I find Leonard's Music Absolutely Liberating

[lizzytysh]

You're very kind, Daka. I appreciate your compliments. In that regard, as with anything, I believe the good words inspire you to do better, to go higher. Typically, anyway, they do me. Isn't duality an aspect of everyone's nature, though? I know it is with mine. Though I aspire toward the positive, I don't always achieve it and, truthfully, sometimes I don't even try. Those times show... big time. It doesn't stop me from returning to base, though, and working toward the same goals all over again. I appreciate your noticing and commenting on some evidence of my higher nature. I try.

Thanks.


~ Lizzy

[lazariuk]

Something I find intriguing is that instead of feeling depressed when listening to Cohen, I often have intense feelings of freedom and liberation. This is especially true with songs such as "Closing Time", "Everybody Knows", "I'm Your Man" and "The Future", but I also experience them with "sadder" songs such as "Chelsea Hotel #2".

I think that is prevalent in his songs. Example : Alexandra Leaving

Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost

It sounds sad but the picture I get is just that one action follows the other. He says goodbye to Alexandra leaving and then later he says goodbye to Alexandra lost. I guess he goes with her or follows her and nothing is lost except the place where there is no Alexandra. That is not sad, but it was worthwhile learning what makes you sad.

[daka]

Something I find intriguing is that instead of feeling depressed when listening to Cohen, I often have intense feelings of freedom and liberation. This is especially true with songs such as "Closing Time", "Everybody Knows", "I'm Your Man" and "The Future", but I also experience them with "sadder" songs such as "Chelsea Hotel #2".

I think that is prevalent in his songs. Example : Alexandra Leaving

Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost

It sounds sad but the picture I get is just that one action follows the other. He says goodbye to Alexandra leaving and then later he says goodbye to Alexandra lost. I guess he goes with her or follows her and nothing is lost except the place where there is no Alexandra. That is not sad, but it was worthwhile learning what makes you sad.

My read on the optimism in this verse is that when Alexandra leaves there is a sense of loss,
but later, due to impermanence, even the loss of Alexandra is lost...
We move on to Mary, or Susie, or whoever
and this is, for me extremely optimistic
If everything that I see and experience in my reality were permanent
This would be extremely depressing
Maybe "impermanence" is a "crack" in everything

I re-read the lyrics again while responding to this thread,
and I can't believe I never saw them this way before
I will see the song in a new way
It was always a little too mysterious
I left it that way
don't know why
yet

[lazariuk]

Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving.
Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost

My read on the optimism in this verse is that when Alexandra leaves there is a sense of loss,
but later, due to impermanence, even the loss of Alexandra is lost...

That makes sense. I don't know if you know the origin of that song Daka so I thought I would mention that it stemmed from a poem written by another to describe Mark Anthony standing at the window watching the people of Alexandria flee prior to Mark Anthony's defeat. What he was losing was something that he had formerly conquered.

What he was losing was something that will always be impermanent. Holding on to something or someone you get by conquering. The blessing is in the defeat. If one kind of relationship didn't work it doesn't mean that another won't or at least won't be as impermanent.

That reminds me of another song where Leonard speaking about his little room says "love itself was gone"
Then in a later song he is singing directly to love and asking "love aren't you tired yet?"
I guess he said goodbye to love and then he said goodbye to his little room and love was still around.