A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Saturday 5 December 2009

Countdown To Christmas (19): Darkness

I fought against the bottle
But I had to do it drunk
Took my diamond to the pawnshop
But that don’t make it junk...

Too late to fix another drink
The lights are going out
I’ll listen to the darkness sing
I know what that’s about...

Leonard Cohen: That Don't Make It Junk

5 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

Not really my scene Robert - more a Bob Dylan fan myself.

am said...

"I know that I'm forgiven but I don't know how I know."
(Leonard Cohen)

Exile, then Darkness, on the Countdown to Christmas. Of course I'm curious to see where you are going with this musical countdown. I was quite moved by the Paul Brady video. The faces made me think of faces in a movie by Pasolini.

"That Don't Make It Junk" is a sacred song. Leonard Cohen lost me after his first two albums but found me again when I heard Jeff Buckley sing "Hallelujah" and when I came across a review for "Leonard Cohen: Ten New Songs" in a Buddhist magazine I happened to pick up in 2001. "Ten New Songs" is brilliant, certainly in the top 10 of my all-time favorite albums.

I'd love to hear Bob Dylan sing some of the songs from "Ten New Songs." Maybe after he does his klezmer album for the holidays next year. Someone observed that the musical arrangment for "Must Be Santa" seemed to be pointing in that direction.

The Solitary Walker said...

I agree with you, am, about 'Ten New Songs' and 'That Don't Make It Junk' - and that line you quote is the line that resonates for me too.

Countdown To Christmas - it just came to me, why don't I blog a kind of musical alternative or anti-Advent calendar..?

And I'm curious to know where I'm going with it myself!

am said...

An anti-Advent calendar.
Just like a rolling koan/Cohen.
(-:

gleaner said...

Another one here who is curious where you are going with this countdown -