DamnLyrics - The center provides all the lyrics

Story of Isaac (Paris Theatre, London 1968) - Leonard Cohen



     
Page format: Left Center Right
Direct link:
BB code:
Embed:

Story of Isaac (Paris Theatre, London 1968) Lyrics


The door it opened slowly
My father he came in
I was nine years old
And he stood so tall above me
His blue eyes they were shining
And his voice was very coldHe said, "I've had a vision
And you know I'm strong and holy
I must do what I've been told"
So he started up the mountain
I was running, he was walking
And his axe was made of goldWell, the trees they got much smaller
The lake, a lady's mirror
We stopped to drink some wine
Then he threw the bottle over
Broke a minute later
And he put his hand on mineThought I saw an eagle
But it might have been a vulture
I never could decide

Then my father built an altar
He looked once behind his shoulder
He knew I would not hideYou who build these altars now
To sacrifice these children
You must not do it anymore
A scheme is not a vision
And you never have been tempted
By a demon or a GodYou who stand above them now
Your hatchets blunt and bloody
You were not there before
When I lay upon a mountain
And my father's hand was trembling
With the beauty of the wordAnd if you call me brother now
Forgive me if I inquire
"Just according to whose plan?"
When it all comes down to dust
I will kill you if I must
I will help you if I canWhen it all comes down to dust
I will help you if I must
I will kill you if I can
And mercy on our uniform
Man of peace or man of war
The peacock spreads his fan
Songwriters
COHEN, LEONARDPublished by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC Song Discussions is protected by U.S. Patent 9401941. Other patents pending.

Enjoy the lyrics !!!
Leonard Cohen, (born 21st September 1934 in Montréal, Quebec, Canada) is a poet, novelist and musician. His musical career has largely overshadowed his prior work as a poet and novelist, although he has continued to publish poetry sporadically after his breakthrough in the music industry. His first published book of poetry was Let Us Compare Mythologies (1956).

Musically, Cohen's early songs are based in folk music, in terms of both melody and instrumentation; from the 1970s, though, his work begins to show the influence of various types of popular and cabaret music. Since the 1980s he has typically sung in a deep bass register, accompanied by synthesisers and female backing vocals.

Despite not embarking on a tour since 1993, Cohen was forced to go on the road in 2008, following the alleged misappropriation of over U.S. $5 million from his retirement by his longtime former manager, Kelley Lynch. This left him close to bankruptcy and Cohen's mammoth world tour lasted two and a half years and included 246 shows.

Cohen's songs are often emotionally heavy and lyrically complex, owing more to the metaphoric word play of poetry than to established conventions of songcraft. His work often explores the themes of religion, isolation, and complex interpersonal relationships.

Cohen's music has become highly influential to other singer-songwriters, and more than a thousand cover versions of his works have been recorded. He is also popular in his native land, having been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and awarded the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour.

User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.

View All

Leonard Cohen