Free listening is great marketing. I had no intention to buy the CD but after listening several times to the NPR stream of it I ended up buying five more songs (six in all). That would not have happened could I not listen to them first.
I found Rock Me Baby with BB King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Jim Vaughn in a tweet from @Amy Stark. It’s a great tune and performed by several of my favourite musicians.
This post has been copied to my new blog The Wise Owl.
There’s a video below the lyrics.
Lyrics
SPOKEN:
I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire.
I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face as he gathered me up
in his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement.
I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames.
And when it was all over I said to myself, “Is that all there is to a fire”
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is
SPOKEN:
And when I was 12 years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth.
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears.
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads.
And so I sat there watching the marvelous spectacle.
I had the feeling that something was missing.
I don’t know what, but when it was over,
I said to myself, “is that all there is to a circus?
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is
SPOKEN:
Then I fell in love, head over heels in love, with the most wonderful boy in the world.
We would take long walks by the river or just sit for hours gazing into each other’s eyes.
We were so very much in love.
Then one day he went away and I thought I’d die, but I didn’t,
and when I didn’t I said to myself, “is that all there is to love?”
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
SPOKEN:
I know what you must be saying to yourselves,
if that’s the way she feels about it why doesn’t she just end it all?
Oh, no, not me. I’m in no hurry for that final disappointment,
for I know just as well as I’m standing here talking to you,
when that final moment comes and I’m breathing my lst breath, I’ll be saying to myself
SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is
Now 72 years old, Leonard Cohen has spent much of the past decade in solitude, exploring his own spirituality and his place in an ever-changing world. But in July of 2008, he took the stage at London’s 02 Arena and gave a stunning performance, as part of his first tour in 15 years. The concert included some of his most influential and best loved songs, including “Hallelujah,” “Bird On A Wire” and “Dance Me To The End Of Love.”
The historic performance was recorded and will be released as a two-CD set on March 31. Until then NPR Music will stream the entire album online, as an Exclusive First Listen, beginning at 11:59 p.m. March 23.
Leonard Cohen makes a great comment about a previous concert in London, “I was 60 years old, just a kid with a crazy dream”.
Listen to these two CD’s, they are absolutely great and I have the NPR Media Player spinning with them.
Update March 31, 2009.
The CD’s are released and NPR has closed this stream.
I am a fan of blues music and I think it is great when there is a harmonica player in the band. Once when I was at YouTube I stumbled on Harpdog Brown who has several videos in his Harpdog profile.
Today I went and bought a harmonica for myself, to play with (in more ways than one…) just for the fun of it. It will be done when I am on my own though, I doubt anyone else can stand listening to it 🙂
This was originally posted at another (now extinct) blog of mine.
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