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Leonard Cohen

"Suzanne"

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
you can hear the boats go by, you can spend the night beside her
and you know that she's half crazy but that's why you want to be there
and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China
and just when you mean to tell her that you have no love to give her
then she gets you on her wavelength and she lets the river answer
that you've always been her lover
and you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind
and you know that you can trust her
'cause you've touched her perfect body with her mind

and Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
and he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
and when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
he said, "all men shall be sailors, then, until the sea shall free them"
but he himself was broken, long before the sky could open
forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
and you want to travel with him, and you want to travel blind
and you think maybe you'll trust him
'cause he's touched your perfect body with his mind

now Suzanne takes your hand, and she leads you to the river
she is wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters
and the sun pours down like honey on Our Lady of the harbor
and she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers
there are heroes in the seaweed, there are children in the morning
they are leaning in for love, and they will lean this way forever
while Suzanne holds the mirror
and you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind
and you think maybe you'll trust her
'cause she's touched your perfect body with her mind

*

"Chelsea Hotel No. 2"

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
you were talking so brave and so sweet
giving me head on the unmade bed
while the limousines wait in the street

those were the reasons and that was New York
we were running for the money and the flesh
and that was called love for the workers in song
probably still is for those of them left

ah, but you got away, didn't you, babe?
you just turned your back on the crowd
you got away, I never once heard you say
"I need you, I don't need you,
I need you, I don't need you,"
and all of that jiving around.

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
you were famous, your heart was a legend
you told me again you preferred handsome men
but for me you would make an exception

and clenching your fist for the ones like us
who are oppressed by the figures of beauty
you fixed yourself, you said, "well, never mind,
we are ugly but we have the music."

and then you got away, didn't you, babe?
you just turned your back on the crowd
you got away, I never once heard you say
"I need you, I don't need you,
I need you, I don't need you,"
and all of that jiving around.

I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best
I can't keep track of each fallen robin
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,
that's all, I don't think of you that often.

*

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