Greetings,
There are and have been quite a few good songwriters in the world. All those people who can combine words and music and give us something great to listen to. However, there aren't too many who are so good with lyrics that I would read them on their own without the music. Leonard Cohen was one of those people. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found a book called The Lyrics of Leonard Cohen.
I believe the title is self-explanatory, but in case it is not, this book is crammed with lyrics written by the great Leonard Cohen. And I happen to consider him one of the greatest lyricists of all time. Of course, he has written other books, novels and collections of poetry. But, to me, this is a must have collection for any person who loves his work. I happen to be someone who falls into that category and this includes some of my favorite songs of his, like "Anthem" and "If It Be Your Will", not to mention a couple of versions of "Hallelujah" where we get some alternative lyrics that aren't always sung. So, indeed, this collection is something to behold.
There is just something so satisfying about sitting down and flipping through this book. The first time I read this it was nearly impossible to look at those words and not read them to the melodies that are attached to them. I may have even begun to hum a bit as I did so. But after a while and after a few reads, I began to simply do that. Just read the words as they appeared on the page. It was at that point that I really looked at all the work within as not only lyrics but poetry. And it is just that. Although, I can admit that, as much as I love this man's writing, there are a few lines here and there of which I am not totally fond, but they are massively outweighed by the ones I love. And that is a very good thing to have happen.
Oh, and by the way, in addition to the wonderful words, this book also contains quite a few wonderful picture. In amongst the song lyrics, you'll see some beautiful black and white shots of Mr. Cohen. Some of them are in concert, some look like promotional shots and others just look like candids. Any way, they are perfect additions to this collection. Not to mention the very nice introduction by Graham Vickers.
I know that this review is very short and hopefully sweet, but to be honest, there is little more to say about this book. It's just an amazing collection of writing and it's nice to have all these lyrics together in one place, so we can read them whenever we wish to do so. And I wish to do so quite often. So, if you are an admirer of the late, great Leonard Cohen. This is definitely one to check out if you haven't already.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
