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One for the scholars among you.

Can anyone think of examples of references in Cohen’s lyrics to other songs, poems, etc? It might be interesting to see if we can make a list.

Here are the ones that spring to mind for me.

‘Take This Waltz’ on I’m Your Man is based on Federico Garcia Lorca’s poem, ‘Little Viennese Waltz’, as Cohen acknowledges.

‘Alexandra Leaving’ on Ten New Songs is similarly built around C.P.Cavafy’s poem ‘The God Abandons Anthony’, although Cohen hasn’t acknowledged this, as far as I’m aware.

The God Abandons Anthony

When suddenly there is heard at midnight
A company passing invinsible
With wonderful music, with voices, -
Your fortune giving way now, your works
Which have failed, the plans of a lifetime
All turned illusions, do not mourn uselessly.
As one prepared long since, courageously,
Say farewell to her, to Alexandria who is leaving.
Above all do not be tricked, never say it was
All a dream, and that your hearing was deceived;
Do not stop to such vain hopes as these.
As one prepared long since, courageously,
As becomes one worthy as you were of such a city,
Firmly draw near the window,
And listen with emotion but not
with the complainings and entreaties of cowards,
Listen, your last enjoyment, to the sounds,
The wonderful instruments of the mystic company,
And say farewell, farewell to Alexandria you are losing.


(Translated by J. Mavrogordatos)

Again from Ten New Songs, the line in ‘A Thousand Kisses Deep’ about having, “miles to drive / and promises to keep” references Robert Frost’s poem ‘Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening’ (and by the way, doesn’t this poem remind you of the first verse of ‘The Night Came On’ from Various Positions?)


Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

There must be many more such references throughout Cohen’s work, but I’m not well-enough read in poetry to spot them. Anyone got more?

Incidentally, it’s pretty clear that the work of literature Cohen references most often is the Bible, but tracing his Biblical references is another research project, for another day.

How about this one, I can't help imagining Leonard Cohen hearing this old country song and the writing his own lyrics for the great song Famous Blue Raincoat:

"It's four in the morning
And once more the dawning
Just woke up the wanting in me
Wishing I'd never met her
Knowing if I'd forget her
How much better off she would be.

The longer I hold on
And the longer this goes on
The harder that it's gonna be
But it's four in the morning
And once more the dawning
Just woke up the wanting in me.

I've never deserved her
God knows when I hurt her
That's the last thing that I want to do
She tries but she can't tell
How she feels but I know
Too well what she's going through.

If I love her so much
I don't know why I can't do
The right thing and just let her be
But it's four in the morning
And once more the dawning
Just woke up the wanting in me.

--- Instrumental ---

Last night I told her
This time it's all over
Ten times I've told her goodbye
Last night we broke up
This morning I woke up
And for the tenth time
I'm changing my mind.

I saw more love in her
Eyes when I left her
Than most foolish men will ever see.
And it's four in the morning
And once more the dawning
Just woke up the wanting in me.

It's four in the morning
And once more the dawning
Just woke up the wanting in me...

johnny7moons wrote:‘Alexandra Leaving’ on Ten New Songs is similarly built around C.P.Cavafy’s poem ‘The God Abandons Anthony’, although Cohen hasn’t acknowledged this, as far as I’m aware.

Cohen did credit Cavafy for "Alexandra Leaving", and it's widely known, and also was discussed on this forum. The poem was posted few times here and also on The Leonard Cohen Files and http://www.10newsongs.com. By some strange error, it seems Sony omitted "after Cavafy" in Ten New Songs' booklet, but lyrics published on http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com and http://www.10newsongs.com have the credit. Also, Leonard published complete work-in-progress of "Alexandra Leaving", also at http://www.10newsongs.com, here. It shows the progress of translation from early stages to the final song version. Also, Leonard apologised because Cavafy's name dropped out from the booklet, on French Forum (source):

I am very sorry that I neglected to cite Constantine P. Cavafy, and his great poem, "The God Forsakes Anthony", as the inspiration for my song "Alexandra Leaving". Somehow the credit got left out of my liner notes, although I did make the connection clear in many interviews and on Jarkko's site, The Leonard Cohen Files. The work of Cavafy has touched and influenced me for many years. Even as I write this, there is a picture of him above my desk. Please accept my apologies.
Sincerely, L. Cohen.

Frost's poem as source for "A Thousand Kisses Deep" was also discussed here in wide extent. (Use Search for finding those old threads.)

Of other direct and obvious connections with other poets, some of the songs on Recent Songs ("The Window", "The Guests") are influenced by old Persian poets Rummi and Attar - Cohen credited both in Recent Songs, and in Field Commander Cohen: Tour Of 1979 CDs.

thanks for this, tom - it's kind of a relief to know that leonard actually does credit cavafy for 'alexandra leaving'. i didn't know about those references to the sufis, either.

this is interesting stuff. if anyone remembers any other references coming up in old threads, i'd be very grateful if you could let me know where to look.

I have often wondered whether, in Sing Another Song, Boys, the reference to "the money lender's lovely little daughter / is eaten with desire" is a reference to Shylock from Shakespeare's Merchant Of Venice. Shylock was a Jew, and a 'money lender', and his daughter was 'eaten with desire' for Lorenzo, the Christian.

Just a thought...

It seems a very good thought, though, earl of kent, given Leonard's many biblical, literary, and historical references. Particularly as would concern a Jewish-Christian, romantic alliance, I could easily see this finding its way into one of Leonard's lyrics.

~ Lizzy

Here we discussed about the Ballad of the Absent Mare and Chinese Ten Ox Herding Pictures.


Here's our recent Rumi topic, in which someone posted his poem about how guests are coming, which resembles Leonard's own The Guests.

The opening line of "Memories", has Leonard singing "Frankie Laine was singing Jezebel......".
This is a reference to the 1951 hit, here are the lyrics.

Jezebel.
Jezebel.

If ever the devil was born,
Without a pair of horns
It was you,
Jezebel, it was you.

If ever an angel fell,
Jezebel,
It was you.
Jezebel, it was you.

If ever a pair of eyes,
Promised paradise.
Deceiving me, grieving me,
Leavin' me blue.
Jezebel, it was you.

If ever the devil's plan,
Was made to torment man,
It was you,
Jezebel, it was you.

'Twould be better I had I never known,
A lover such as you.
Forsaking dreams and all,
For the siren call of your arms.

Like a demon, love possessed me,
You obsessed me constantly.
What evil star is mine,
That my fate's design,
Should be Jezebel?

If ever a pair of eyes,
Promised paradise.
Deceiving me, grieving me,
Leavin' me blue.
Jezebel, it was you.

If ever the devil's plan,
Was made to torment man,
It was you,
Night an' day, every way.
Oh, Jezebel, Jezebel, Jezebel.

Rob.

Hmm. My generation, but those lyrics don't even ring a bell, much less a Jezebel.

~ Lizzy

Maybe this will help, Lizzie. Here you can listen to a sample of Frankie laine singing Jezebel......

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000 ... nce&n=5174

Rob

Ah, thanks, Rob! "Jezebel" now rings a bell, but with shades of "Rawhide," somehow... and I was only vaguely familiar with it, even at the time.

"I Believe," however, just wiped me out as a young girl, and still does.

"Moonlight Gambler" is another ~ ahhhh.

Thanks for the link.

~ Lizzy

Peter: I could see what you mean with that one possibly spawning Famous Blue Raincoat. Whose song was that? As I was reading the lyrics I could hear the FBR tune in my head and, of course, it's got the longing theme and the feeling of being conflicted.

Frankie Laine: The song that I like the best by him is, "Gunfight At OK Corral." For whatever that's worth to anyone.

Earl of Kent: That is EXACTLY what I've always thought of about that line. That it was a direct reference to Merchant of Venice. I was convinced of that to the degree of taking for granted that it was a "given." But I suppose it's not necessarily.

Kevin

In the song TheWindow:
1. "come forth from your cloud of unknowing" - The Cloud of Unknowing is a medieval English book of devotion and mysticism

2. "the New Jerusalem glowing" - William Blake's poem of the same name:
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my charriot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

I'm not sure this question deserves it's own thread really, so since 'Memories' was being discussed here, this seemed appropriate. Does anyone know the origin of that little jingle at the end of that song (Memories) -

'You cheat and you lie, you say that you're mine'.

It's sung just as the song is fading out. Is it part of Cohen's song, or is it a snippet from a Frankie Lane song? Or somehting else altogether? Any help would be appreciated because I catch myself singing it all the time.

I can't believe I registered with these forums just to ask this, but never mind, maybe I'll stick around.

Don’t think I saw this mentioned but ‘Go No More a Roving’ is allegedly from a Byron poem too


Update: I checked, it is basically just the poem put to words:


So, we'll go no more a roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a roving
By the light of the moon.


https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/ ... e-a-roving