a constant influence in many people's lives, especially lovers.
Many will assert the Majesty of Creation. Beauty will stand against Evil.

Give unto them beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy for mourning,

the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

- Isaiah 61:3 (525 B.C.)

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:54 pm

As a result of reading your comments on "Dance Me . . . ," I've only just now seen this quote-comment, Bob. I love it.

Welcome to the Forum

.

~ Lizzy

Cosmoline · Post by **Cosmoline** » Sat Apr 22, 2006 12:11 am

Three hundred years from now, 90% of what we consider great will be forgotten, but the atomic men of that time will still listen to LC. He will in fact be preserved in head form.