David Gilmore and his daughter Romany performed Leonard Cohen's golden hits live!
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On 4 April 2020, the Pink Floyd leader delighted fans by performing Leonard Cohen's classic hits live! By the way, the entire Gilmour couple, including their dog, took part in the mini-concert!
It all took place during a broadcast by David's wife, novelist Polly Samson, who was talking about her new book, A Theatre for Dreamers. Samson was originally scheduled to celebrate her project with a public event at London's Central Hall, Westminster! But due to the coronavirus pandemic, the whole celebration came together in one evening.....
In between Polly's talk about the book itself, Gilmore picks up his guitar and the living room is enveloped in a magical sound... The musician chose "So Long, Marianne" (1968) and "Bird on the Wire" (1969) for a reason: these songs epitomise the 1970s era and its main idol, Leonard Cohen. Her and Polly's daughter Romany added harmonies to both songs, and Samson and the younger children enjoyed themselves!
In today's article, we invite you to dive into the history of music, and remember how Leonard Cohen's legendary hits were created!
The Story of "So Long, Marianne" (1968)
This composition has a touching story.... It's not hard to guess that a song as heartfelt as "So Long, Marianne" has a real muse. Cohen dedicated the piece to Marianne Jensen (later Ilene). The woman and her son from her first marriage to Norwegian writer Axel Jensen lived with Leonardo for a long time.
Cohen wrote the song when they broke up: Marianne made a lasting impression on the composer... She later said:
"Leonardo is a man of immense compassion..."
The composition was released as part of the album Songs from the Room, the back cover of which features the very same Marianne sitting in front of Cohen's typewriter,...
Whether by coincidence or evil irony, Marianne Ihlen and Leonard Cohen died of cancer in 2016, four months apart: Ihlen in July and Cohen in November. When the composer learnt that Marianne was ill, he wrote her the following letter:
"Well, Marianne, the time has come when we really are so old that our bodies are falling apart! And I think I will follow you very soon... Know that I am so close to you that if you reach out your hand, you can reach mine. I have always loved you for your beauty and wisdom... I think you already know that. Now I just want to wish you a good journey. Goodbye, my old friend, and my endless love! We will definitely see each other in the future!"
A bit about Bird on the Wire (1969)...
The story of this song began in Greece, where Cohen lived for some time. Curiously enough, Leonardo was only able to record it on the fourth day, as the composer himself admitted:
"That song never sounded honest, sincere enough to me..."
In the aftermath, Cohen always started his concerts with "Bird on the Wire."
"This song brings me back to my duties. It's very important to me, because it has a vow in it... Every time I try to realise what I've done wrong in my life... I think about it a lot, but I can't find the answer..." - he shared with the press.
