Perfection

If ever I would fancy to become a poet, this is my goal. I can hardly think of another text as fascinating as this one, as perfect, as intriguing, as, as, as the ultimate text written.

We will have to praise Cohen for not becoming a poet but a singer. As a youngster he figured being a poet would never earn him a living and thus he began to write songs. Obviously writing songs is hardly to be compared to just writing poems, but this text is of an universal perfection. It is beyond each reproach, though it would probably have never reached the general public it reached by now if it would only have been published as a poem.

I met a woman long ago
her hair the black that black can go,
Are you a teacher of the heart?
Soft she answered no.

I met a girl across the sea,
her hair the gold that gold can be,
Are you a teacher of the heart?
Yes, but not for thee.

I met a man who lost his mind
in some lost place I had to find,
follow me the wise man said,
but he walked behind.

I walked into a hospital
where none was sick and none was well,
when at night the nurses left
I could not walk at all.

Morning came and then came noon,
dinner time a scalpel blade
lay beside my silver spoon.

Some girls wander by mistake
into the mess that scalpels make.
Are you the teachers of my heart?
We teach old hearts to break.

One morning I woke up alone,
the hospital and the nurses gone.
Have I carved enough my Lord?
Child, you are a bone.

I ate and ate and ate,
no I did not miss a plate, well
How much do these suppers cost?
We'll take it out in hate.

I spent my hatred everyplace,
on every work on every face,
someone gave me wishes
and I wished for an embrace.

Several girls embraced me,
then I was embraced by men,
Is my passion perfect?
No, do it once again.

I was handsome I was strong,
I knew the words of every song.
Did my singing please you?
No, the words you sang were wrong.

Who is it whom I address,
who takes down what I confess?
Are you the teachers of my heart?
We teach old hearts to rest.

Oh teachers are my lessons done?
I cannot do another one.
They laughed and laughed and said, Well child,
are your lessons done?

are your lessons done?

are your lessons done?

Leonard Cohen - Teachers

Sisters do Europe some more

I like biting silver bullets! Some 50 gigs announced as of today, and counting!

2006 April 16 Germany Hamburg Grosse Freiheit
2006 April 17 Sweden Malmö KB
2006 April 18 Sweden Gothenburg Trädgår'n
2006 April 19 Denmark Copenhagen Vega
2006 April 21 Germany Bielefeld Ringlokschuppen
2006 April 22 Belgium Brussels Ancienne Belgique
2006 April 23 Germany Berlin Columbiahalle
2006 April 25 Germany Cologne E-Werk
2006 April 26 Germany Munich Tonhalle
2006 April 27 Germany Stuttgart LKA-Longhorn
2006 April 29 Luxembourg Esch-Sur-Alzette Rockhal
2006 April 30 Netherlands Amsterdam Melkweg
2006 May 02 England London Astoria
2006 May 03 England Leeds University
2006 May 04 England Manchester Academy
2006 May 06 England Norwich UEA
2006 May 07 England Nottingham Rock City

So, that's not only Paris for me but also Brussels. And I just might be able to afford a trip to the Dam too, but we'll see about that.

Jeehaa!

Update 20/02/2006: Brussels: Sold out!

Johnny Cash

Almost coincidentally I got to know quite a lot about Johnny Cash lately. First, someone pointed me towards his autobiography as a great read, and then last weekend a documentary was on about his life.

I must say, when one says you cannot underestimate his influence, that seems like an enormous understatement to me. Perhaps it wasn't so much for the Man in Black's sound but the overall image he had he was what he has been to modern-days music. It is not only his impressive baritone which makes him so appealing, also the story of his life, the power in him. Overcoming several addictions, touching subjects no-one else would, singing old classic country-songs as well as unexpected covers on his American albums.

He was a strong personality after all, and as his autobiography showed, he had a great sense of relativity too, an enormous humbleness. He would not overestimate anything he did himself and was able to see the positive side on every bad thing that happened to him. Qualities found far too little in artists these days.

Johnny Cash, a truly admirable man...

United States of Whatever?

Last night Bush unleashed his State of the Union on the American nation again.

It seemed like a speech filled with elements of hope at first sight. He wants the US to cut down its oil addiction, and would want to cut the oil consumption with 75% by 2025. Above all, he wants to import less foreign oil – I’m sorry – Mid-Eastern oil. Bush is hoping to come to this by building zero-emission coal power-plants, new nuclear power-plants and by raising the investments in research for alternative energy by 22%.

Obviously it is a good thing the United States recognise the problem and – albeit too much long term planning – want to do something about it. On the other hand it seems America will be closing borders by doing this, this speech being the herald of recognising a defeat in the world economy, as an innovative nation, going back to doctrines from the past due to which America refused to interfere abroad. Nevertheless he said he doesn’t want to be an isolationist. Nor protectionists for the record, but of course this really only goes when American interests aren’t at stake in reality.

Also Bush pointed out many see his ‘spreading of democracy’ as vain idealism. Personally I don’t think it’s vain, it is much more of an imperfect idealism. How is it possible to talk about this sort of things after just denying the outcome of Palestinian elections? Why does this only go for countries in which the US have economical interests?

A transscript of Bush's speech