Leonard Cohen's New Song "Darkness" Concert Premiere In Nashville -Two Year Anniversary

November 5, 2011

"Auntie Arlene is a Stoner"

 

That is what TAN (techie architect nephew) wrote to me after seeing a recent online  Rolling Stone article which included my November 5, 2009 Nashville concert video of Leonard Cohen's new song, Darkness.

The subject of the article, Leonard Cohen Gearimg Up For First New Album In Seven Years, which will be called, Old Ideas, has been widely covered in both print and online. Of interest was RS noting that Darkness was the only song of the new songs performed on the last world tour to make it into the new album.

Thrilling.

Darkness is my favourite of the new songs I heard when attending 16 concerts of that World Tour.

I am so lucky I happened to be at the Nashville concert when Leonard Cohen premiered his song.  And also fortunate to have had a first row seat for this newbie videographer to be able to capture an historical video. Thank you, Jarkko!



It was also great fun at subsequent concerts (some of which I captured on video, see below) watching Leonard vary the lyrics, especially this verse:

I caught the darkness [baby]
It was drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness [baby]

...from your little ruby cup  (Nashville, Nov 5, 09)

...from your little golden cup (St Louis, Nov 7, 09) (Berlin, Aug 18, 10) (Ghent, Aug 20, 10)

 ...from your little cup (Gothenburg, Aug 12, 10) (Oakland, Dec 5, 10) Portland, Dec 8,10)

It will be interesting to see the final lyrics for this verse that Leonard Cohen chose for his new album.

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The first video of the new "Blues Song" was taken at the Venice sound check on August 3, 2009 by Maarten Massa. (click here)  LC sang "...from your little ruby cup".

My previous reports of the November 5, 2009 Nashville concert are  here  and here.

And my Nashville Forum Fan Slideshow, Early Entry is here