I've never posted the lyrics to an entire song on this blog, but I'm increasingly a disciple of the idea that there are no real boundaries between schools or trains of thought or expression, so I've decided to incorporate more blogs about music as a valuable amendment to, rather than a diversion from, my usual subject matter.
My ear for song is limited by many factors. My monolingualism, my limited budget, and so forth. But in the sweep of American music that I've studied, there are a handful of songwriters that stand out above all others. Not all of them are known as singers, but they should all be immortalized as poets.
In this cohort I would place: Bob Dylan (as a totalitarian dictator who rules by something bordering on divine right) Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, and Leonard Cohen.
There are two interesting things about Leonard Cohen. The first is that, when he was about my age, he looked EXACTLY like the love-child of Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino, with Pacino carrying the dominant genes. The second is that this man bled gold through his pen. Consider:
"Passing Through"
I saw Jesus on the cross on a hill called Calvary
I said, "Do you hate mankind for what they've done to you?"
He said, "Talk of love, not hate, there are things to do and it's getting late"
"I've so little time, and I'm only passin' through"
I saw Adam leave the garden with an apple in his hand
I said, "Now you're out. What are you gonna do?"
He said, "Plant some crops and pray for rain, maybe raise a little Cain"
"I'm an orphan now, and I'm only passin' through"
I was with Washington at Valley Forge, shiverin' in the snow
I said, "How come men here suffer like they do?"
He said, "Men will suffer, men will fight, even DIE for what is right"
"Even though they know they're only passin' through"
I was at Franklin Roosevelt's side the night before he died
He said, "One world must come out of World War Two"
"Yankee, Russian, White or Tan", he said, "a man is just a man"
"We're all on one road; we're only passin' through"
My ear for song is limited by many factors. My monolingualism, my limited budget, and so forth. But in the sweep of American music that I've studied, there are a handful of songwriters that stand out above all others. Not all of them are known as singers, but they should all be immortalized as poets.
In this cohort I would place: Bob Dylan (as a totalitarian dictator who rules by something bordering on divine right) Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, and Leonard Cohen.
There are two interesting things about Leonard Cohen. The first is that, when he was about my age, he looked EXACTLY like the love-child of Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino, with Pacino carrying the dominant genes. The second is that this man bled gold through his pen. Consider:
"Passing Through"
I saw Jesus on the cross on a hill called Calvary
I said, "Do you hate mankind for what they've done to you?"
He said, "Talk of love, not hate, there are things to do and it's getting late"
"I've so little time, and I'm only passin' through"
I saw Adam leave the garden with an apple in his hand
I said, "Now you're out. What are you gonna do?"
He said, "Plant some crops and pray for rain, maybe raise a little Cain"
"I'm an orphan now, and I'm only passin' through"
I was with Washington at Valley Forge, shiverin' in the snow
I said, "How come men here suffer like they do?"
He said, "Men will suffer, men will fight, even DIE for what is right"
"Even though they know they're only passin' through"
I was at Franklin Roosevelt's side the night before he died
He said, "One world must come out of World War Two"
"Yankee, Russian, White or Tan", he said, "a man is just a man"
"We're all on one road; we're only passin' through"
2 comments:
Ha! That's who he looks like! I kept thinking maybe Alan Rickman + Paul McCartney.
Great lyrics.
You ever listen to Elvis Costello?
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