Leonard Cohen, Popular Problems: tracklist (scheda album)

Popular Problems è il tredicesimo album in studio del cantautore canadese Leonard Cohen, è stato pubblicato il 19 settembre 2014 in alcuni Paesi e il 22 settembre altrove. La maggior parte delle canzoni erano inedite ma Cohen ha fatto il debutto di “Born In Chains” sul palco nel 2010 e “My Oh My” durante un soundcheck nello stesso anno.

La versione 2010 di “Born In Chains” differisce radicalmente in termini di arrangiamenti e canto rispetto alla versione 2014 in studio. Sempre la stessa canzone era stata già effettuata nel 1985, durante un soundcheck in Europa (ma non è stata incisa).

“A Street” è stata recitata da Cohen nel 2006, durante la promozione del suo libro di poesie Book of Longing. Al suo interno, nel testo, c’è anche un riferimento a quell’indimenticabile 11 settembre 2001. Anche “Nevermind” è stato pubblicato come poema nel 2005 sul sito di Leonard Cohen, e nel 2006, sempre su Book of Longing.

“Slow” – 3.25
“Almost Like the Blues” – 3.28
“Samson in New Orleans” – 4.39
“A Street” (Cohen, Anjani Thomas) – 3.32
“Did I Ever Love You” – 4.10
“My Oh My” – 3.36
“Nevermind” – 4.39
“Born in Chains” (Cohen) – 4.55
“You Got Me Singing” – 3.31

A Street, lyrics

I used to be your favorite drunk
Good for one more laugh
Then we both ran out of luck
Luck was all we ever had
You put on a uniform
To fight the Civil War
You looked so good I didn’t care
What side you’re fighting for

It wasn’t all that easy
When you up and walked away
But I’ll save that little story
For another rainy day
I know the burden’s heavy
As you wheel it through the night
Some people say it’s empty
But that don’t mean it’s light

You left me with the dishes
And a baby in the bath
You’re tight with the militias
You wear their camouflage
You always said we’re equal
So let me march with you
Just an extra in the sequel
To the old red white and blue

Baby don’t ignore me
We were smokers, we were friends
Forget that tired story
Of betrayal and revenge
I see the ghost of culture
With numbers on his wrist
Salute some new conclusion
That all of us have missed

I cried for you this morning
And I’ll cry for you again
But I’m not in charge of sorrow
So please don’t ask me when
There may be wine and roses
And magnums of champagne
But we’ll never know
We’ll never, ever be that drunk again

Okay
The party’s over
But I’ve landed on my feet
And I’m standing here on this corner
Where there used to be a street

The party’s over
But I’ve landed on my feet
I’ll be standing on this corner
Where there used to be a street

So let’s drink to when its over
And let’s drink to when we met
I’ll be standing on this corner
Where there used to be a street