Probably five years ago, I gave away all of my DVD’s and CD’s.  Now I wonder why.  Was it an attempt to deepen my spiritual life, to become purer and lighter?

Included in the purge was a precious gift of music, the DVD “Leonard Cohen: Live In London”.  I remember my loving of the man, the songs, and the space of gratitude created by him, his backup singers and his band.

This morning I ordered the DVD from Amazon.  Friends to be reunited.  Smiles all around.

Just now I came across a review of the concert, which had two sets of an hour each … and a 40-minute encore!  Surferofromantica writes about the beauty of the music, but even more vividly quotes the love spilling forth from Leonard’s mouth.  For me, the words that follow are worth the price of admission:

He starts his London set off with the words “Thank you so much, friends, so very kind of you to come to this …”  He’s drowned out in applause.

Thanks so much, friends.  It’s wonderful to be gathered here just on the other side of intimacy.  I’m so pleased that you’re here.  I know some of you have undergone financial and geographical inconvenience.  We’re honoured to play for you tonight.

It’s been a long time since I stood on a stage in London.  It was about 14-15 years ago, I was 60 years old, just a kid with a crazy dream.  Since then, I’ve taken a lot of Prozac, Paxol, Wellbuttrin, Exexor, Ritalin.  I’ve also studied TV and the philosophies and the religions, and cheerfulness kept breaking through.  But I want to tell you something that will not easily be contradicted – there ain’t no cure for love!

There is a crack in everything.  That’s how the light gets in.

I was having a drink with my teacher, he’s 102 now.  He was about 97 at the time.  I poured him a drink, he clicked my glass and he said “Excuse me for not dying.” (laughter)  I kind of feel the same way.  I want to thank you, not just for this evening but for the many years you’ve kept my songs alive.

Don’t stop, don’t leave me here alone, don’t ever stop.  Sing me to bed and sing me through the morning, because I’m so grateful to you because tonight it’s become clear to me, tonight the great mysteries have unravelled and I’ve penetrated to the very core of things, and I have stumbled on the answer.  And I’m not the sort of chap who would keep this to himself.  Do you want to hear the answer?  Are you truly hungry for the answer?  Then you’re just the people I want to tell it to.  Because it’s a rare thing to come upon it, and I’ll let you in on it now.  The answer to the mysteries … and he makes a hand gesture towards the backup singers … is “da doo dum dum …”

***

Leonard was so full of “Thank you”, especially for the souls who shared the stage with him …

The sweet shepherd of strings, on the laud, Javier Mas

The master of breath on the instrument of wind, Dino Soldo

The signature of steady, on the pedal steel and the electric guitar, Bob Metzger

The prince of precision, our timekeeper – on the drums, Rafel Bernardo Gayol

On the Hammond B3 and the keyboards, the inpeccable Neil Larsen

My collaborator, the incomparable Sharon Robinson

Hattie and Charley Webb, the sublime Webb sisters

Our guardian and sentry, the musical director on the upright and the electric bass, Roscoe Beck

***

Leonard lived

Leonard lives