https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:05:13 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377180 Sat, 11 Aug 2012 19:38:24 +0000 The poet plays his music for sweet Judy and some friends or maybe:
Poet Leonard plays his music for sweet Judy and some friends Dave,
Thanks, I'll try it both ways. Per the Joni/Carole King/Carly Simon bio "Girls Like Us", Leonard and Joni dated for a few weeks, but I will check the timeline. It would be cool to sneak a Joni reference in there as well :D]]> Sunday Songwriters Group andygetch https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377180 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377172 Sat, 11 Aug 2012 14:56:18 +0000
I think your idea works well. Maybe the first line can be:
The poet from the North plays his music for some friends But I like Judy Collins being present (and if I remember correctly, didn't Joni Mitchell help him record some demos? so she'd probably be part of his "test audience" even if not at the same time), so how about:
The poet plays his music for sweet Judy and some friends or maybe:
Poet Leonard plays his music for sweet Judy and some friends Anyway you look at it, you're definitely creating a more intimate and immediate scene now with the first verse, which is important. Good work!

Looking forward to more.

Peace]]> Sunday Songwriters Group David Hodge https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377172 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377171 Sat, 11 Aug 2012 11:43:40 +0000 Leonard was born Canadian a poet for a trade

For folksinger friends played music he made

The third line is wonderful, so maybe working backward from there would help. You could even place him on a stage, singing his songs:
The poet from the North gets up on the stage
Fingers strum some chord of a tune he's going to play
Says "I'm not sure Suzanne is a song" He doesn't know, something must be wrong Peace Dave,
Thanks for the listen and suggestion to fix that awkward phrasing. Only my second attempt at a song tribute, first to a famous person. I've got more in me :D . The first verse is based on reading Judy Collins autobiography "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" where she told the story that Leonard, an established published poet, but before he was signed as a musician, was unsure about his songwriting or even if they were songs, and Suzanne was one of them, he was too shy to play it at first, then did for Judy, so it wasn't at a show, so maybe something this:

The poet from the North playing for Judy Collins (or maybe say "for friends")
Strum classical chords of magic that never ends.
Says "I'm not sure Suzanne is a song" :note1:
He doesn't know, something must be wrong]]> Sunday Songwriters Group andygetch https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377171 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377162 Sat, 11 Aug 2012 03:20:34 +0000
And I agree with your philosophy of emulating, not copying. One big lesson one can draw from Cohen's lyrics is that while they can cover more philosophical and religious spectrums than most people can keep track of, at their heart they are very conversational in tone. You do a good job of that for the most part, the exception being the first two lines of the first verse:
Leonard was born Canadian a poet for a trade

For folksinger friends played music he made

The third line is wonderful, so maybe working backward from there would help. You could even place him on a stage, singing his songs:
The poet from the North gets up on the stage
Fingers strum some chord of a tune he's going to play
Says "I'm not sure Suzanne is a song" He doesn't know, something must be wrong This is just off the top of my head so forgive its lack of elegance!

Anyway, looking forward to how this song turns out and, as always, also looking forward to more.

Peace]]> Sunday Songwriters Group David Hodge https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377162 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377138 Fri, 10 Aug 2012 01:01:14 +0000 Sounds like you were whisper singing a bit.....was it late at night with others sleeping? :roll: It was early morning when I have my graveliest voice :lol:
Interesting subject. I thought you might try to play and sing it in Leonard's style. I was trying to emulate without copying. So I had to break some rules (like Leonard did) with an odd chord progression (7,3,4) using standard chords ( I used Em/B and A/E), odd ones using a familiar shape (Fm6add9 is a powerchord shape). Technically, the A should have been Am to be in the key of C. The semi-spoken singing is what I do anyway :roll: I had kind of a Tower of Song inspired verse (12 bar blues progression variation). I meant to use my classical guitar but forgot that a.m. :o I like this one enough to add some tracks, maybe get some "angels" singing backing vocals :lol:]]> Sunday Songwriters Group andygetch https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377138 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377135 Thu, 09 Aug 2012 18:03:04 +0000 Sunday Songwriters Group John Sargent https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377135 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377134 Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:09:48 +0000
Good start :D The lyrics sound a bit difficult to fit in/phrase at times, but I like the chord progressions and overall feel of the song. Sounds like you were whisper singing a bit.....was it late at night with others sleeping? :roll:

Thanks for sharing.

James]]> Sunday Songwriters Group jamestoffee https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-377134 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-43151 Thu, 09 Aug 2012 02:24:46 +0000
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11817120

Key of C
4/4 time chords: Esus4/B - x222oo; A/E - o222oo; Fm6add9 - 1ooo11;

Chorus
Esus4/B l Esus4/B l A/E l A/E l
Leonard gave us songs crafted from poems
Fm6add9 l Fm6add9 l A/E l A/E l
You may not know him but you'll know them
Esus4/B l Esus4/B l A/E l A/E l
Leonard gave us dreams descriptive imageries
Fm6add9 l Fm6add9 l A/E l A/E l
You may not know his scenes but feelings are freed

Verse 1
Esus4/B l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l
Leonard was born Canadien a poet for a trade
A/E l A/E l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l
for folksinger friends played music he made
Fm6add9 l A/E l Esus4/B l Fm6add9 l Esus4/B l
said I'm not sure Suzanne is a song he didn't know, something must be wrong

Repeat Chorus

Verse 2
Esus4/B l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l
Leonard went to New York to the Chelsea hotel
A/E l A/E l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l
he had loyal followers his records didn't sell
Fm6add9 l A/E l Esus4/B l Fm6add9 l Esus4/B l
didn't go commercial or follow formulas or use fancy chords, called it what it was

Bridge
Fm6add9 l A/E l Esus4/B l
Leonard gave it all
Fm6add9 l A/E l Esus4/B l
Toronto Tibet London Montreal
Esus4/B l Fm6add9 l A/E l
The Guests The Faith Tower of Song Bird on a Wire
A/E l Esus4/B l Fm6add9 l
Sisters of Mercy So Long Marianne Who By Fire

Verse 3
Esus4/B l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l
Leonard is still going they can't keep him down
A/E l A/E l Esus4/B l Esus4/B l
his voice is droppin lower story songs still resound
Fm6add9 l A/E l Esus4/B l Fm6add9 l Esus4/B l
universe secrets poetic prophesies songs of an old soul, buddhist philosophies]]> Sunday Songwriters Group andygetch https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/y-10-w40-leonard/#post-43151