SUZANNE - LEONARD COHEN

1.- Historia

Nacido el 21-09-1934, Leonard Cohen fué poeta y novelista antes que compositor y cantante. En 1956, publica una colección de poesia titulada "Let Us Compare Mythologies". Una década más tarde publica otras 3 colecciones y 2 novelas. En 1967, sale a la luz su primer álbum "The Songs Of Leonard Cohen". Las canciones de Cohen tratan acerca de diversos temas. Sin embargo los que más se repiten son acerca del sexo, la religión y las relaciones humanas. Algunos ejemplos son "Story Of Isaac", "Avalanche", "Sisters Of Mercy", "There Ain't No Cure For Love" y "Suzanne".

2.- Lyrics


Suzanne takes you down
(suzan téiks iú dáun)

to her place near the river
(tu jer pléis níar de ríver)

You can hear the boats go by,
(iú kan jíar de bóuts góu bái)

you can spend the night beside her
(iú kan spénd de náit bisáid jer)

And you know that she's half-crazy
(and iú nów dat shis jalf kréisi)

but that's why you want to be there
(bat dats uái iú uánt tu bi der)

And she feeds you tea and oranges
(and shi fids iú tíi and órenchs)

that come all the way from China
(dat kam ol de uéi from cháina)

And just when you mean to tell her
(and yast uén iú mín tu tel jer)

that you have no love to give her
(dat iú jaf no lov tu gif jer)

Then he gets you on her wavelength
(den ji guets iú on jer uéif-lengt)

And she lets the river answer
(and shi lets de ríver ánser)

that you've always been her lover
(dat iúf ólueis biin jer lóver)


And you want to travel with her,
(and iú uánt tu trável uíz jer)

and you want to travel blind
(and iú uánt tu trável bláind)

And you know that she will trust you
(and iú nóu dat shi uíl trást iú)

For you've touched her perfect body
(for iúf táchd jer pérfect bádi)

with your mind
(uíz iór máind)


And Jesus was a sailor
(and jísus uás a séilor)

when he walked upon the water
(uén je uókd ápon de wáter)

And he spent a long time watching
(and ji spent a long táime uátchin)

from his lonely wooden tower
(from jis lónli uúden táuer)

And when he knew for certain
(and uén ji níu for cértn)

only drowning men could see him
(ónli dráuning men could si jim)

He said all men will be sailors
(ji sed ol men uíl bi séilors)

then until the sea shall free them
(den ántil de sí shal frí dem)

But he himself was broken,
(bat ji jimsélf uás bróuken)

long before the sky would open
(long bifór de skái uúd ópen)

Forsaken, almost human,
(forséiken ólmost jiúman)

he sank beneath your wisdom
(ji sank biníz iór uísdom)

like a stone
(láik a stóun)

And you want to travel with him,
(and iú uánt tu trável uíz jim)

and you want to travel blind
(and iú uánt tu trável bláind)

And you think
(and iú zink)

maybe you'll trust him
(méibi iúl trást jim)

For he's touched your perfect body
(for jis táchd iór pérfect bádi)

with his mind
(uít jis máind)


Now, Suzanne takes your hand
(náo Suzán téiks iór jand)

and she leads you to the river
(and shi lids iú tu de ríver)

She's wearing rags and feathers
(shis uéring rags and féders)

from Salvation Army counters
(from salvéishon ármi káunters)

And the sun pours down like honey
(and de san purs dáun láik jáni)

on our lady of the harbor
(on áur léidi of de járbor)

And she shows you where to look
(and shi shóus iú uér tu luk)

among the garbage and the flowers
(amón de gárbeich and de fláuers)

There are heroes in the seaweed,
(dere ar jírous in de sí-uíd)

there are children in the morning
(der ar chíldren in de mórning)

They are leaning out for love
(déi ár líning áut for lov)

and they will lean that way forever
(and déi uíl lin dat uéi foréver)

While Suzanne holds the mirror
(uáil Suzán jolds de mírror)


And you want to travel with her,
(and iú uánt tu trável uíz jer)

and you want to travel blind
(and iú uánt tu trável bláind)

And you know that you can trust her
(and iú nóu dat iú kan trást jer)

For she's touched your perfect body
(for shis táchd iór pérfect bodi)

with her mind
(uíz jer máind)


3.- Vocabulary

- Beside = Al lado de.
- Feed = Alimentar
- Mean to = Intentar
- Wavelength = Longitud
- Blind = Ciego/a
- Trust = Confiar
- Sailor = Marinero
- Lonely = Solitario/a
- Drown = Ahogar(se)
- Forsaken = Abandonado/a
- Lead = Guiar
- Garbage = Basura
- Seaweed = Alga marina


4.- Grammar

a) Phrasal Verbs

- Take down = Derribar
- Go by = Pasar
- Lean out = Asomar(se)

b) Present Simple Tense

Se encuentra en muchas líneas de la canción.

- Suzanne takes you down.

- She lets the river answer

- And you want to travel with him.

c) Present Continuous Tense

- She's wearing rags and feathers.

- They are leaning out for love.

d) Simple Past Tense

- He walked upon the water.

- He spent a long time watching.

- He said all men will be sailors.

- he sank beneath your wisdom

e) Present Perfect Tense

- You've always been her lover.

- For you've touched her perfect body.

- For he's touched your perfect body.

- For she's touched your perfect body.


5.- Vídeo