leonardcohenforum.com

Bill's Bar wrote:A forum member who met him in Belfast reported how he said he was "looking forward to being 80 so I can start smoking again"

As we know, Leonard was heavily smoking in 2001, even in Ten New Songs video clip, but in 2004 he appeared with much better voice (songs like Nightingale, or high peaks of So Long Marianne and Manhattan during 2008/2009 tour), according to Anjani, because he quit smoking.

He said in an 2004 interview that he went to the doctor (for the throat) to see does he "have it" and the doctor said he has not "got it" but "could it" and better to stop smoking. So that's how and why he quiet smoking after so many decades.

In the same interview he added that he will start to smoke again when he will know that his time is near the end (or, as The Darkness claim, "my days are few")... Obviously , now he has drawn 80 as the line.

So I can't quite ad an smile icon to Leonard's words from Belfast

Not sure homage is quite the word..........

Homage is generally used in modern English to mean any public show of respect to someone to whom one feels indebted. In this sense, a reference within a creative work to someone who greatly influenced the artist would be homage. It is typically used to denote a reference in a work of art or literature to another, at least somewhat widely known, work.

Just my humble opinion.....

Hi Tom
I wasn't aware of that interview where Leonard said he would start smoking when he thought his time was near its end. I looked on his Belfast comment as a positive thing ie that he was intending to keep on going, and he did say in another recent interview he would like to hear his what his voice sounds like in his 80s.........So maybe I'll delete the smile icon,but not add a sad faced one just yet.!!

Tony.

Have to say this song is really annoying, its sooooo catchy!! I do hope as John E says that he's managed to copyright it for himself. I don't think blues is a big departure for LC, Tower of Song has to be one of the best blues songs ever written. It seems however that while "They don't let a woman kill you in the Tower of Song", LC has stepped outside the tower in this one and she's getting close to it. As for "my time is short" and the taking up smoking when he's 80 line, I wouldn't read too much into it, he's not the first to come up with that one...

Back in the dismal days of the 70s, Leonard performed a song called Billy Sunday which has the same blues structure as this song & which leonard doesn't use much (unlike Dylan who is currently stuck in that groove). I enjoyed it because it's new but it's obviously still a creature void of form & in need of a little more work. I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears and the lines get recycled into something else.

Hi,

I'm curious about the song Billy Sunday and I wonder if somebody could tell me if the lyrics on the link below are to the song that Forum members have been referring to:

http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/leon ... 42432.html

All the best,
Merton

Merton,
You can find an MP3 of "Billy Sunday" here (along with lots of other rare songs):
http://www.twoshakesofalambstail.com/st ... index.html

The lyrics you referred to are indeed of this song.

Maarten

Maarten,

Many thanks for that.

Merton

anneporter wrote:I love how the song ends in a cacophony of Venice cathedral bells! It reminds me of Hydra, sitting at the Roloi cafe at Vespers time....

As it is a work in progress, perhaps the bells could form a permanent addition. This song reminds me of the old Leonard Cohen style - simple, uncomplicated and lyrically strong.

Jonnie Falafel wrote:Back in the dismal days of the 70s,

Hi Jonnie - I was around back in the 70s listening to Leonard amongst others and having a great time, everyone else seemed to be having a wow time too. Maybe Leonard was faking it...

Memories

Evie B

burningviolin wrote:As for "my time is short" and the taking up smoking when he's 80 line, I wouldn't read too much into it, he's not the first to come up with that one...

I agree. Ever since "He not busy being born is busy dying" I think everyone keeps half-an-eye on their mortality (I know I do), and that is surely a more healthy way to live than ignoring the inevitable until ultimate realisation overwhelms you in your final minutes. Also, all sorts of strange things can happen ...

When she was suffering from terminal cancer, my mother drew strength from the reassurances of her specialist cancer doctor that she had many months of life left. She drew even more strength from the irony that he then went to a banquet, retired to the loo, and died there of a massive heart attack. She should have been counselling him.

Leonard has the temperament and the stamina to follow Roshi into three figures ... and outive many of his fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkWMqs67 ... re=related

Different version perhaps? Variation on lyrics, some words are difficult to make out:

Caught the darkness, baby
Drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness, baby
From your little ruby cup
I said, ‘Is this contagious?’
You said, ‘Just drink it up.’

I’ve got no future
I know my days are few
The present’s not that pleasant
Just a lot of things to do
I thought the past would last me
But the darkness got that too

I should have seen it coming
It was right behind your eyes
You were young and it was summer
I had to take a dive
Yeah, *riding* [writing?] you was easy
And the darkness was the price [prize?]

I don’t use no *cigarette* [stick of mint?]
I can’t taste the alcohol
I ain’t had much love in years
Ah, but that’s always been your call
Ever since the darkness
Nothing makes much sense to me at all

I used to love the rainbow
And I used to love the view
I loved the early morning
And I pretended it was new
But I caught the darkness, baby
And I got it worse than you

Caught the darkness
Drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness
Drinking from your cup
I said, ‘Is this contagious?’
You said, ‘Just drink it up.’

Did anybody try to compare the lyrics? The song is AMAZING now on 2010 tour, with Neil Larsen leading it, and has some new lines I believe, as I heard it in St Margarethen and on YouTube.

Lines above: he sings "WINNING you was easy but the darkness was the prize".

OK, Teratogen's transcript from above, updated and compared to Lille, Sept 25, 2010 version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA8hE1CJmJo


I caught the darkness
It was drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness
from your little cup
I said, Is this contagious?
You said, Just drink it up.
(ahh)

I’ve got no future
I know my days are few
Ah, the present’s not that pleasant
just a lot of things to do
I thought the past would last me
but the darkness got that too

(instrumental)

I should have seen it coming
It was right behind your eyes
You were young and it was summer
I just had to take a dive
winning you was easy, baby,
but the darkness was the prize

I don’t smoke no cigarettes
I don't use the alcohol
I ain't had much lovin' yet
but that's always been your call.
Hey, I don't miss it baby
I got no taste for anything at all

I used to love the rainbow
and I used to love the view (ahh)
I loved the early morning
and I pretended it was new
But I caught the darkness, baby,
And I got it worse than you

(instrumental)

I caught the darkness,
it was drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness
from your little cup
I said, Is this contagious?
You said, Just drink it up.

I thought it sounded like "I ain't had much lovin yet/yes but that's always been your call."