Tower of Song

Leonard Cohen

About Tower of Song

Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen was a concert, which was held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec on November 6, 2017 as a tribute to singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. The concert, which featured musicians performing Cohen songs, was subsequently broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a radio and television special, airing on CBC Music on November 7, 2017 and on CBC Television on January 3, 2018. The television broadcast received several Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019, including Best Variety or Entertainment Special, Best Direction in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program (Jack Bender) and Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program (Carrie Mudd).  


Year:
1988
5:37
96 
#1

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Well, my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day in the Tower of Song

I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn't answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
Oh, a hundred floors above me in the Tower of Song

I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
And twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond
They tied me to this table right here in the Tower of Song

So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll
I'm very sorry, baby, doesn't look like me at all
I'm standing by the window where the light is strong
Ah, they don't let a woman kill you, not in the Tower of Song

Now, you can say that I've grown bitter but of this you may be sure
The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor
And there's a mighty judgment coming, but I may be wrong
You see, you hear these funny voices in the Tower of Song

I see you standing on the other side
I don't know how the river got so wide
I loved you baby, way back when
And all the bridges are burning that we might have crossed
But I feel so close to everything that we lost
We'll never, we'll never have to lose it again

Now I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'll be back
They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone
I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song

Yeah, my friends are gone and my hair is gray
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day in the Tower of Song

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Leonard Cohen

Leonard Norman Cohen, (September 21, 1934- November 7, 2016) CC GOQ, was a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist. His work often explored religion, isolation, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships. Cohen was inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was also a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour. In 2011 Cohen received Prince of Asturias Award for literature. more »

30 fans

Written by: LEONARD COHEN

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Creation
"Tower of Song" is a work of acclaimed Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen. It was written and produced for his 1988 album "I'm Your Man."
Album's Success
The song was part of Cohen's most popular album "I'm Your Man", which reached number one in several countries including Norway and Canada.
Meaning of the Song
Many interpret "Tower of Song" as Cohen's reflection on his own position as a veteran songwriter and singer in the world of music — the "Tower" being a metaphor for the world of art where artists struggle to create and are judged by the audience.
Live Performances
Cohen usually concluded his live shows with this song. This tradition started with his 1988 tour and continued until his last tour in 2013.
Unique Instrument
The song features a distinctive keyboard solo played on an instrument called a Synclavier – an expensive and sophisticated synthesizer popular in the 1980s.
Inspired Other Artists
Since its release, numerous artists have covered "Tower of Song". It has been performed by artists like Nick Cave, Martha Wainwright, and U2.
Featured in Film
A live performance of "Tower of Song" by Leonard Cohen and U2 was featured in the 2006 documentary "Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man".
Tribute to the Song
Artists including Jarvis Cocker, Beth Orton, and The Handsome Family covered "Tower of Song" live at the Barbican Centre in London as a tribute to Cohen in 2014.
Featured in Literature
The song and its lyrics have often been used in literature, most notably in Alan Moore's comic "Watchmen", where it was used to profound effect in underscoring the tragic life of one of the characters.
Lyric References
The lyrics reference Hank Williams, an American singer-songwriter, and musician who Cohen greatly admired. "A hundred floors above me in the tower of song" implies Williams' influence and how this influence cannot be reached by Cohen, despite his efforts.

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