First we take Manhattan...Then we take Berlin.

"It's been about 14, 15 years since I was last up on a stage, like this, here. I was 60 then. Just a kid with a crazy dream..."

Well into his seventies, Leonard Cohen is still a phenomenal poet and, in all honesty, musician. His moody lyrics are some of the most evocative and inspiring words i have had the honour of hearing. His performance lasted 3 hours in total, and i am in no way a hardcore enough fan to list all the songs he performed. Highlights for me included such songs as Bird on a Wire, The Partisan, Suzanne, Hallelujah (cementing it as his own song in my mind, and the best version of it by far), I'm Your Man, First We Take Manhattan, Closing Time, If It Be Your Will (beautifully sung by Charley and Hattie Webb, more on this one later) and the spoken word piece A Thousand Kisses Deep. He ended with Ruth 1:16 (Where you go I will go..) set to music quite beautifully.

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come (to Winnipeg) to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

That is my favourite stanza ever to be put to music (the Winnipeg bit was a nice touch too). Leonard's lyrics are so poignant and emotional at times, an art that i sometimes fear has been lost in the music industry. He had a great stage presence and was modest enough to allow his back up musicians the spot light at times, and they so very much deserved it. He was incredibly respectful of his musicians, and had no air of superiorty over them.

Here is part of the wonderful prayer Leonard Cohen wrote, entitled "If It Be Your Will":

If it be your will
that I speak no more,
and my voice be still
as it was before,
I will speak no more,
I shall abide until
I am spoken for,
if it be your will.

If it be your will
that a voice be true,
from this broken hill
I will sing to you.
From this broken hill
all your praises they shall ring
if it be your will
to let me sing.