2020-07-13Photo: 圖片由作者提供
【歌詞背後】Suzanne
歌手:Leonard Cohen
作詞:Leonard Cohen
作曲: Leonard Cohen
創作/發行:1967年
Leonard Cohen(1934–2016)出生於加拿大魁北克蒙特利爾(Montreal) 一猶太中產家庭,父親早逝,Leonard Cohen 就是仗著父親的遺產,讓他年輕時,可以詩人、小說家、創作人、歌手等不同身份,追逐自己的夢想。
Leonard Cohen(網上圖片)
開始的時候,Leonard Cohen主力寫詩,作品離不開愛情、欲望、背叛、救贖、宗教、戰爭以至生死等主題,《Suzanne》就是Leonard Cohen以詩成曲的其一代表作。
私家珍藏(相片由作者提供)
Suzanne真有其人,全名Suzanne Verdal,本身為舞蹈員,六十年代跟Leonard Cohen邂逅時已為人妻。倆人經常見面,河邊細語漫步,伴隨著長空、海藻、花叢、孩童、 水手、故鄉、聖母堂,還有那從唐人街買來的甜橙和紅茶 ……
Suzanne Verdal(網上圖片)
一次柏拉圖式的愛戀,一段精神上的肉慾關係,一切憑詩寄意,卻註定無疾而終。
《Suzanne》
[Verse 1]
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
[Chorus]
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind
[Verse 2]
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
[Chorus]
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind
[Verse 3]
Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On Our Lady of the Harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
[Chorus]
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind
此曲首唱並非Leonard Cohen本人而是Judy Collins,她似乎總是獨具慧眼,好歌永遠先落在她手裏,唱得叫好叫座,為別人鋪路,其後創作人親自演繹,大多更上層樓,前文【歌詞背後】的Both Sides, Now正正如此。
幾十年來,不少電影以此曲作配樂,亦先後改編成多國語言版本,包括法國、意大利、荷蘭、芬蘭及瑞典等,翻唱的人不知凡幾,其中Bob Dylan 就曾在其1978年演唱會選唱此曲。
歌曲既然大賣,創作人收到的版稅,合該非常可觀,這偏偏跟Leonard Cohen沾不上邊,因為此曲的版權,在他糊裏糊塗的情況下,老早簽予別人。
經歷過也不一定會學乖!這就是典型藝術家的脾性,因為他們只沉醉於一己所愛。不敢謬言批評他們「離地」,在「有心人」的眼裏,他們卻是徹頭徹尾的「易騙」。
Kelley Lynch乃Leonard Cohen的經理人,他倆十七年來猶如親人般的合作,讓Kelley Lynch可以不動聲色地,不停出售Leonard Cohen作品的版權,以至盜用銀行存款,侵吞Leonard Cohen超過500萬美元的退休基金,據說待Leonard Cohen於2005年發現時,存款只剩下15000美元。
Kelley Lynch(網上圖片)
迫不得已,重出江湖,Leonard Cohen以七十多歲高齡,於2008年作出世界性巡迴演唱會。四、五年間,馬不停蹄,在世界各地不同劇院,共進行了幾近四百場的演出。
最初,可能是為了還債為了生計,一路唱不停,在找回自己的一刻,繼續堅持唱下去,那早就變成了一種享受,一份只有自己才懂的感受!
人到暮年,逆風而行,他沒有怨,就是打從心底不曾抱怨!他看得透:萬物都有裂縫,那正是光照進來的契機。(“There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen《Selected Poems 1956-1968》)
(網上圖片)
《經濟通》所刊的署名及/或不署名文章,相關內容屬作者個人意見,並不代表《經濟通》立場,《經濟通》所扮演的角色是提供一個自由言論平台。
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