Talk:Suzanne (Leonard Cohen song)

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On a more mundane level the second stanza could also describe the Jesus figure situated on top of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours – a sailor's church overlooking the river: And Jesus was a sailor/ When he walked upon the water/ And he spent a long time watching/ From his lonely wooden tower.

There is no statue of Jesus on top of the church. The front of the church has a figure of the Virgin and Child [1], while the rear (towards the harbour) has the more prominent and famous statue of Our Lady of Good Help flanked by angels [2]. - Montréalais 04:58, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Meaning

The fact that much of this song makes reference to actual things and places that exist, and to a real person who did share tea and oranges (or orange tea) with Cohen is misleading. This song is not about the real person, Suzanne any more than it is about the real Jesus. Both are symbols. Suzanne represents the creative, artistic, mystical way of life. Her food comes all the way from China, her rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters. She shows you mysteries among the garbage and the flowers. But Suzanne is "half crazy" and although "that's why you want to be there" it is a life that requires you to let go off all you have -- even the ground you walk on. Jesus says "all men will be sailors until the sea shall free them". Cohen is fascinated by this vision of the world but seems to hold it at arms length, knowing he could get totally lost in it, but also knowing without the vision, life would not be worth living.

[edit] Harry Belafonte sang 2 songs titled "Suzanne"

In the 1950s, and again in 1960 on his Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall album, Harry sang a self-written song titled Suzanne with the opening line "Every night when the sun goes down." [3] Then, in 1969, on his Homeward Bound album, he recorded a cover of the Leonard Cohen song. [4]

 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.245.255.58 (talk) 08:40, 7 April 2008 (UTC)