Song 329: This week on the playlist you can hear Sisters of Mercy by Leonard Cohen, who also wrote the song. Tonight I feel a certain sense of inevitability in following up last week’s track by one of the original singer/songwriter types, Hank Williams, with a cut by a singer/songwriter from a later era who shared the same astrological sun sign, and who died a week ago, on 11/7. In the late spring of 1970 I took advantage of a local record store special and added a pair of Judy Collins LPs to my collection, with Wildflowers being one of the two. Over the following summer, as I struggled to forge my own unique musical identity, I listened to that album a lot, and soon got to know the words of the songs by heart, including all 3 of the LC compositions. I had also entered into a new phase of the Christian belief that I had grown up with, and at a certain point in time that summer, one of Leonard’s couplets from this tune opened up an enlightening moment for me, as I listened to Judy sing “I’ve been where you’re hanging, I think I can see how you’re pinned: When you’re not feeling holy your loneliness says that you’ve sinned.” Recognizing the hang-up, I promptly disconnected from the pin, and immediately felt freer and more at ease. I’m glad that the Sisters of Mercy brought Leonard some comfort in his life, and while sadly he’s no longer around to give directions, I would guess that anyone looking for the sisters can still read their address by the moon.
No comments:
Post a Comment