Tower of Song, Leonard Cohen with U2

[jinn77]

What a great B-side, takes me back to the peak of U2's creativity in the 90's. Not heard the orginal but has made me want to investigate Mr Cohen's work. This track reminds me why I love U2, when they are in the mood to be left of centre, not catering to the AOR crowd.

 

[gherman]

Havn't heard it yet

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Leonard Cohen is perhaps the greatest lyric writer of the last generation - and that would include the Bob Dylan era as well. His songs are like poetry put to music. Check out 'Suzanne' or 'Hey, That's no Way to Say Goodbye' or 'Anthem' or 'Joan of Arc' or 'Hallelulja' or 'The Night Comes On' or 'Everybody Knows' or 'Dance Me to the End of Love' or 'Bird on a Wire' for some good examples of his work. He's got too many good albums to mention. My advice is to get The Essential Leonard Cohen. The only song that I wish it had is 'Joan of Arc', but get Songs of Love and Hate for that, and those two albums will give you a good starting point.

People are sometimes put off by his voice - he's not the best singer - but once you get past that, you begin to love his voice because it is so sincere, so honest. You can't help but fall for his lyrics...and the haunting melodies. There's a reason why Bono calls him one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and why he's heavily influenced U2's work since the 1980s.

 

[jinn77]

Thanks for the recomendations M Griffiths, am familiar with hallelujah and everybody knows, will check out the albums.

 

[topplehatU2]

How can you have a Leonard Cohen topic without mentioning "Famous Blue Raincoat?"

I love this version of the song, however I do wish that there was a version with Bono singing more of it.

 

[silvrlvr]

Chelsea Hotel is another must.

Tower of Song isn't really a U2 song -- it's Leonard Cohen with U2, and do I wish I could have been there. He's a once-in-a-lifetime talent, pretty much a musical and literary god in Canada, especially in Montreal. Granted, he is an acquired taste, and might go right over a lot of peoples' heads. It took me a while to be honest.

But his craftsmanship is amazing. This is a man who takes nine years to write a song lyric because he is such a perfectionist. He would not be caught dead rhyming "skies" and "rhapsodize."

 

[bakedpony]

hi can someone email me Tower of Song at bakedpony@yahoo.com? I haven't heard it but it seems great!

 

[U2girl]

Beautiful song.

 

[Aardvark747]

Love it.

 

[Mauwer]

Love the song.

Edge`s guitar parts are

Cheers ,

Mauwer

 

[Canadiens1131]

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,

you were talking so brave and so sweet,

giving me head on the unmade bed,

while the limousines wait in the street.

Those were the reasons and that was New York,

we were running for the money and the flesh.

And that was called love for the workers in song

probably still is for those of them left.

Ah but you got away, didn't you babe,

you just turned your back on the crowd,

you got away, I never once heard you say,

I need you, I don't need you,

I need you, I don't need you

and all of that jiving around.



I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel

you were famous, your heart was a legend.

You told me again you preferred handsome men

but for me you would make an exception.

And clenching your fist for the ones like us

who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,

you fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,

we are ugly but we have the music."



And then you got away, didn't you babe...



I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best,

I can't keep track of each fallen robin.

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,

that's all, I don't even think of you that often.

 

[BVS]

But his craftsmanship is amazing. This is a man who takes nine years to write a song lyric because he is such a perfectionist. He would not be caught dead rhyming "skies" and "rhapsodize."

Yes the man is a genius, but not beyond approach. He rhymed 'baby' with 'station' in First We Take Manhattan, much worse than 'skies' and 'rhapsodize'.

 

[Popmartijn]

I haven't heard it but it seems great!

You can find it on the just-released Windows In The Sky single. Or on the soundtrack to Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man.

 

[jinn77]

is Tower of Song an original Coen composition re-recorded with U2? anyone know?

 

[BVS]

is Tower of Song an original Coen composition re-recorded with U2? anyone know?

No, it's an original Cohen song re-recorded with U2.

 

[silvrlvr]

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,

you were talking so brave and so sweet,

giving me head on the unmade bed,

while the limousines wait in the street.

Those were the reasons and that was New York,

we were running for the money and the flesh.

And that was called love for the workers in song

probably still is for those of them left.

Ah but you got away, didn't you babe,

you just turned your back on the crowd,

you got away, I never once heard you say,

I need you, I don't need you,

I need you, I don't need you

and all of that jiving around.



I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel

you were famous, your heart was a legend.

You told me again you preferred handsome men

but for me you would make an exception.

And clenching your fist for the ones like us

who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,

you fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,

we are ugly but we have the music."



And then you got away, didn't you babe...



I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best,

I can't keep track of each fallen robin.

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,

that's all, I don't even think of you that often.

And you know who this is about, right?

 

[silvrlvr]

Yes the man is a genius, but not beyond approach. He rhymed 'baby' with 'station' in First We Take Manhattan, much worse than 'skies' and 'rhapsodize'.

I don't think it's much worse but it isn't great.
Maybe he only had eight years to work on it

 

[BVS]

Maybe he only had eight years to work on it

 

[alanah]

Yeah, it really is a nice song.