Leonard Cohen, CC (born September 21, 1934 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a poet, novelist, and singer-songwriter. His musical career has largely overshadowed his prior work as a poet and novelist, although he has continued to publish poetry sporadically after his breakthrough in the music industry. Musically, Cohen's early songs are based in folkmusic, in terms of both melody and instrumentation; from the 1970s, though, his work begins to show the influence of various types of popular and cabaretmusic. Since the 1980s he typically sings in a deep bass register, with synthesizers and female backing vocals. Cohen's songs are often emotionally heavy and lyrically complex, owing more to the metaphoric word play of poetry than to established conventions of songcraft.
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First We Take Manhattan Lyrics
Leonard Cohen
They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
For trying to change the system from within
Im coming now, Im coming to reward them
First we take manhattan, then we take berlin
Im guided by a signal in the heavens
Im guided by this birthmark on my skin
Im guided by the beauty of our weapons
First we take manhattan, then we take berlin
Id really like to live beside you, baby
I love your body and your spirit and your clothes
But you see that line there moving through the station?
I told you, I told you, told you, I was one of those
Ah you loved me as a loser, but now youre worried that I just might win
You know the way to stop me, but you dont have the discipline
How many nights I prayed for this, to let my work begin
First we take manhattan, then we take berlin
I dont like your fashion business mister
And I dont like these drugs that keep you thin
I dont like what happened to my sister
First we take manhattan, then we take berlin
Id really like to live beside you, baby ...
And I thank you for those items that you sent me
The monkey and the plywood violin
I practiced every night, now Im ready
First we take manhattan, then we take berlin
I am guided
Ah remember me, I used to live for music
Remember me, I brought your groceries in
Well its fathers day and everybodys wounded
First we take manhattan, then we take berlin