Je veux vivre tout seul
Bird on the Wire in French, adaption of Serge Lama 1971
1974 L'Humanité Sep. 7, 1975 Pennsylvania, Nov. 23

Je veux vivre tout seul,
Libre comme un oiseau sur son fil
Sans femme, sans famille, et sans amis.
Je veux vivre, tout seul,
Libre comme un poète en exil,
Sans visa, sans papiers et sans pays.

J'en ai marre
De toujours faire le beau,
De sourire quand j'ai mal dans mon cœur.
J'en ai marre
Je veux monter plus haut,
A l'abri des chiens et des chasseurs.

Like a little baby, stillborn,
like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me.
But I swear by this song
and by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee.

Certain soir,
Je trouve sur ta peau
Quelque chose qui ressemble au bonheur.
Mais hélas,
Tu t'endors aussitôt.
Le matin tu te lèves à 8 heures.

Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in some old midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.

Vull viure sol,
Lliure com un ocell sobre el seu fil
Sense dona, sense família i sense amics.
Vull viure sol,
Lliure com un poeta a l'exili,
Sense un visat, indocumentat i sense pàtria.
I want to live all alone
Free like a bird on the wire
Without wife, family or friends
I want to live all alone
Free like a poet in exile
Without visa, without papers, without country

Estic cansat
De sempre fer-me el guapo,
De somriure quan em fa mal al cor.
Estic cansat
Vull anar més amunt,
Al refugi dels gossos i dels caçadors.
I'm tired
of begging every day,
Of smiling when I am sick at heart
I'm tired I want to go up higher
With the shelter of the dogs and hunters

Una nit,
Trobo sobre la teva pell
Alguna cosa semblant a la felicitat.
Però, per desgràcia,
T'adorms immediatament.
Al matí t'aixeques a les 8.
Some evenings
I find on your skin
Something that looks like happiness
But alas, you are asleep immediately
In the morning you wake at 8

Beloved Comrade
by Lewis Allan and Fred Katz 1945
1974 L'Humanité Sept. 7

To you Beloved Comrade we make this solemn vow
The fight will go on
The fight will still go on
Like you, Beloved Comrade we pledge our bodies now
The fight will go on
The fight will still go on

Per tu estimat camarada fem aquest solemne vot
La lluita continuarà
La lluita encara es continuarà
Com tu, estimat camarada comprometem els nostres cossos ara
La lluita continuarà
La lluita encara es continuarà

Dona Nobis Pacem
Give Us Your Peace
Unknown compositor
1974 München Sept. 28

Dona Nobis Pacem

....
Just in closing I want to say good night to you.
Thank you for flying(?)
your warm reception of the song and the musicians.
Good night.

Un Az Der Rebbe Singt
Traditional Yiddish
1970 Frankfurt, May 6; 1974; 1975 Philadelphia Feb, 05; 1976 Nürnberg, June 6; 1979

Az der rebe zingt
Zingn ale khasidim
Az der rebe tantzt
Tantzn ale khasidim
Az der rebe shlof
Shlofn ale khasidim
Az der rebe lakht
Lakhn ale khasidim
Az der rebe est
Fresn ale khasidim
Un az der rebe redt
Shvaygn ale khasidim!

And As The Rabbi Sings

When the Rabbi sings,
All the khasidim sing,
And when the Rabbi dances,
They all dance,
And when the Rabbi sleeps,
All the khasidim sleep,
And when the Rabbi laughs,
They all laugh with him,
When the Rabbi eats,
They also stuff themselves,
And when the Rabbi speaks
All the khasidim keep silent!

Un As Der Rebbe Elimelech
Traditional Yiddish
1975 Philadelphia Feb. 05

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh
Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh,
(Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh, Elimeylekh,)
Hot er oysgeton di tfilin
Un hot ongeton di briln
Un geshikt nokh di fidlers di tsvey.
Un di fidldike fidlers
Hobn fidldik gefidlt.
Hobn fidldik gefildt hobn zey!

When Rabbi Elimelekh

When the Rabbi Elimelekh
Became happy,
(Became happy, Elimelekh)
He took off his phylacteries
And he put on his glasses
And he sent for his two fiddlers.
And the fiddledika fiddled
Fiddledika fiddled!
Oh, they fiddledika fiddled!

Beauty Salon by Leonard Cohen
1975 Songs for Rebecca unreleased -> Don't Go Home With Your Hard On
1975 Pennsylvania Nov. 23

I was born in a beauty salon.
My father was a dresser of hair.
My mother was a girl you could call on, -
When you called she was always there.

So you see I've looked behind all of these faces.
Yeah but, smile ya down to your knees
And the lips that say, come on come on taste us,
And when you try to they make you say "please".

Ah but, don't go home with your hard-on,
It will only drive you insane,
You can't shake it, or break it with your Motown,
Ya can't melt it down in the rain.

Here comes your bride with her veil on.
Approach her, you wretch, if you dare.
Yeah, approach her, you ape, with your tail on,
Once you have her, she'll always be there.

Ah but, don't go home with your hard-on,
It will only drive you insane,
You can't shake it, or break it with your Motown,
Ya can't melt it down in the rain.

Ah so I work in that same beauty salon.
I'm chained to the old masquerade.
I'm in the lipstick, the shadow, and the silicone -
I follow my father's trade.

Dont Go Home With Your Hard On by Leonard Cohen - Phil Spector
1977 - Death Of A Ladies' Man

I was born in a beauty salon
My father was a dresser of hair
My mother was a girl you could call on
When you called she was always there...

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain
You can't melt it down in the rain...

I've looked behind all of the faces
That smile you down to you knees
And the lips that say, Come on, taste us
And when you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please...

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on ...

Here come's your bride with her veil on
Approach her, you wretch, if you dare
Approach her, you ape with your tail on
Once you have her she'll always be there
Once you have her she'll always be there...

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on ...

So I work in that same beauty salon
I'm chained to the old masquerade
The lipstick, the shadow, the silicone
I follow my father's trade
I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade...

Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain...

Guerrero
by Leonard Cohen - John Lissauer
1975 Songs for Rebecca unreleased early Iodine
1975 Pennsylvania, Nov. 23

{ extremely uncertain transcription }

The lady sounded ghostly in Gerrero,
When I was runnin' smoke across the lines {or "lights"?}
She let me love her till I was a failure.
Her beauty on my bruise like iodine.

When I was weak enough to learn her methods,
I said "will I be punished for my crime?"
She said "there is a table set in heaven,
But I don't like to eat there all the time."

She pulled away the mask
Of the madonna,
She pulled away the mask (tear)
Of her thighs.

She couldn't find herself. {?}
And never will
Until I should be screwin her last disguise.

And I was with her when there was no ocean.
Oh when there was no rules to spill the tides.
It only took of the wild imagination
To lay us in Gerrero side by side

She pulled away the mask
Of her madonna
She pulled away the mask (tear)
Of her thighs.

She couldn't find herself,
And never will,
Untill I should exhaust her last disguise.

And I was with her when there was no ocean.
When there was no blues to spill the tides.
Well long before the wild imagination,
To lay us in Gerrero side by side.

To lay us in Gerrero side by side.

Iodine
by Leonard Cohen - Phil Spector
1977 Death Of A Ladies' Man

I needed you, I knew I was in danger
of losing what I used to think was mine
You let me love you till I was a failure,
You let me love you till I was a failure --
Your beauty on my bruise like iodine

I asked you if a man could be forgiven
And though I failed at love, was this a crime?
You said, Don't worry, don't worry, darling
You said, Don't worry, don't you worry, darling
There are many ways a man can serve his time

You covered up that place I could not master
It wasn't dark enough to shut my eyes
So I was with you, O sweet compassion
Yes I was with you, O sweet compassion
Compassion with the sting of iodine

Your saintly kisses reeked of iodine
Your fragrance with a fume of iodine
And pity in the room like iodine

Your sister fingers burned like iodine
And all my wanton lust was iodine
My masquerade of trust was iodine
And everywhere the flare of iodine

I Guess It's Time
1975 Songs for Rebecca unreleased early The Smokey Life
1975 Pennsylvania, Nov. 23

You know I've never seen your eyes so wide
Your appetite this occupied
With someone else
As if we'd been alone
Now it ain't my style to hold on that tight
Let's be married one more night

I guess it's time, I finally let you go

Oh I recall the scenery started fading
I held you til you learned to walk on air
Don't look down, it's gone, it's faded baby
The Smokey Life is practiced everywhere

Set your little restless heart at ease
The lessons in all of these autumn leaves
Ain't no sense in waiting for the snow
Hurry, hurry, hurry now or you'll be late
There's nothing to investigate

I guess it's time, I finally let you go

Oh I recall the scenery started fading
I held you til you learned to walk on air
Don't look down, it's gone, it's faded baby
The Smokey Life is practiced everywhere

Come back when the moment lends
You can look up all my very closest friends

I guess it's time, I finally let you go

The Smokey Life
1979 Recent Songs

I've never seen your eyes so wide
I've never seen your appetite quite this occupied
Elsewhere is your feast of love
I know ... where long ago we agreed to keep it light
So lets be married one more night

It's light, light enough to let it go
It's light enough to let it go

Remember when the scenery started fading
I held you til you learned to walk on air
So don't look down the ground is gone,
there's no one waiting anyway
The Smoky Life is practiced everywhere

So set your restless heart at ease
Take a lesson from these Autumn leaves
They waste no time waiting for the snow
Don't argue now you'll be late
There is nothing to investigate

It's light enough, light enough to let it go
Light enough to let it go

Remember when the scenery started fading
I held you til you learned to walk on air
So don't look down the ground is gone,
there's no one waiting anyway
The Smoky Life is practiced everywhere

Come on back if the moment lends
You can look up all my very closest friends

Light, light enough to let it go
It's light enough to let it go

The Traitor Song
1975 Songs for Rebecca unreleased early The Traitor
1975 Pennsylvania, Nov. 23

The Swan it floated on the English river
The Rose of Sharon opened like a mess
A suntanned woman yawned through the summer
Unfolding like a fan to my request

I told my mother, "Mother I must leave you
Preserve my room but do not shed a tear
Should rumors of a shabby ending reach you
It was half my fault and half the atmosphere"

Well I broke the glass an arm above that hammer
And the fire touched me with a magnet flame
At last she said I was her finest lover
And if she withered, I would be to blame

She held me tight just like a soldier's widow
But soon I heard reports of the attack
Yes and past her hair and through the steamy window
I saw the men of action falling back.

But I lingered on her thighs a fatal moment
I kissed her lips as though I thirsted still
My falsity it stung me like a hornet
The poison sank and it paralized my will

I could not move to warn the younger soldiers
That they had been deserted from above
So on battlefields from here to Barcelona
I'm listed with the enemies of love

And long ago she said, I must be leaving
But keep my body here to lie upon
Yes and move it up and down and when It's sleeping
You can wire up the rose and wind the Swan

So daily I renew my idle duty
I touch her here and there -- I know my place
I kiss her open mouth and I praise her beauty
And people call me Traitor to my face.

The Traitor
1979 Recent Songs

Now the Swan it floated on the English river
Ah the Rose of High Romance it opened wide
A sun tanned woman yearned me through the summer
and the judges watched us from the other side

I told my mother "Mother I must leave you
preserve my room but do not shed a tear
Should rumour of a shabby ending reach you
it was half my fault and half the atmosphere"

But the Rose I sickened with a scarlet fever
and the Swan I tempted with a sense of shame
She said at last I was her finest lover
and if she withered I would be to blame

The judges said you missed it by a fraction
rise up and brace your troops for the attack
Ah the dreamers ride against the men of action
Oh see the men of action falling back

But I lingered on her thighs a fatal moment
I kissed her lips as though I thirsted still
My falsity had stung me like a hornet
The poison sank and it paralysed my will

I could not move to warn all the younger soldiers
that they had been deserted from above
So on battlefields from here to Barcelona
I'm listed with the enemies of love

And long ago she said "I must be leaving,
Ah but keep my body here to lie upon
You can move it up and down and when I'm sleeping
Run some wire through that Rose and wind the Swan"

So daily I renew my idle duty
I touch her here and there -- I know my place
I kiss her open mouth and I praise her beauty
and people call me traitor to my face