Today is the fourth anniversary of Leonard Cohen’s “changing the level” I use this term on the thoughts of my brother Al, he had used this word for the death, and he loved Cohen; I can just remember the first time when we have heard him; by his LP’ Songs of Love and Hate.
I must thank first my adorable friend luisa zambrotta because of her reminder to this special day, though, it might be a day of leaving but it is also a day of staying, not physically but spiritually, in mind and heart!
We have known him by a friend, a nice bassist in my band those days; he came and said: don’t you know! here is a new door for us, and it was; a new feeling to be in the beyond.
We were at the beginning of our neu stay of being addicted (that is another story) but it might be a door to understand him; to be burned: Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc.
She said, “I’m tired of the war,
I want the kind of work I had before,
a wedding dress or something white
to wear upon my swollen appetite.”
Well, I’m glad to hear you talk this way,
you know I’ve watched you riding every day
and something in me yearns to win
such a cold and lonesome heroine.
I have sometimes a feeling of reincarnation, it means to me sometimes when I get knowing someone whom I never knew before, that is bizarre but it seems to be true. Then Live well and live forever dear Leonard, you are always there.
We all send our regards 💖🙏🙏🙏💖 Sincerely.
It’s four in the morning, the end of December
I’m writing you now just to see if you’re better
New York is cold, but I like where I’m living
There’s music on Clinton Street all through the evening.
I hear that you’re building your little house deep in the desert
You’re living for nothing now, I hope you’re keeping some kind of record.
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?
Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You’d been to the station to meet every train
And you came home without Lili Marlene
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
And when she came back she was nobody’s wife.
Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
Well I see Jane’s awake —
She sends her regards.
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
What can I possibly say?
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I’m glad you stood in my way.
If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried.
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear —
Sincerely, L. Cohen
lampmagician 
Thanks for this, Magician. I love his music. I’ve been fascinated since I heard the story of the reactions (back in the day) to his Hallelujah. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs on the wing!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much my dear for your wonderfully kind words 🙏🙏💖
LikeLiked by 2 people
Changing the level is a perfect description. Years ago I wrote a poem The Veil is Thin to the Other Side. It’s very close.
LikeLiked by 2 people
that tells all exactly, thank you, my dear Lara. 🙏🥰
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Aladin. I don’t know this album well. Vic and I fell in love with Leonard Cohen in the late 1960s and listened to his first album “The Songs of Leonard Cohen” over and over again. We kept listening on and off and many years later in Marion Woodman workshops, Leonard Cohen showed up again strongly in movement parts of the workshops. In later years, my favorite song has been “Dance Me to the End of Love.” It was my goodbye to Vic song–and still brings me to tears. The history of why he wrote is dramatic and tragic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, this song; Dance Me to the End of Love brings me also a grieving memory. He has actually a feeling of solitude in all his works. And in Marion Woodman workshops I think it was fabulous ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Dance Me To the End of Love” was inspired by the Jewish musicians in concentration camps who played gorgeous classical music for the Nazi officers until they were sent to their deaths. Looking at the words with this history changes everything–so I see it as a love song and a death song.
“Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic ’til I’m gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love…” ~Leonard Cohen
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know Elaine, I love Jewish music. 🙏💖
LikeLike
I used to love many kinds of music if it opened the heart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course, so for me as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know Elaine, I love Jewish music. 🙏💖
LikeLiked by 2 people
Famou Blue Raincoat 🙂 Play this in drop D tuning. I just left the key board and played it. I have been depressed for 10 months. The fog is lifting. Wonderful to read this today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I played it on acoustic guitar😉, I can imagine how it could sound amazingly on piano. Thank you for your kind looking by 🙏
LikeLike