JOAN OF ARC Tour Debut in Leonard Cohen Portland Concert on Nov 11 With Band Wearing Poppies on Solemn Date

November 28, 2012
Portland Nov 11 screen shots from my videos

As soon as I was back in my Portland hotel room after the November 11 concert., my first brief post on the Leonard cohen forum summed up my excitement, my emotions in two short sentences.

CONCERT REPORT: Portland, OR - November 11, 2012

by bridger15 » Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:32 am
DEBUT: JOAN OF ARC

LC and the band wore Poppies to commemorate Remembrance Day/Armistice Day
When the band came on stage for the first time followed shortly by LC all wearing poppies to commemorate Remembrance Day/Armistice Day, this ex-pat Canadian got very teary eyed.
(I made an earlier post about the sgnificance of the poppy Leonard Cohen Commemorates November 11th Wearing The Emblematic Poppy)

Later in the concert, I started to tear up again when Leonard Cohen began to strum the opening bars to JOAN OF ARC, a tour debut. I have been wanting to hear this live for a very long time.

The Leonard Cohen and Hattie Webb duets were incredible.  The backing singers and band ensemble effect was gripping. It all came together. "They nailed it."

Luckily, I had my camera ready, put a check on my tears and captured it.

Thank you Leonard Cohen and ensemble for an unforgettable memory on my sixth and final concert of this leg.

Video by Arlene Dick



Joan Of Arc
Now the flames they followed joan of arc
As she came riding through the dark;
No moon to keep her armour bright,
No man to get her through this very smoky night.
She said, "i'm tired of the war,
I want the kind of work I had before,
A wedding dress or something white
To wear upon my swollen appetite.
Well, I'm glad to hear you talk this way,
You know I've watched you riding every day
And something in me yearns to win
Such a cold and lonesome heroine.
"and who are you? " she sternly spoke
To the one beneath the smoke.
"why, I'm fire," he replied,
"and I love your solitude, I love your pride."

"then fire, make your body cold,

I'm going to give you mine to hold,"
Saying this she climbed inside
To be his one, to be his only bride.
And deep into his fiery heart
He took the dust of joan of arc,
And high above the wedding guests
He hung the ashes of her wedding dress.

It was deep into his fiery heart

He took the dust of joan of arc,
And then she clearly understood
If he was fire, oh then she must be wood.
I saw her wince, I saw her cry,
I saw the glory in her eye.
Myself I long for love and light,
But must it come so cruel, and oh so bright?

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