I have carried out the final edit on the Phil Ochs book and that is winging its way to coming out shortly. The publisher has it down for the end of this month!
I am putting the finishing touches to the Leonard Cohen book. That has a lot of work but has really gone well. I thought I might share the piece I have just been working on. What do you think??
Nevermind (Leonard Cohen, Patrick Leonard)
This first came to light as a poem on his website in 2005 and was released in 2006 in his Book Of Longing.
Another Patrick Leonard collaboration. Leonard sings it in a husky drawl over an ominous computerised bubbling synth with a heavy beat and a bassline. The aftermath of 9/11 hangs over this one with Leonard more conflicted than ever. He deplores the violence but can see the reasoning behind it. He’s no lover of many aspects of American culture. The Middle-East flavour is accentuated by the two Arabic bursts of singing from Donna Delory.
When we are young and idealistic the world is black and white and taking sides is easy. Looking back at past actions and stances can sometimes seem uncomfortable. We missed the nuance. Remember, Leonard went off to fight in the Yom Kippur War. As he told The Daily Telegraph in 2014: ‘There comes a point, I think, as you get a little older, you feel that nothing represents you. You can see the value of many positions, even positions that are in savage conflict with one another. You can locate components on both sides that resonate within you.’ Sometimes you have to take stock, re-evaluate and change position. Things can look different with distance. There is deliberate deception.
There is bitterness in the lyrics: ‘This was your heart, this swarm of flies. This was once your mouth, this bowl of lies. You serve them well – I’m not surprised. You’re of their kin, you’re of their kind. Never mind, never mind. I had to leave my life behind. The story’s told with facts & lies. You own the world, so never mind.’ Leonard reflects on the way the powerful spread their propaganda, sow their lies. We have to pick our way through it. He reflects on the way some things are of vital importance to some but are meaningless to others. As the song progresses Charlean Carmon and a synthesiser provides some light relief and as we approach the last verse there is the addition of eastern percussion and Charlean dueting the chorus. All incredibly effective. Leonard no longer knows what to believe he just gets on with his life. You can’t nail him down. Ultimately nothing matters. Besides he’s a different person now.
The final words, written in Arabic, are about peace and reconciliation.
