Blessed is the memory

[Mad_Musicologist]

Thanks for reply, Lizzy,
but forst of all a contribution for those who search for the song on YouTube. There are two clips with the music, but I can't tell if they are authenric. The better one is to be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkLHrxkfSjk.
Now to the discussion:
Really, as L. C. belongs to the great poets, he shares with them that sometimes you can not grasp their texts in a second. But I would not believe the poetry in this song has no message.
Thanks to Tom who gave us the text here. Hvala ljiepa.
Let us start with the lines that come back to us each verse:
blessed is the memory
of everybody's child
Let me put it as a question:
Honest, if you think of being "at home", what will be the first thing to flash your inner eye? Would it not be a childhood memory?
And if you would try to go back to the spot you remember, you will be heavily disappointed, for it has changed so much you hardly can recognise it?
It seems to me, that this is the key message,
you got to remember, that's a fine memory
And the rest of the text could be like examples of moments that touched the narrators life. But to them, I shall come back in further sessions.
Bye for now.
Mad Musicologist

[lizzytysh]

Hi MM ~

When I think of relationships I've had, the good and the bad memories are mixed together. Inevitably, I'll remember some of each. When they say that the cream always floats to the top, that's true with milk that hasn't been homogenized; however, it's not always true with relationships. It seems some remember only the worst and are bitter for it. The relationship itself may have been embittering, though, so that may be the most valid way of recalling it. However, this seems not to have been the case in the one that's the subject of this song. So, with Leonard knowing he'll recall this person/relationship in one way or another, it seems to me that he's attaching a visual to what he knows will quickly become only a memory... he anticipated that it would be a fine night and it apparently was, so why not have this night be the one he recalls most?

That's it for now .

I agree on how thoughts of "home" elicit memories from childhood; yet, going home again is not the experience we always want it to be. I happened to have a good childhood, though, so I wonder how it is with those who didn't. Who would even want to go home, again, when most all of what they remember is pain and sadness. Perhaps, that's when the phrase might become most relevant... "If I've got to remember, that's a fine memory."


~ Lizzy

[Mad_Musicologist]

Yes, Lizzy, thanks.
That is a fine approach, and I realize that I've mslightly misunderstood that line in "Tonight will be fine", nevertheless I got the message. Knowledge through error. Fine.
Well, in "Blessed is the memory" I'd also say it is that kind of appeal "Hold the memory", even in case it is a sad one.
In the first verse, experiencing that one can not always keep the promises one makes. The child could not save the kittens. (Who would be able to move the mountain in reality? It is a dream.)
The second verse takes us into bitterest history (at least I see it that way: War, Germany, snow, trains pulling away - to which concentration camp?)
With the third one the poet has reached the present, and now he is confronted with his childs promises and future memories.
So I feel this song is really an appeal to be cautious for life, for the memories you may not miss to enscribe in your very mind.
If I am not right, fell free to tell me, but I feel it this way.
So far for tonight here in good old Europe.
Have a good time.
Anyone got the text to "Store room", please?
Bye
Mad Musicologist

[lizzytysh]

Hi MM ~

Am I misreading the tone of your posting or was there something in what I said that seemed offensive to you, as though I were correcting you. That wasn't my intent, so if that's how it came across, please point out where, so I can rephrase it.

Thanks.


~ Lizzy

[Mad_Musicologist]

Hi MM ~

Am I misreading the tone of your posting or was there something in what I said that seemed offensive to you, as though I were correcting you. That wasn't my intent, so if that's how it came across, please point out where, so I can rephrase it.
Thanks.
~ Lizzy

Sorry at that! No, I did not feel "corrected" in a way that teachers tended to so.
(I still remember after so many years, ahem, decades ) So I am thankful that you did your explanation, believe me please.
But: This is the second time that, after logging in, all my first reply was wiped off, as when clicking the "submit" I was redirected to the login page.
I was writing so much more about your question of Friday, and now I have to repuzzle my thoughts. That is another toughie. I shall change my way of working in this site.
O.K.: I think there are many examples in L.C.s poetry that show what can happen to a person who has lost "his / her line", take the Master Song, or in Beautyful Losers the cruelties that F commits, or, there I'd have to look up for the correct Title, in his Book of Psalms (or so), where one of his pieces starts somehow
At the river he sold me water at a high price,
in these examples, there are persons stripped of their own will and are therefore subject to psychological oppression.
So I believe that I am not leading L.C.s readers astray.
Hope this solves the matter.
Bye for now
Mad Musicologist

[linda_lakeside]

[Mad_Musicologist]

So here I am again,
having found the book in question in my huge bookshelf. It is:
Book of Mercy
and the Psalm therein is no. 21, starting as follows:
My teacher gave me what I do not need, told me what I need not know. At a high price he sold me water beside the river. (...)
So any question about that quotation should be answered.
As I noticed, I have changed the topic from a search for a video clip to the music to an interpretation. Therefore, If anyone is interested, I'd like to suggest to open a new topic "Approach to Leonard Cohens Poetry" and start chapters concentrating on obvious topics in his writings, such as "Love and Longing", "Honesty, Shame and Confidence", and the one we are currently in, "Memories, Identity and Personal Essentials".
What do you say abut that? Or does this topic already exist in this site?
See you all
Mad Musicologist

[blonde madonna]

O.K.: I think there are many examples in L.C.s poetry that show what can happen to a person who has lost "his / her line", take the Master Song, or in Beautyful Losers the cruelties that F commits, or, there I'd have to look up for the correct Title, in his Book of Psalms (or so), where one of his pieces starts somehow
At the river he sold me water at a high price,
in these examples, there are persons stripped of their own will and are therefore subject to psychological oppression.

Hi M_M, I think you have made a very insightful point about Cohen's writing. There is a thread discussing the Book of Mercy if you are interested, click on the link below (hope I got it right!).

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=9434

Welcome BM

[peter danielsen]

Oh what a wonderful song. This is Cohen, the real deal
Blessed.

Peter

[lizzytysh]

Thank you, Madonna. I was going to do that very thing... link MM to our Book of Mercy thread. Please feel free to add in your own thoughts to #21... and continue forth with us there. Your way of thinking seems to lend itself well to the discussion and you can trust that you'll be welcome!! [I'm trying to contribute by being the transcriptionist there .]

Your divisions of possible topics are also very intrigueing. Please feel free to initiate threads of that nature in that section.

Oh, dear... you must get that computer situation corrected ! It used to happen to me all the time, when my provider was NetZero... and I used to joke that that's exactly what it gave me. I finally had to develop a habit [with help of a post-it note tacked to my computer screen] of Copying before I clicked Submit [so I could Paste after I was returned to the sign-in/blank screen ]. It's gutting to have that happen and, of course, trying to reconstruct your thoughts all over again... equally so.

I'm really glad to see you here, MM ~ at your earliest convenience, please rush over to the section Madonna has linked you to. I'm also VERY glad that I didn't offend you. Thanks for clarifying that for me.


~ Lizzy

[Mad_Musicologist]

Hello, this seems to be a lot of work. I should print our that Book of Mercy thread as a whole to read it through carefully.
And then, I could give it a try to create that new thread "Approach to Leonard Cohens Poetry" as I suggested above. But it will take some time to come up with that.
And I am happy to see that I could possibly contribute something here, and that I could solve that "misunderstanding".
(I am not a native english speaker. To tell you the truth, I must admit that in my passport they stamped the "nationality" field with "German", of which I am not quite proud, as you might imagine.)
I feel there are not too many books about L.C. which take his poetry as serious as necessary - bo that is nit the right word here, but I don't find it: as serious as this poetry is... Hope you see what I am trying to say .
Bye for today
Mad Musicologist

[linda_lakeside]

(I am not a native english speaker. To tell you the truth, I must admit that in my passport they stamped the "nationality" field with "German", of which I am not quite proud, as you might imagine.)

Here I go off topic (briefly), I don't know why you wouldn't be proud. In my country (Canada), we've managed to systematically kill off virtually the entire native population in less than 200 years, and shoved the rest into jails, and 'reserves'. Every country has a history of war, but no one here started one. War has a way of making the rounds, and we're not done yet.

Linda.

[lizzytysh]

To tell you the truth, I must admit that in my passport they stamped the "nationality" field with "German", of which I am not quite proud, as you might imagine.)

I had copied the same section/idea as you had, Linda, before I got to your post. Decided to just go ahead and post it, anyway, as I agree. I don't know why you wouldn't be proud of your country, MM, though I understand the idea of feelings of 'collective guilt.' At least your country isn't working to systematically do whatever it damn pleases right now... regardless of casualties. I just watched "Taking Sides" last night... an excellent film that forces a person to consider many of the complexities of that period.

Henning wrote an excellent introduction in the Berlin Event booklet that references thoughts such as yours. If I get the time soon, I'll type it here for you. If I don't don't, I'll type it here later.


~ Lizzy

[Mad_Musicologist]

Thanks to you all for your comforting "offtopics".
Maybe they are not that off topic as it seems . I would not have made the remark. But: I ws just following a feeling, and the thought that you might better see when I come to understand the others in a different way than expected.
Anyway, I shall start now to dive into the thoughts on the Book of Mercy, before opening the new chapter as promised earlier on.
Bye for now.
Mad Musicologist

[Mad_Musicologist]

"Approach to Leonard Cohens Poetry"

Hi all,
Now I am ready for first steps. It seems to me that, in “The Music Place” as well as in “The Poetry Place, there are a lot of highly interesting thoughts, which are always centred around a certain piece of Leonard Cohens poetry.
What I would love to do is a sort of “scanning” (this sounds far too technical for the process I am thinking about) right through his poetry under certain topics, with the desire to crystallize how those change from piece to piece, and to come to a deeper understanding of L.C.s contribution to great poetry of our century. I do not know where this will lead us to, nor do I know what do to with the outcome when we arrived at a point where we could say we could distinguish some aspects rather clearly. At this very moment, as I proposed earlier on, we could start with three main topics, centred around the keywords,
"Love and Longing",
"Honesty, Shame and Confidence",
"Memories, Identity and Personal Essentials".
So who will be with me in this essay, please? And, are there more keywords you would like to suggest to be regarded as the centre of a new topic? Please then, hand in your suggestions: You are welcome. -
I shall, as a logical consequence, open that part of the forum in “The Poetry Place”.
Please, join me there if you feel you whish to take part in this adventure.
See you there.
Mad Musicologist