In the second of the two bitter-sweet love songs, we hear (as far as
I can determine) for the first and only time on this album the
instrument that is so characteristic of 'Songs from a room', i.e. the
"music of rubber bands", or the jew's harp. Of the name of this
instrument, my dictionary says
    appar. jocular in orig., as it is not a harp and has no
    connection with the Jews.


In Swedish, by the way, it's called 'mungiga', i.e. 'mouth fiddle'. I've
seen this instrument sold under the name 'jaws harp', apparently in order
to avoid any possibility of giving offense.


 The girls singing 'bum!' in this song have been discussed before, as has
the song itself. So I'll just ask if you agree that it is "try" in the
5th line?
        I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm,
        your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm,
        yes, many loved before us, I know that we are not new,
        in city and in forest they smiled like me and you,
        but now it's come to distances and both of us must try,
        your eyes are soft with sorrow,
         Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.


        I'm not looking for another as I wander in my time,
        walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme
        you know my love goes with you as your love stays with me,
        it's just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea,
        but let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie,
        your eyes are soft with sorrow,
         Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.


        I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm,
        your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm,
        yes many loved before us, I know that we are not new,
        in city and in forest they smiled like me and you,
        but let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie,
        your eyes are soft with sorrow,
         Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.

In <9012251750.AA28083@bast.sics.se> torkel@sics.se writes:
>The girls singing 'bum!' in this song have been discussed before, as has
>the song itself. So I'll just ask if you agree that it is "try" in the
>5th line?
I looked in the songbook titled "Leonard Cohen's Greatest Hits, The Greatest
Songs of Leonard Cohen", copyright 1978 Wise Publications and verified that
the word is indeed "try".


In the process I discovered that the word following "kisses" in the first line
is "sweet" rather than "deep". Later in the song this phrase is repeated, this
time it's "deep kisses".


    I loved you in the morning, our kisses sweet and warm,
                                           ^^^^^
    your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm,
    yes, many loved before us, I know that we are not new,
    in city and in forest they smiled like me and you,
    but now it's come to distances and both of us must try,
    your eyes are soft with sorrow,                    ^^^
    Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.


    I'm not looking for another as I wander in my time,
    walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme
    you know my love goes with you as your love stays with me,
    it's just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea,
    but let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie,
    your eyes are soft with sorrow,
    Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.


    I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm,
                                           ^^^^
    your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm,
    yes many loved before us, I know that we are not new,
    in city and in forest they smiled like me and you,
    but let's not talk of love or chains and things we can't untie,
    your eyes are soft with sorrow,
    Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.

>> In the process I discovered that the word following "kisses" in the first
>> line
>> is "sweet" rather than "deep". Later in the song this phrase is repeated,
>> this
>> time it's "deep kisses".
>
>     Unless I'm very much mistaken, the "sweet kisses" occur only in the
>   printed version of the song: on the album it's "deep kisses" in the first
>   line as well.
Which brings up the question of whether "sweet" is how Cohen wrote it
or a mistake in the transcription somewhere.


A similar situation occurred with "Tower of Song." Cohen clearly
sings "...twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond..." in every
version of the song I've heard. In the 1988 tour book, however,
it says "...from the grey beyond." I think "grey beyond" is great
poetically, but I doubt that Cohen ever wrote/sang it.

>In the process I discovered that the word following "kisses" in the first line
>is "sweet" rather than "deep". Later in the song this phrase is repeated, this
>time it's "deep kisses".
  Unless I'm very much mistaken, the "sweet kisses" occur only in the
printed version of the song: on the album it's "deep kisses" in the first
line as well.