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jenniferad
47 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2011 : 08:14:08 AM
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One of my favorite songs is Suzanne by Leonard Cohen. It played often in my home when I was growing up.
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river You can hear the boats go by You can spend the night beside her And you know that she's half crazy But that's why you want to be there And she feeds you tea and oranges That come all the way from China And just when you mean to tell her That you have no love to give her Then she gets you on her wavelength And she lets the river answer That you've always been her lover And you want to travel with her And you want to travel blind And you know that she will trust you For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
And Jesus was a sailor When he walked upon the water And he spent a long time watching From his lonely wooden tower And when he knew for certain Only drowning men could see him He said "All men will be sailors then Until the sea shall free them" But he himself was broken Long before the sky would open Forsaken, almost human He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone And you want to travel with him And you want to travel blind And you think maybe you'll trust him For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
Now Suzanne takes your hand And she leads you to the river She is wearing rags and feathers From Salvation Army counters And the sun pours down like honey On our lady of the harbour And she shows you where to look Among the garbage and the flowers There are heroes in the seaweed There are children in the morning They are leaning out for love And they will lean that way forever While Suzanne holds the mirror And you want to travel with her And you want to travel blind And you know that you can trust her For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.
I have no idea what Leonard Cohen had in mind when he wrote the song, but I do know Suzanne was a real woman in his life. To me, though, Suzanne represents the divine feminine, which all women represent, as does the physical world we experience.
We are taken to the river, which is the energy inside our own selves, when we get on the right wavelength of consciousness.
My favorite part of the song is the part about heroes in the seaweed because I think there are many, many people just living ordinary lives who are true heroes. They put their families, their friends, or their community before themselves and just give of themselves freely.
And the children in the morning who lean out for love forever, that to me is our own souls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otJY2HvW3Bw
Jennifer |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2011 : 08:35:59 AM
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Thank you for reminding me of this song Jennifer. Beautiful.
Love your interpretation of the lyrics.
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2011 : 1:10:08 PM
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nice |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2011 : 05:10:40 AM
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since i read this thread all i am thinking is about this song and another song called the killing moon by echo and the bunnymen....post punk band from early 80"s.... amazing music...great guitars it is not spiritual but i dont know why i am thinking about those 2 songs back to back...lolll ....but in fact Lenoard Cohen influenced music a lot....even the Gothic music band Sisters of Mercy were influenced by him...just wanted to share..Hope u like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX1PwkgwsG0 |
Edited by - maheswari on Jul 16 2011 05:36:35 AM |
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jenniferad
47 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2011 : 11:06:16 AM
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I just watched the video and I had never heard of Echo and the Bunnymen before! Nice song, thanks for sharing!
Yes L. Cohen has influenced a lot of musicians and many of them have done covers of his songs. Sisters of Mercy is another one of my favorite songs in the world. |
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jenniferad
47 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2011 : 12:05:36 PM
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BTW Leonard Cohen has been ordained as a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk. Here is a wonderful interview he gave a couple of years ago.
My favorite quotes from the video: "...one of the goals of the activity is discarding a goal...it's somehow discerned that keeping a strong goal in these matters, especially in spiritual matters is the very element that will prevent you from making any progress..."
"...If you can establish a condition that is prior to thinking, then you can have some perspective on the thinking mind when it returns, when it is born again..."
http://bezen.wordpress.com/2009/02/...me-insights/ |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2011 : 1:23:07 PM
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yep he lived few years in seclusion in a monastery... thx for the link will check it out |
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vijikr
United Arab Emirates
413 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2011 : 2:04:19 PM
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thanks for the song and links!
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2011 : 2:37:52 PM
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great link jennifer thx again |
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