RIP Leonard Cohen

BluesPreacher

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We've lost a great American songwriter and poet.

Your favorite Leonard Cohen song(s)?

Mine:

"Hallelujah", "Democracy" and "Susanne"
 
The news of his passing hit me deep in my soul. I have great respect for him as a poet, musician, and person. I am saddened beyond words.

My three favorite songs are:
Going Home, Susanne, and Hallelujah, but I could easily list a dozen or more. I have been playing his music all day.
 
Bird on the Wire is the one I always sing with the most heart.
Also, Sylvie Simmons is an enthusiastic ukulele player who wrote I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen. New York: HarperCollins, 2012.
My closest contact friend with the Late Poet.
 
... favourite Leonard Cohen song ... "The Stranger Song"

... poetry, imagery and seven different verses, but there are so many that are a close second :music:

A sad loss indeed :(
 
He was actually a great Canadian songwriter and poet :)

I started a thread on the same topic last night here. Some interesting links in it that you might enjoy.

I find picking favorites difficult, but "Anthem" was already on repeat this week before I learned of his passing yesterday.
 
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Anthem. I also was already listening to it this week, and thinking of him.
 
I have bought his newest album a couple of days ago to complete my collection and my wife, who isn't a big fan, said she thought it was his best. I had to agree. We play "Hallelujah" every day (in the version of John Cale and Rufus Wainwright).
 
Very sad. Highly esteemed in Spain. The first time I heard him was singing "Waiting for the Miracle".
I still remember how this song shook me.
Thanks, Leonard.
 
Always sad to lose a mind like that.

I am glad I cougth a concert with him when his tour was in scandinavia four years ago, I guess it was last chance!

For some reason I really like "Tower of song", though it might seem like a silly choice compared to his other masterpieces.
 
A sad loss for Canada and the world. I've read Beautiful Losers and a collection of his poems. The albums Songs of, Songs of Love and Hate, and New Skin are for me transcendent. I recall A Singer Must Die, so biting, which he sung with humor and sarcasm:

Your vision is right
My vision is wrong
I'm sorry for smudging the air with my song
Yes and long live The State
By whomever it's made
Sir I didn't see nothing I was just getting laid
 
Last night in New Hampshire, Jake spoke about Leonard Cohen (to a packed house) and played a song in his memory. It was very heartfelt and touching.
 
Very sad news indeed. "Heart With No Companion" has always been one of my favorites.
 
Yes, a sad loss. I lived in Montreal many years and walked the same streets on St-Laurent Boulevard near the Parc du Portugal.

On a ukulele connection, there's a guy from our local Ottawa ukulele group BUG who did a favor for Leonard Cohen at summer camp a long time ago. He actually told this story at the last jam (before Cohen died). This guy always writes his own humorous songs and performs them at the ukulele meetings.



Petey
 
Petey, what a great story! Thanks for sharing that. David is quite a character himself, funny and charming.
 
He was actually a great Canadian songwriter and poet :)

I'm sorry. You're right, of course.

I just listened to a YouTube (there are several) of Cohen singing "Hallelujah", and of k. d. lang singing it. They both break my heart and choke me up. Cohen lets out the passion and pain of a man in his last chapter of life. lang's voice is, well, WOW!

One thing, though. lang leaves out the last verse. I think Pentatonix does too, in their recent recording. WHY?!?!

"And even though it all went wrong,
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but 'Hallelujah'."
 
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Petey, what a great story! Thanks for sharing that. David is quite a character himself, funny and charming.

Glad you liked it. David actually recorded that at the last Ottawa BUG uke meeting but I didn't attend it. It was before Cohen died and he was dedicating it for Cohen's birthday.

He is a real character. The uke suits him well!

Petey
 
The one artist I've stayed with from beginning to sad end. He leaves us with amazing songs capable of making us think, smile and capable of tearing at our heartstrings like no other writer. If I had to narrow it down to a few favourites it would be Famous Blue Raincoat, Song of Bernadette, Closing Time and You Want It Darker from his final album. I never met him or saw him perform live but I feel I've lost a friend.
 
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