Judging by the news, it seems that The Future Mr. Cohen is singing about has finally started last week (end of February 2022).

 SchrodingersCat wrote:

This version of the song seems to have been politically corrected a bit, the original is per the written lyrics

 vincent7771lebert wrote:

Yes, give children firearms for Christmas instead, that is murder.

"Give me crack and anal sex"

Whoever printed these lyrics had a twisted sense of humor.  I'm pretty sure he says "careless" rather than "anal".  Haha

 ScottN wrote: Destroy another fetus now
We don't like children anyhow
I've seen the future, baby
It is BUTTER.

My favorite LC album. The poetry music and harmonies all coming together.

 Lazarus wrote:

Amen

Es un maestro. Seguro hay hispanohablantes que lean inglés y queden estupefactos como yo. ¿cómo chingados se fue fue a morir?

"...We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future..." - Criswell

 guthrieandme wrote: 
A new nuclear weapons arms race anyone?  

This song has a much different meaning after the November election (and the fact that Cohen died the day after). 

Too bad I did not have the choice of 0 or -9 for a rating choice.

Marianne stretched her hand and caught his.  And so he followed.  So long, Lennie, we're going to miss you terribly.

Just had to bump this...

RIP Leonard !
 
msymmes wrote: 

 hayduke2 wrote: 
Everybody in my elevators loves this song about the future...  we be dancing like happy hippies...  love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...  trick or treat to ya, hayduke2...  hope life is grand for you here in the future...

I'm glad Leonard is open to all kinds of sex now.  

Sad that Mr. Cohen said this week he was ready to die because of his failing health....but who are any of us to assume when the right time is for anyone? He has had an amazing run and created some of the best poetry in modern history. Hope your travel over is easy, painless and exhilirating!

Great song to hear the day after Yom Kippur

Studio Version: 10 

This Version: 1

(in my Opinion)

I think at this stage of the championship is appropriate to review the Cohen song "Democracy", in an extraordinary album recorded in July 17, 2008 at London's O2 Arena and originally included in the 1992 studio album "The Future".  "Live" which also includes the songs "The Future", "Tower of Song", "Suzanne", "Dance Me to the End of Love", "Boogie Street", "I'm Your Man", "Take This Waltz" preceded by an amazing "Recitation" spoken by L.Cohen (with Neil Larsen), "Sisters of Mercy" and more, and to settle down the minds more afraid with the contents of songs with social and civic intervention, saying, to paraphrase someone, "Democracy is not synonymous with Socialism" , because Democracy co dwell under the same roof with Capitalism, not always so peacefully, which Cain and Abel, so is like the miracle of modern times...... And Lyrics of the song (1992) says exactly this:

It's coming through a hole in the air,
from those nights in Tiananmen Square.
It's coming from the feel
that this ain't exactly real,
or it's real, but it ain't exactly there.
From the wars against disorder,
from the sirens night and day,
from the fires of the homeless,
from the ashes of the gay:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming through a crack in the wall;
on a visionary flood of alcohol;
from the staggering account
of the Sermon on the Mount
which I don't pretend to understand at all.
It's coming from the silence
on the dock of the bay,
from the brave, the bold, the battered
heart of Chevrolet: 
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It's coming from the sorrow in the street,
the holy places where the races meet;
from the homicidal bitchin'
that goes down in every kitchen
to determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
where the women kneel to pray
for the grace of God in the desert here
and the desert far away:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

Sail on, sail on
O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on.

It's coming to America first,
the cradle of the best and of the worst.
It's here they got the range
and the machinery for change
and it's here they got the spiritual thirst.
It's here the family's broken
and it's here the lonely say
that the heart has got to open
in a fundamental way:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It's coming from the women and the men.
O baby, we'll be making love again.
We'll be going down so deep
the river's going to weep,
and the mountain's going to shout Amen!
It's coming like the tidal flood
beneath the lunar sway,
imperial, mysterious,
in amorous array:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

Sail on, sail on ...

I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can't stand the scene.
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags
that Time cannot decay,
I'm junk but I'm still holding up
this little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

What a pleasant little ditty.  

 the backup singers compliment his lead beautifully, imo..

Still think Jenny sounds better than Lenny.

You don't know me from the wind
You never will, you never did
I'm the little jew
Who wrote the bible
I've seen the nations rise and fall
I've heard their stories, heard them all
But love's the only engine of survival
Your servant here, he has been told
To say it clear, to say it cold:
It's over, it ain't going
Any further

When this song started I had a grin. Then he started modulating the rhythm of the lyrics. That's his right. He is the artist. I'm certain that singing it the same way over and over gets old. I just couldn't deal with it though. I've listened to the album version way too many times. I still wanted to like it. I still almost enjoyed it. But it just unsettled me too much to not hear what I expected to hear. The instrumental work and backing vocals were so close to the album that my brain just kept expecting the lyrics to be where they were not. Perhaps if the entire song had been more modified or if I was not in an exhausted state and ready to sleep I would have enjoyed it more. Does anyone e!se here experience that with live versions? Maybe I'll be prepared for it next listen and will be able to enjoy this version as it is.

I kinda wish I got Leonard Cohen, but I don't. Seems like he's a parody of something. But a lot of people seem to genuinely like him. So odd.

Went to see The Chelsea Hotel a couple of weeks ago, it's musical of his songs. It was great!

This tour (in 2008) received over 100 five star reviews in the international press.  He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductee !!
 

Thank you jhorton. You have added an interesting new graphic-literary twist to the comment board format!

 Lazarus wrote: 

Happy Halloween!

A great version !!!

the sanitized version 

 bb_matt wrote:  

Isn't it though.

Doo dee doo.  Doo dee doo.  PSD

               I've seen the future.It's a fetus.
     It's written in bubble, and a little jew cracked it.

I like many of LC's "live" versions as much as or even better than the studio renditions.  This is a prime example!  

Love this dude!!!

There'll be the breaking of the ancient 
western code 
Your private life will suddenly explode

Great version of a great song.  Quintessential Cohen.  

The juxtaposition of his weathered voice and the lilting chorus is always awesome and sometimes quite chilling.

Great concert!

Brilliant as always - and a live version - they always feel elevated in part by the talent of the musicians/contributors - in this case to a pinnacle. What a band. Wow.

Mom, didin' I tell you to wait in da' van?

 

Bill, PLEASE stop playing dis music, it's makin my boy upset!

 

What da' HELL is dat in my headphones? Dat some white guy trying' to sing or sump tin'?


Dats just turrible! 

This is just turrible!



And every time you play it, it just gets turibbler and turibbler! 

If Cohen's voice gets any deeper it'll be subsonic. It gives me the willies, in a good way. Not bad for an old gimmer of 70 :)

Cheerful little ditty. 

C 'mon LC....you wrote the lyrics and your fans came to hear them and you proceed to butcher your own song with "...give me crack and careless sex" !!!??!?! So, so disappointing.

 otis_of_moab wrote: 
Just thought the same. I really love this song but he totally ruins himself here. One should know when to stop.

Lenny just doesn't get any better with age

...Lenny just gets better with age