Interview with Leonard Cohen - This Man Knows About Love

This isn't the first time I have blogged about Leonard Cohen. (Go here to see my other posts), having said that, I must comment on an interview I listened to yesterday which was broadcast (into my ear buds) at the same time on CBC Radio 1 as I was trucking around Luminato. I have put on his "Live in London" DVD this morning while I write this blog and I am again reminded what a great artist he is. The interview made it clear to me that he is also a wise and sensitive man.

I wanted to present some of, what were for me, highlights of the interview.

On Love

He spent some time talking about love and the songs inspired by or written for women - of which there are many. He said (I paraphrase)

Love is the most challenging activity humans get into - Love - we have the sense that we can't live without love ... but the possibilities for humiliation and failure are ample... The heart is always softening or hardening, there is no jackpot, either you have the courage despite the significant defeats we accumulate over our lives- if we can continue and do not close down - then the possibilities are always there (for other loves to follow) ... women and men are at the core of each other - most men and women cherish some sort of dream of surrender - total love - sometimes experiencing defeat, sometimes acceptance and sometimes exaltation. It is the accumulation of defeats that is the inhibitor and those that are able not to close down are lucky. It is how we react when the love is lost that gives us the capacity to love again.

The last sentence is mine, but I think that is what he was getting at and left unsaid. That is why when we were young, maybe I only speak for the feminine side of the equation, we feel so devastated when love was lost or we just did not have anyone to love at a point in time in our lives. After time you realize you can recover from love lost and you can love again you are less shaken by its loss. I do not believe you can successfully seek out and find someone to love, I believe in fate and destiny on this one - however, you need to be open to it, not closed otherwise you will not be receptive to it when the seeds are planted.

I have learned to find joy in both solitude and also in the company of friends. I have a network of close friends which gives me the confidence to weather those years that I am without a "significant other". However that does not mean that I am alone out of choice or because I have given up and decided it is not for me... Just that I am happy and busy sufficiently that I don't think about such things - I am not frantically searching. Those in between time periods may be many years or as I approach old age even a decade or more, so it is important to cultivate an emotional self sufficiency as much as it is to establish a financial self sufficiency. I purposefully do that.

On "Forever More" Relationships

Does Leonard regret not having a life long partner? He responded to this question with a song in French - but it is clear he has no regrets... however, I suspect he is a bit wistful - as I am - that it wasn't to be. Perhaps my Montreal friend will help me here if he listens to the interview and tells me what the song means at 19:28 seconds into the interview.

Even though I do not count on having one, I still believe old age would be nicer if there were a "significant other" to share life's events with. The difference now is that I know that I can still be happy without a partner - it is just be a different sort of happiness, still with passion and love, even as I grow old I expect. However, I am no longer thinking in terms of someone I would be with "til death do us part".

On Dark Times

For someone who has written so many somber ballads, and who has suffered from clinical depression for extended periods of time, Leonard, in his mid 70s, has developed an extremely circumspect attitude. He is clearly happy with where he is in life and cognizant of where he has been on life's journey. At one point he was asked about "his darkest hour". His response was telling. He said, "Nothing comes to mind". He didn't think he ever had a "darkest hour", that one needed to put this in perspective; not compared with the suffering of others that goes on ... when you hear about people dodging bombs, having their nails pulled out in dungeons and starving...

Leonard - You Are My Man
The most striking thing about Leonard from this interview, aside from his astuteness and circumspect attitude, is that he is a most modest and humble person. I was also struck by his manner of speaking as it was so careful and respectful of those listening. When discussing the awards and accolades that Leonard has received over his lifetime, he responded that yes there had been an award or two and more importantly the critics have been kind, but that his work is really not a big seller.

At one point the interviewer, Jian Ghomeshi, comments that Leonard's house (the interview was at Leonard Cohen's home in Montreal), is a very modest home. Leonard's response was that he liked to live simply, but that wasn't a virtue. As I have said before, Leonard Cohen, you are my man.

The Leonard Cohen interview is available on You Tube as a CBC "Q TV Presentation". The interview is 40 minutes in length if you care to see it in its entirety.




As I listen to the Live in London DVD, I am reminded that the favourite part of this music DVD is not any of the songs - and they are all the best of the best of Cohen - it is the track where Leonard recites his poem "A Thousand Kisses Deep". This poem is in my opinion right up there with Suzanne. It speaks to me volumes and for those of us who have loved (I would presume most of us) and for those of us who are in love, whether requited or not or even if ill conceived, I am sure that it speaks to you as well.


If you are interested in podcasts of this and other Q interviews Go Here I think most of them are also available on You Tube as a Q TV Video.

The Saturday file...

I have been collecting a few "bits and pieces" for blogging and thought I would today throw a few of these things out there for you folks. I have been trying for the last few days to get my income taxes done and frankly things are conspiring against me. So, if you don't mind that I get up on my soap box and rant about it for a couple of sentences, I will then deliver the remaining content and get right back at the nasty job! If I can get it done today I have promised myself a wonderful day of creative endeavors for tomorrow. So discipline being my middle name, I forge ahead!

Firstly, my tax software woes. I have used the online Intuit QuickTax software since 2005 and never once had a problem with it. In fact, through using it I have found missing deductions which have decreased my tax payable in the past. However, when I went to get into it this year it claimed that my ID or password was wrong. I could write another thousand words about what I have done to get into my account - and I did succeed in getting access but then it locked me out again after entering data for an hour - but I won't. The account has my previous years tax info, which not only saves me data entry time since it will pre-populate this years form, but also allows me to compare how I have done this year compared to last.

To make a long story short -and at risk of you not understanding the depths of my frustration - I have spent 2 days trying to get the old account info and then an hour entering new info when I was "timed out" and now I can't get back into the account. Intuit cannot give me the password information - the help desk says it isn't available to them. Of course they presume I forgot my password - but I think it is a screw up, before I lost access I was "timed out" while I looked for some information. Due to security reasons the password info is sent to your email address when you "click here if you have forgotten your password".

The snafu is that they send it to the original email address you entered when you created the account i.e. my 2005 email address. At the time I was with Rogers, now I am with Sympatico. In short, I am screwed.

This morning I will open a new account and start from scratch with all data entry. *&*&^%^$$^%&*&(*^(* grrrrrrrrrrrrrrh!

I can thank my friend Kathleen for reminding me about this song on her Facebook posting:



Evidence of Spring is Everywhere!





On a more pleasant note, I went for a wonderful walk this morning and took some pics - signs of spring. There are two small but pretty parks, one on either side of my building and a nice park-like area at the front area of my condo. I took some pics of things "budding" in and around and while it looks pretty dismal now, there are signs of greenery everywhere! Even a few flowers! (OK, some might not call a dandelion a flower, but it is bright yellow and a sure sign of spring.)


A Pandemic in the Offing?
I am watching with some concern and interest in the Mexican flu situation, which has popped into the news in the last few days. From the reading I have done, it is likely that the flu pandemic warning index will go from a 3 to a 5, once the authorities meet and discuss the situation. Apparently, we should expect some action to be taken very quickly and I expect we will see travel warnings regarding Mexico. If it goes to 6 that will mean that we are officially in a pandemic. I hope it won't come to that. I am hoping that they are able to develop a vaccine to be included in our fall flu shot - but I am not sure how long these things take to develop. If it doesn't spread widely before a vaccine is made available to the public it is unlikely to become a pandemic. There is a very informative article about the Mexican virus and its likelihood to become a pandemic here.

I found a very interesting and useful CBC video which explains how colds and flu are spread and gives instruction on how to prevent the spread of both. Nothing too new to my ears, but there are useful reminders. The video spend most of the time on colds and covers flu in the last part of the video. You might want to take a listen. Go here. If you don't want or have time to listen, let me give you the bottom line: Stay away from others who might have the flu - it is spread through sneezes and coughs - air born, unlike colds which are more apt to be spread through hand to hand contact.

Get your Free Cuppa Joe
Did you know that there is a coffee war on? MacDonalds is giving away free coffee for the next 2 weeks (started Apr 20th) and you don't even need to buy anything to get it! Not that MacDonalds will ever replace the expresso joints of the world, but apparently the new brew that they have chosen is expected to be able to go toe to toe with the likes of that served by Timi's and Coffee Time. The other thing to remember that our coffee preference is an acquired taste and if we drink their free coffee for two weeks our preference could change as our taste buds get used to their brew. We may even want to pay money for it after the freebie period is over!

I also heard that Starbucks were going to close an outlet or two and I wonder if high end coffee (or even regular swill) is very recession proof? Last year I bought a Thermos and travel mug and started bringing my own coffee to work. I would buy 2 of Timi's (extra large in the morning and a large in the afternoon) and calculated I was spending nearly $16 per week not to mention the issue of the paper cups. I take it black and we "straight up" folks double cup the brew as the heat of the coffee can be too much to take if you are carrying the cup a ways. I also bring my lunch, out of preference for food I cook and because I like to work through lunch and then would go without. I am not so much into fast food and would rather eat out one great lunch each week with friends rather than have fast food meals at my desk. It does mean I have more money for other things I would rather spend on. OK, so I do watch my pennies.

If you want to read more about our Canadian Coffee Wars go here.

Leonard Cohen - Live in London DVD
I had a shipment of goodies delivered this week from an Amazon spending binge I went on a week or so ago. Right now I am writing this while watching the DVD of Leonard Cohen's "Live in London" concert which is new out and features the songs he is playing in his cross Canada tour. Since I didn't get tickets to see him in person, this is the closest I will get. It is a superb concert and I am completely mesmerized by his music and watching his performance! The man has such class and grace which is so evident as you watch him perform. It puts me in such a mellow and serene mood to listen to his music. This DVD has been no disappointment. Highly recommended!

Now, back to taxes with me!

Leonard Cohen - He's My Man!

I am a fan of Leonard Cohen’s have been for the longest time. In the last month he has been in the news lots as he starts a new cross Canada tour. Leonard is yet another aging musician still touring and still appreciated by his fans. I am sure many older musicians are out there because they love making music and being on the road, but I would expect that for the most part they are out there at least in part because they don’t have enough funds for retirement. I am sure that is not be the only reason Leonard is still touring at age 75 but for sure he is still putting money aside for his retirement.

Leonard’s story is a little bit different than Willie Nelson’s – unlike Willie it is not an issue with back taxes which caused him to need cash. In 2005 he alleged that his long time manager had misappropriated song rights and more then 5 million dollars in funds. Many years of court cases and lawyers he decided he just needed to move on and hit the road again. I am sad for his misfortune, but I am glad he is still touring. Maybe I will get to see one of his concerts.

Cohen considers himself primarily a poet, although it is his music is what has made him famous. He published his first book of poetry when he was at McGill. He also did a year at law school before living a fairly reclusive life of a writer for most of the 60s, publishing both novels and books of poetry.

He started his folk singing career in 1967. His sometimes dark songs were more popular in Europe than in North America. A couple of his more famous songs – Suzanne and Hallelujah are covered by countless musicians.

Leonard spent 5 years in the 90s in seclusion at a Monastery in California and has been ordained as a Zen Buddhist Monk. He re-entered the music scene in 2001 with a new album and has been touring and producing records since.

To read more about this fascinating man go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cohen

CBC Radio 2 is doing a contest to win a trip for 2 to see Leonard Cohen at the Radio City Music hall. You have to listen each day and can enter the contest each time you hear a song by Leonard played. I have so far managed only 2 entries. I just can’t manage to listen to the radio for much of the 6-9 and 3-9 timeslots in which the songs are played. It would sure be great to win the contest. If any of my readers are listening to radio 2 during these hours and hear a Cohen song being played please email/twitter/facebook or blog comment me with the name of the song and the date and timeslot (morning/evening) in which the song was played.

Sure would be nice to win. I can always hope.