And the moment arose that we could have a moment together intimately, and I declined. Dec 4, 2016 - (from wikipedia) Leonard Cohen specified, notably in a BBC interview, that the song was about encountering Suzanne Verdal, the wife of sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, in a Montréal setting. Suzanne can refer to: Suzanne (song), a song by Leonard Cohen Suzanne Verdal, whom the song was named after, based on official stories Suzanne Elrod, Leonard Cohen's lover, mother of Cohen's son Adam Cohen Suzanne Vega, another Suzanne celebrity who has covered some Leonard Cohen songs, and even had some interviews with him. Suzanne: Yes, I agree and I believe it’s material forces at hand that do this to many the greatest of lovers (laughs). The half crazy could pertain to the sadness, but I think it was because I was so on a creative drive and the focuses were so strong in spite of any private grief I may have about my break up with Armand and the wheres and whys. Died: 29 July, 2016, in Oslo, aged 81. Saunders: And that was something you shared, both of you? Suzanne: Oh yes, yes, I don’t hesitate to speak of this, absolutely. Suzanne Vega is a singer-songwriter who has long admired Leonard Cohen (Leonard was also a fan of her work) and has worked with and opened shows for him. I forget that Leonard is more than just an amazing poet and philosopher. Suzanne Elrod is known as the companion of famous singer Leonard Cohen. Login with Gmail. But then there were some bittersweet moments that perhaps I don’t wish to divulge right at this time. Though not lovers in any conventional sense, the relationship between Cohen and Verdal was extraordinarily intense, colored by the Montreal lifestyle of the time. Saunders: It seems very sad that the spirits moved apart. Saunders: Did either of you ever try to take it a stage further and make it more physically intimate or become lovers? Suzanne: Yes, and I guess he retained that. Despite what many people believe,she was not a girlfriend  of his but they had a platonic friendship. The song “Suzanne” was first recorded by Judy Collins, and appeared on her 1966 album In My Life. In 1999 she was involved in an accident which left her unable to work in either of her chosen professions. There was the activism. Saunders: So would you say in a way, in the spiritual sense, you were great lovers at some level? But I was depicted as I think, in sad terms too in a sense, and that’s a little unfortunate. Our relationship did change with time. That doesn’t exist. THE BACKSTORY: Originally a poem, "Suzanne" was inspired by Cohen's attraction to the ethereal Verdal, who lived on the Saint Lawrence River in the mid-'60s. Like many young women in those days, Suzanne’s creative and somewhat bohemian hippie lifestyle meant that she created her own clothes which you’ll remember from the song: ‘wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters’. Is that something about your level of particular intimacy between you? Suzanne: It was maybe several months into my relationship with Armand, which was mostly based on being dancing partners together. It’s like an observer, and not the participant any more, yes. I would always light a candle and serve tea and it would be quiet for several minutes, then we would speak. Cohen remained friends with her. And he would watch us dancing, of course. Ms. Simmons found her in … I traveled, went to the U.S., and we’d see him and bump into him. And that’s why there was some ill feeling there or some sadnesses that were not there at the beginning at all. Saundes: Leonard Cohen recently described the song as the best of his whole career. Orin ar ganaouenn. I just would speak and I would move and I would encourage and he would just kind of like sit back and grin while soaking it all up and I wouldn’t always get feedback, but I felt his presence really being with me. The inspiration was one Suzanne Verdal, then the partner of sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, whose most famous work is a giant fountain in San Francisco dedicated to Quebecan independence. This led to the verse of the song that begins: ‘And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water’. Its lyrics describe the rituals that they enjoyed when they met: Suzanne would invite Cohen to visit her apartment by the harbour in Montreal, where she would serve him Constant Comment tea, and they would walk around Old Montreal past the church of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, where sailors were blessed before heading out to sea. And then I was introduced to Leonard at Le Vieux Moulin, I think in the presence of Armand, in fact. Suzanne left Montreal in 1992 with his son Kahlil. Suzanne was a … Saunders: After you’d heard this very intimate song, when did you meet Leonard Cohen again, after you’d heard it, and how had your relationship changed, if at all? Suzanne: Yes, and I don’t quite understand. Don’t ask me why. Suzanne Vega. Suzanne Verdal was interviewed by CBC News's The National in 2006 about the song. He’s also a human being who happens to be a man (laughs), so I can’t speak on that side. We’d walk down the street for instance, and the click of our shoes, his boots and my shoes, would be like in synchronicity. They had a platonic relationship and she was the inspiration for one of Cohen's most famous songs, "Suzanne." And I guess, I don’t know if that intimidated him or embarrassed him or made him uncomfortable. He likened it to a 1982 Chateau Le Tour, a good bottle of wine. Suzanne: He was "drinking me in" more than I even recognized, if you know what I mean. She never moved back. And surprisingly, the lyrics of the song – which Cohen wrote originally as a poem – are quite literal. As has been explained by a number of music scholars, “Suzanne” is Suzanne Verdal, the beautiful, free-spirited wife of an artist Cohen knew in … "Venice Beach is an old landmark for the intellectuals, the writers, artists of the 30s and 40s and the free spirits, the free thinkers," Verdal says. You can see a wide range of articles. [1] [2] Vega's music career spans almost 40 years. Verdal never benefited financially from the song’s enormous commercial success. There’s a little bit of a bittersweet feeling to it that I retain. "Suzanne" was inspired by Cohen's platonic relationship with Suzanne Verdal, the then girlfriend of sculptorArmand Vaillancourt. Suzanne: That’s right, absolutely. And I would speak about life and poetry and we’d share ideas. Read Wikipedia in Modernized UI. Saunders: So Leonard Cohen saw you when you were a young girl in love? Saunders: So it almost has become a symbol of your youth, if you like? Verdal, a municipality in Trondelag county, Norway Verdal Station, a railway station located in the town of Verdalsora in the municipality of Verdal in Trondela. Saunders: When you heard the song as opposed to hearing the poem, did you instantly think, that’s me? Login with Gmail. Login with Facebook But apparently it got into the attention of Judy Collins, who urged Leonard to write a song based on the poem. Suzanne és una cançó escrita pel poeta canadenc i músic Leonard Cohen. As I say, you can glance at a person and that moment is eternal and it’s the deepest of touches and that’s what we’d shared, Leonard and I, I believe. Yet, there was always so much to go around, if you know what I mean. I don’t mean to be maudlin about it, but we’ve kind of gone our different ways and lost touch and some of my most beloved friends have departed from this planet into the other spheres. Many think Cohen’s wife Suzanne Elrod was the inspiration for his song, but it was Verdal, the former wife of Montreal sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, who served as muse. Baldy Zen Monastery in California, only a few miles down the road from where Suzanne now lives with her seven cats and works as a dance instructor and massage therapist. That tea is Constant Comment, sold by the Bigelow Tea Co. First sold in the 1940s, it … I don’t know for sure. Bohemian dancer who met poet and musician Leonard Cohen in Montreal in the 1960's. He became a big star after the song was launched and he became a songwriter. Despite what many people believe,she was not a girlfriend of his but they had a platonic friendship. Saunders: What did you think about your portrayal? La lletra té el seu origen en el poema " Suzanne Takes you down " inclòs en el llibre de poemes Parasites of Heaven (1966), com moltes altres peces del seu primer àlbum Songs of Leonard Cohen . Today, Leonard Cohen's muse, Suzanne Verdal, lives in Venice Beach, California. It’s hard to describe. Add your article. He once called it "journalism", as the details were drawn from life in Montreal. Much about Suzanne's date of birth is not shared with the media. Saunders: Do you remember exactly when you met Leonard Cohen? We’d almost hear each other thinking. Suzanne Elrod is an artist and the former partner of Leonard Cohen. I took all that moment for granted. She persuaded Cohen to set it to music. Where were you that night, do you remember? Suzanne was born in 1950. You know, there was so much energy and sharing and inspiration and pure moments and quality times together on very little or no money. Therefore, it’s fair to say that it was Suzanne Verdal who was responsible for his ultimate fame. Saunders: Do you think he resented the fact at all that you turned him down when he did fancy you? She was a teenager when they first met she was engaged to, and later married, the sculptor Armand Villaincourt. What came later was not remaining friends with Leonard and not knowing why. And it was a union. La lletra té el seu origen en el poema "Suzanne Takes you down" inclòs en el llibre de poemes Parasites of Heaven , com moltes altres peces del seu primer àlbum Songs of Leonard Cohen. Saunders: Leonard Cohen later said that the opening verse of his poem, later to be the song "Suzanne", was a poetic account of the time he spent with her in the Summer of 1965. What does the song mean to you now, as you look back on it? She then recorded it and this was the start of Leonard Cohen’s career. Cohen's friend Suzanne Verdal fed him a black tea with pieces of orange rind in it. Suzanne: Well, that could be. As you may or may not know, it launched him as a songwriter, I suppose. Cohen says that 'everyone was in love with Suzanne', including him, although, as the song says, he could only 'touch her perfect body' with his mind. But who was Suzanne and what inspired the song? Suzanne left Montreal It just was a spiritual moment that I had with the lightening of the candle. When I was living then separated from Armand, I went and was very much interested in the waterfront. I was going to say, he is almost your audience. There was so much other wonderful things happening. Home Human names Surname Surnames Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Verdal (disambiguation) Academic disciplines Business Concepts Crime What did he mean, do you think? She became the muse of dozens of Beat poets but for one, Leonard Cohen, she became extra special. It was a spirit union. "Suzanne" was inspired by Cohen's platonic relationship with dancer Suzanne Verdal. "Suzanne Verdal perches in the doorway of the little gypsy cabin she and her son built on the back of a truck". That is me still, yes. I mean we were living, most of us, on a shoestring. Suzanne Verdal was described in the song Suzanne by Leonard Cohen. Leonard heard about this place I was living, with crooked floors and a poetic view of the river, and he came to visit me many times. Suzanne: Oh yes. Does that make sense to you? Born: 18 May 1935 in Larkollen, Norway. Read Wikipedia in Modernized UI. Saunders: The song is about the meeting of spirits. It was live jazz and we were just dancing our hearts out for hours on end, happy on very little. That was me. He got such a kick out of seeing me emerge as a young schoolgirl I suppose, and a young artist, into becoming Armand’s lover and then wife. Suzanne: Oh very much so. Arguably, Leonard Cohen’s most famous song is Suzanne. The Girl in the Song: The Stories Behind 50 Rock Classics. Leonard Cohen had moved from Canada to the States but he and Suzanne did meet in Montreal sometime later and there were various accidental, casual encounters over the years. And surprisingly, the lyrics of the song – which Cohen wrote originally as a poem – are quite literal. Suzanne: That may be, but I think poets do that. You know I don’t think I was quite as sad as that, albeit maybe I was and he perceived that and I didn’t. Suzanne: I’ll never really know because there is a part of me that doesn’t understand the male gender, so I can’t speak about that part (laughs). Saunders: Again this is put in the song but then he says, ‘just when you mean to tell her that you have no love to give her, then she gets you on her wavelength and she lets the river answer that you’ve always been her lover.’ What does that mean? But someone else was aware of the poem too, singer Judy Collins. Suzanne Nadine Vega (born July 11, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer, best known for her folk-inspired music. She lived in Montreal from 1963 to 1992 when she left after a battle with Hydro Quebec, which claimed that she owed $5,000 in her St. Henri apartment. I guess I miss the simpler times that we lived and shared. Saunders: It does, indeed. Saunders: When did you then strike up this friendship that Leonard Cohen describes in song? I was already becoming aware of recycling at a very young, young age and I might say, I might be a pioneer in that because I was going to the Salvation Army and getting old dresses and old pieces of just cloth and making something quite wonderful out of them to dress myself, my child, and to make wonderful clothes. in 1992 with his son Kahlil. Suzanne: Flattered somewhat. Suzanne: The Beat scene was beautiful. she and her son built on the back of a truck". And I may or may not have spoken to Leonard about, you know I did pray to Christ, to Jesus Christ and to St. Joan at the time, and still do. We had tea together many times and mandarin oranges. Like Cohen, Suzanne Verdal was Canadian. Do you ever listen to it? You can almost be said to have created this song yourself. And there’s sometimes a very real homesickness for Montreal and that wonderful time. Suzanne Verdal was interviewed by CBC News's The National in 2006 about the song. 26 The young Cohen's signature tune was Suzanne. Saunders: Could you describe one of the typical evenings that you spent with Leonard Cohen at the time the song was written? That’s their material. She finds emotional support in the colourful and eccentric bohemian community that thrives there. "Suzanne Verdal perches in the doorway of the little gypsy cabin Did either of you ever want to? British born and now living in the USA, she specialises in lifestyle issues, design and quirky stories. She maintains that there was no physical aspect to their relationship, hence as it says in the song: One of the reasons I used that name for my first child , Jackie Jackson, also known online as BritFlorida, is a highly experienced designer and writer. As per the report made by people Pill, Suzanne was nineteen years old when she met Leonard in 1969. Suzanne Verdal Suzanne és una cançó escrita pel poeta canadenc i músic Leonard Cohen . Now the words have more meaning in a sense, because there’s a kind of detachment in the song that I hear now, that I didn’t hear then. Suzanne really did live in a ‘place by the river’ and when Cohen used to visit her she would ‘serve him tea and oranges’. I stayed true to art for art’s sake but he moved on and I stayed true to the cause, as it were. It was very unique, very, very unique. Suzanne Elrod, better known since meeting the Canadian poet in 1969 as Mrs. Leonard Cohen, separated from Cohen in 1979, with him later stating that "cowardice" and "fear" prevented him from marrying her. Narrator: Now, "You Probably Think This Song Is about You" and a trip back to the early 60’s in Montreal to meet a young dancer married to Armand, a handsome sculptor. Suzanne: Oh absolutely, and for many of us, I hold dear this time, very much so. The St. Lawrence River held a particular poetry and beauty to me and (I) decided to live there with our daughter, Julie. Suzanne by now had moved out of the area and it was only when she returned that a friend told her about this tribute to her. Saunders: You feel that you moved apart after the song? Saunders: Do you at all resent the fact that he, if you like, milked you for all the artistic inspiration and then moved on, having created this lovely thing from you?
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