By JK, on September 17th, 2008 Well, this last spot would have been the hardest to pick if I hadn’t left my favourite for last. I’ll admit I’m cheating on this one, because although the lyrics are by Leonard Cohen (whose lyrics and poetry are perhaps indistinguishable and equally loved by me), I do prefer the Jeff Buckley cover – it is fragile yet powerful and completely haunting.
Certainly these lyrics are not the only version of the song. Cohen’s writing often has multiple versions, and apparently this song gave him particular difficulty. He said “I filled two notebooks and I remember being in the Royalton Hotel [in New York], on the carpet in my underwear, banging my head on the floor and saying, ‘I can’t finish this song.” I can imagine that this is a song that is very hard to leave behind. The version I’m posting here is the one that many of the cover artists have sung and has the most emotional resonance for me, but a quick search can generate some of the additional verses.
And so, song #5…Hallelujah
Well I heard there was a secret chord
that David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do ya?
Well it goes like [...]
By JK, on September 12th, 2008 This one is another simple song, but one that lifts my spirits like no other. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that her albums get more playtime on the Jpod than any others. This song also lends its name to my apartment, for reasons that will only be too clear after listening to it. Of course it’s also a point of pride that this talented songstress hails from my hometown. So without further adieu, Ms. Sarah Harmer…
The Hideout
Look at that green
Out through the screen
After a quick rain came
So fast that
There wasn’t time
To roll up the windows
And pull the clothes down off the line
But i don’t care
It was so dry
And the grass is happy
And i think ‘so am i’
‘Cause i’m through thinking about you
For now i’m out at the hideout
Far enough outside of town
You can come
You can stay
If there’s something you need
To get away from
Look at the day dropping away
Hear the traffic pass along
A distant sideroad down the way
I think the dust has settled on me
But i don’t care, it was so calm
I knew i wouldn’t stay forever
Knew i’d get some things together
And move on
But for now i’m out at the hideout
Far enough outside of town
You can come, you can [...]
By JK, on September 4th, 2008 Okay, I’ve gone with a couple widely known artists, so time for a largely unknown one. I was introduced to Craig Cardiff in my early university days at Acadia, and as soon as I saw my first live show, I was smitten. The brief bio on his website states: “Craig Cardiff – singer songwriter, troubadour, builds landscapes of sound using live digital loops – brings the room to a hush. edged, folk, beautiful, melancholy and left leaning, one song breaks your heart and the next one puts it back together.” And from personal experience, time and time again, I can assure you this is true.
Craig is a not only a talented musician but a beautiful storyteller, not afraid to put the poetic and the humorous side by side. His songs are about people and places in Canada – some extremely specific – like the Albion Hotel in Guelph, Pierre Trudeau or riding the bus from Brandon to Ithaca. The lyrics are often simple, but profound (I could provide too many examples, though perhaps “Grandma” is the best). Anyway, this is the first Craig song I fell in love with, and still my favourite:
Circus, by Craig Cardiff
‘How did you [...]
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