Leonard Cohen : Old Ideas

I'd love to speak with Leonard He's a sportsman and a shepherd He's a lazy bastard Living in a suit But he does say what I tell him Even though it isn't welcome He just doesn't have the freedom To refuse He will speak these words of wisdom Like a sage, a man of vision Though he knows he's really nothing But the brief elaboration of a tube Going home without my sorrow Going home sometime tomorrow Going home to where it's better than before Going home without my burden Going home behind the curtain Going home without this costume that I wore He wants to write a love song An anthem of forgiving A manual for living With defeat A cry above the suffering A sacrifice recovering But that isn't what I need him To complete I want him to be certain That he doesn't have a burden That he doesn't need a vision That he only has permission To do my instant bidding which is to Say what I have told him to repeat Going home without my sorrow Going home sometime tomorrow Going home to where it's better than before Going home without my burden Going home behind the curtain Going home without the costume that I wore I'm going home without my sorrow Going home sometime tomorrow Going home to where it's better than before Going home without my burden Going home behind the curtain Going home without this costume that I wore I love to speak with Leonard He's a sportsman and a shepherd He's a lazy bastard living in a suit

Amen

Tell me again, when I've been to the river And I've taken the edge off my thirst Tell me again, we're alone and I'm, I'm listening I'm listening so hard that it hurts Tell me again, when I'm clean and I'm sober Tell me again, when I've seen through the horror Tell me again, tell me over and over Tell me that you want me then Amen, Amen Amen, Amen Tell me again When the victims are singing And the Laws of Remorse are restored Tell me again That you know what I'm thinking But vengeance belongs to the Lord Tell me again, when I'm clean and I'm sober Tell me again, when I've seen through the horror Tell me again, tell me over and over Tell me that you love me then Amen, Amen Amen, Amen Tell me again When the day has been ransomed And the night has no right to begin Try me again When the angels are panting And scratching at the door to come in Tell me again, when I'm clean and I'm sober Tell me again, when I've seen through the horror Tell me again, tell me over and over Tell me that you need me then Amen, Amen Amen, Amen Tell me again When the filth of the butcher Is washed in the blood of the lamb Tell me again When the rest of the culture Has passed through the Eye of the Camp Tell me again, when I'm clean and I'm sober Tell me again, when I've seen through the horror Tell me again, tell me over and over Tell me that you love me then Amen, Amen Amen, Amen

Show Me The Place

Show me the place where you want your slave to go Show me the place I've forgotten I don't know Show me the place where my head is bendin' low Show me the place where you want your slave to go Show me the place, help me roll away the stone Show me the place, I can't move this thing alone Show me the place where the word became a man Show me the place where the suffering began The troubles came I saved what I could save A thread of light, a particle, a wave But there were chains, so I hastened to behave There were chains, so I loved you like a slave Show me the place where you want your slave to go Show me the place I've forgotten I don't know Show me the place where my head is bendin' low Show me the place where you want your slave to go The troubles came I saved what I could save A thread of light, a particle, a wave But there were chains, so I hastened to behave There were chains, so I loved you like a slave Show me the place Show me the place Show me the place Show me the place, help me roll away the stone Show me the place, I can't move this thing alone Show me the place where the word became a man Show me the place where the suffering began

The Darkness

I caught the darkness It was drinking from your cup I caught the darkness I'm drinking from your cup I said: Is this contagious? You said: Just drink it up I 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 just had to take a dive Winning you was easy But darkness was the prize I don't smoke no cigarette I don't drink no alcohol I ain't had much loving 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 I loved the early morning I'd pretend that it was new But I caught the darkness baby And I got it worse than you I caught the darkness It was drinking from your cup I caught the darkness I'm drinking from your cup I said: Is this contagious? You said: Just drink it up

Anyhow

You know, it really is a pity The way you treat me now I know you can't forgive me But forgive me anyhow The ending got so ugly I even heard you say You never ever loved me But could you love me anyway? I dreamed about you baby You were wearing half your dress I know you have to hate me But could you hate me less? I've used up all my chances And you'll never take me back But there ain't no harm in asking Could you cut me one more slack? I'm naked and I'm filthy And there's sweat upon my brow And both of us are guilty Anyhow Have mercy on me, baby After all I did confess Even though you have to hate me Could you hate me less? It's a shame and it's a pity I know you can't forgive me The ending got so ugly You never ever loved me Dreamed about you, baby I know you have to hate me I'm naked and I'm filthy And both of us are guilty (Anyhow) Have mercy on me baby

Crazy To Love You

Had to go crazy to love you Had to go down to the pit Had to do time in the tower Begging my crazy to quit Had to go crazy to love you You who were never the one Whom I chased through the souvenir heartache Her braids and her blouse all undone Sometimes I'd head for the highway I'm old and the mirrors don't lie But crazy has places to hide in That are deeper than any goodbye Had to go crazy to love you Had to let everything fall Had to be people I hated Had to be no one at all I'm tired of choosing desire I've been saved by a blessed fatigue The gates of commitment unwired And nobody trying to leave Sometimes I'd head for the highway I'm old and the mirrors don't lie But crazy has places to hide in That are deeper than any goodbye Had to go crazy to love you You who were never the one Whom I chased through the souvenir heartache Her braids and her blouse all undone

Come Healing

Intro: Choir

Oh gather up the brokenness and bring it to me now The fragrance of those promises you never dared to vow The splinters that you carry, the cross you left behind Come healing of the body Come healing of the mind And let the heavens hear it, the penitential hymn Come healing of the spirit Come healing of the limb

Verse 1: Leonard Cohen and Choir

Behold the gates of mercy in arbitrary space And none of us deserving, the cruelty or the grace Oh solitude of longing where love has been confined Come healing of the body Come healing of the mind Oh see the darkness yielding, that tore the light apart Come healing of the reason Come healing of the heart

Verse 2: Leonard Cohen and Choir

Oh troubled dust concealing, an undivided love The Heart beneath is teaching to the broken Heart above Oh let the heavens falter and let the earth proclaim Come healing of the Altar Come healing of the Name

Outro: Choir and Leonard Cohen

Oh longing of the branches to lift the little bud Oh longing of the arteries to purify the blood And let the heavens hear it, the penitential hymn Come healing of the spirit Come healing of the limb Oh let the heavens hear it, the penitential hymn Come healing of the spirit Come healing of the limb

Banjo

There's something that I'm watching Means a lot to me (something that I'm watching) There's something that I'm watching Means a lot to me (something that I'm watching) It's a broken banjo bobbing On the dark infested sea (something that I'm watching) It's a broken banjo bobbing On the dark infested sea Don't know how it got there Maybe taken by the wave (taken by the wave) Don't know how it got there Probably taken by the wave (taken by the wave) Off of someone's shoulder Or out of someone's grave Off of someone's shoulder Or out of someone's grave It's coming for me darling No matter where I go (no matter where I go) It's coming for me darling No matter where I go (no matter where I go) Its duty is to harm me My duty is to know Its duty is to harm me My duty is to know There's something that I'm watching Means a lot to me There's something that I'm watching Means a lot to me It's a broken banjo bobbing On the dark infested sea It's a broken banjo bobbing On the dark infested sea

Lullaby

Sleep baby sleep The day's on the run The wind in the trees Is talking in tongues If your heart is torn I don't wonder why If the night is long Here's my lullaby Here's my lullaby Well the mouse ate the crumb Then the cat ate the crust Now they've fallen in love And they're talking in tongues If your heart is torn I don't wonder why If the night is long Here's my lullaby Here's my lullaby Sleep baby, sleep There's a morning to come The wind and the trees They're talking in tongues If your heart is torn I don't wonder why If the night is long Here's my lullaby Here's my lullaby

Different Sides

We find ourselves on different sides Of a line, nobody drew Though it all may be one in the higher eye Down here where we live, it is two I, to my side, call the meek and the mild You, to your side, call the Word By virtue of suffering I claim to have won You claim to have never been heard Both of us say there are laws to obey Yeah, but frankly I don't like your tone You want to change the way I make love But I wanna leave it alone (alone, alone, alone) The pull of the moon, the thrust of the sun Thus the ocean is crossed (whoa) The waters are blessed while a shadowy guest Kindles a light for the lost Both of us say there are laws to obey But frankly, I don't like your tone You want to change the way I make love Yeah but I wanna leave it alone Down in the valley, the famine goes on Famine up on the hill I say that you shouldn't, you couldn't, you can't You say that you must and you will You want to live where the suffering is I want to get out of town C'mon baby, give me a kiss Stop writing everything down Both of us say there are laws to obey Yeah, but frankly I don't like your tone You want to change the way I make love But I wanna leave it alone Both of us say there are laws to obey Frankly, I don't like your tone You want to change the way I make love But I wanna leave it alone