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Dear Elizabeth:

I would LOVE to be there, but for the locations of our lives, and our frequent inability to live the lives of our words...ah well!!!

The quote is from the album titled "Let Love In" and from the song, "I Let Love In". In the song Nick is lamenting about the dangerousness of love, how it enters one's life and how it blows away everything. I give below the entire lyrics to the song. I find it beautiful.

Despair and Deception, Love's ugly little twins
Came a-knocking on my door, I let them in
Darling, you're the punishment for all of my former sins

I let love in

The door it opened just a crack, but Love was shrewed and bold
My life flashed before my eyes, it was a horror to behold
A life-sentence sweeping confetti from the floor of a concrete hole

I let love in

Well I've been bound and gagged and I've been terrorized
And I've been castrated and I've been lobotomized
But never has my tormenter come in such a cunning disguise

I let love in

O Lord, tell me what I done
Please don't leave me here alone
Where are my friends?
My friends are gone

Repeat above

I let love in
I let love in

So if you're sitting all alone and hear a-knocking at you door
and the air is full of promises, well buddy, you've been warned
Far worse to be Love's lover than the lover that Love has scorned

I let love in, I let love in, I let love in .....

Actually initially I was undecided between writing Nick's words (which I finally wrote), and Leonard's "I've seen your flag on the marble arch but love is not a victory march. It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah. Hallelujah...

Actually I had given my opinion on the two albums recommended to you in the posting lost yesterday which we talked about earlier. Anyhow, I do think both "Let Love In" and "Boatman's Call" are excellent first albums. Somehow I tend to listen more to "Let Love In", and enjoy it more. But this may be because I listen to it more. I also consider it a bit more accessible than BC. But then this is just my opinion. However, Nick Cave's music can also be fairly hard (as in rock) but he is fairly theatrical in his music I think.

Have you already got the album? By the way I recall someone (you?) saying that the record store person hadn't even heard of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This is not unusual. I mean Nick Cave is hardly the music the average person listens to. So he is obscured somewhat in terms of the average music store. More likely to be found at HMV in major metropolitan and other big stores. Of course I might be biased since I live in a city with very well stocked and diverse music.

Anyhow, enjoy the album,

Best,

Biraj

Thank you for the words to that great song, Biraj ! It puts your quote into proper context, making it far more understandable [since "love" isn't mentioned in the quote itself]. It sounds like "Let Love In" [vs. the other album title that's very similar with the word "Love" in it] may, indeed, be the one that TC has recommended for me to get. Well, it's next on my list .

Yes, it was me who mentioned the record-store person . More of a young, chain-store, "this is a job," type store clerk[s] vs. my regular, record-store person, older, and a music afficionado ~ who definitely knows who Nick Cave is, but just doesn't have any of him, due to the market here. You've still put it into better perspective for me, the first one[s] not knowing. Rather like mentioning "Leonard Cohen" to the majority of people .

Well, still hoping for you on New York .

~ Lizzy

thank you, Elizabeth, for posting the links to Allison's version of Hallelujah here ( :

in my ill-state of recent days, I began searching for a home where people would appreciate this newest interpretation of the song ~ and, clearly, this is the place (along with Various Positions dicussion board)

I/we hope that it will bring joy and pleasure to Leonard Cohen fans everywhere

thank you, all, Ad

You're very welcome, Adrian ~ I was glad to see you not only show up here, to do the same, but stay !

I love the synonymity that Allison has drawn, between music and breathing, in your signature. Yes, this is definitely the home you were looking for! I'd have suggested, over on the Sony Board, that you come here, but so often, people seem to come and leave links, but not participate or return.

It's great to see that you've joined!

~ Elizabeth

I'm glad you like the sig, Elizabeth. It's taken from an interview, and it's Allison's genuine and automatic response to the interviewer's question; "Why music?"

I've had song lyrics as my sig until recently, and then decided to go to the essence ( :

As for my sticking around, well, that's only natural, too. Once Alley recorded Hallelujah I was compelled to share it, and find people who would, hopefully, appreciate it.

Another factor this weekend is my ill health! When I'm on my feet, I'm one of those crazy people who never stop moving. So, when I'm healthy, I don't always sit down and correspond as much. My role as Alley's manager (which grew out of love for her talent and gifts) is 24-7.

But being so sick these past few days, and having this new recording to listen to, has spurred me to other pleasures, such as discovering this community ( : Sometimes it can be not only necessary, but, also, fun, to have a forced slow-down. (Though I am itching to be running around again. )

It's been wonderful to be greeted so warmly here. Thank you so much.

I'll be sticking around ~ though I'll soon be more fleet of foot.

peace, Adrian

Yes, Adrian, I went to her site [to see if she looked as I imagined ~ she looked the opposite , but still just as beautiful], and saw that the quote is the first thing that comes up on it. Very nice. Well, we see you as catch can, whenever you're able. I have to wish, first and foremost, that you get well ~ even if you can only get here on the backstretch . We'll be glad to see you anytime ! Allison sounds like a very cool woman.

~ Elizabeth

hehehe now I am left wondering what the opposite of Allison looks like! she is a good soul - and making music for the right reasons

I'm going to rest the balance of this day ~ and, thank you for your well wishes; I think (fingers crossed) I'm on the mend ( :

see you here again, bye for now, Adrian

The tv taping went well ~ as best we can figure! It's hard to know what the show will look like, and sound like, as it's an involved process with lots of hands collaborating. We're in the tv production team's hands, and we wish them well. The musical performances were recorded live, and all but one were recorded first take. So, it should be true ( :

The air dates are, I'm told, going to be Dec. 23 and 25 in Canada. As soon as I know more, I'll let folks here know.

And, I'm just starting to put together Allison's recording and touring plans for 2004, and I'm hopeful that we may be able to dip into NYC next June. There's a lot of chicken-and-egg details that come together in all this sort of scheduling, but, right now, it's looking prospective ( :

I hope everyone celebrating Thanksgiving had a wonderful time.

peace, Adrian