First We Take Manhattan

Je vous disais l'autre jour que je n'étais pas doué pour les eulogies, aussi je m'abstiendrai cette fois-ci comme les autres et laisserai la parole au défunt. Je suis peu familier de l'oeuvre de Léonard Cohen, que j'ai découvert comme beaucoup de gens de ma génération grâce au (fabuleux) film Pump up the volume en 1990, où le (non moins fabuleux) titre Everybody Knows occupe une place importante. C'est pour ça que je n'ai de Cohen que l'album I'm Your Man de 1988, où figure justement ce morceau. I'm Your Man s'ouvre sur First We Take Manhattan, une sorte d'ego-trip sexy et synthpop totalement inattendu de la part d'un chansonnier folk. Le texte est assez épique et je vous laisserai le découvrir vous-mêmes en dessous de la vidéo. Plus frappant encore, ce que Cohen a déclaré à propos de cette composition : « I think it means exactly what it says. It is a terrorist song. I think it's a response to terrorism. There's something about terrorism that I've always admired. The fact that there are no alibis or no compromises. That position is always very attractive. I don't like it when it's manifested on the physical plane - I don't really enjoy the terrorist activities – but Psychic Terrorism. I remember there was a great poem by Irving Layton that I once read, I'll give you a paraphrase of it. It was ''well, you guys blow up an occasional airline and kill a few children here and there'', he says. ''But our terrorists, Jesus, Freud, Marx, Einstein. The whole world is still quaking.'' ».

Rien à ajouter ^^

They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom 

For trying to change the system from within 

I'm coming now, I'm coming to reward them 

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin 

I'm guided by a signal in the heavens 

I'm guided by this birthmark on my skin 

I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons 

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin 

I'd 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 you're worried that I just might win 

You know the way to stop me, but you don't have the discipline 

How many nights I prayed for this, to let my work begin 

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin 

I don't like your fashion business mister 

And I don't like these drugs that keep you thin 

I don't like what happened to my sister 

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin 

I'd 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 

And I thank you for those items that you sent me 

The monkey and the plywood violin 

I practiced every night, now I'm ready 

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin 

Ah remember me, I used to live for music 

Remember me, I brought your groceries in 

Well it's Father's Day and everybody's wounded 

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin