Tuesday, March 13, 2007

An Open Letter to Leonard Cohen

I wrote the following on a poetry page online, but feel it falls far short of what I really meant to express.

"I don't know how I made it into my 40's before discovering Leonard Cohen's awe-inspiring work. When I watched 'I'm Your Man, ' at first I thought he'd died, and this was a tribute to him: the artists all brought such obvious emotion to their performances. But the further I got through this movie, the more I understood why these people were so intensely gripped by the songs they were sharing... because I felt it too. I feel as though his music has opened up a tightly capped wellspring within me, and the tears pour forth as I write this. I will never be the same again after experiencing his lyrical passion - and I pray for his continued health and well-being, that he may continue to grace us with these priceless soul-feeding jewels. Mr. Cohen: if you ever read this, thank you."

I'd really like to record my rendition of "Bird on a Wire" one day, God willing and the creeks don't rise... with permission of course. This song touches me more deeply than any other I've ever heard. It's almost an apology, but more of an explanation. I change a few of the words when I perform it... but the song itself, including the melody, is likely to be my anthem for a long time... if not forever.

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