Diamonds in the Lines : Leonard Cohen in his own live words

So long Marianne (1968-1993)

BBC Sessions 1968

This song is called "So Long, Marianne" A girl called Marianne that I know very well, she came to me after I sang it for her first and she said, she's a Norwegian, she said, "I'm certainly glad the song wasn't written for me." I said, "Oh yeah?" And she said, "Yeah, cause my name is Marianna."

Additional stanza

If you leave, where will I keep you then ?
In my heart as some men say
Then I who was born to love everyone
Why should I keep you so far away ?

Frankfurt 06/05/70

I know all the words to these songs,merely because i wrote them,but sometimes I forget the emotion of a song.But I really wanted to remember them now after night and.... This song is about a woman - i imagine everyone will sing it - called "So long Marianne".

Stockholm 03/04/72

additional stanza

Oh Tonight,I know I'm gonna forget tonight
alternate for this first verse (Frankfurt April 6th, 1972)
Ah your eyes, oh how could I forget your eyes

But your body's at home in every sea
How come you give away your news to everyone
I thought you said it was a secret just for me.

Berlin 24/09/74

a song for a beautiful,gracious,eternal woman.

Frankfurt 06/10/74

This is a song of forgiveness

1976 Backcover of "Greatest Hits" ("Some notes on the songs")

I began this on Aylmer Street in Montreal and finished it a year or so later at the Chelsea Hotel in NY. I didn't think I was saying goodbye but I guess I was. She gave me many songs, and she has given songs to others too. She is a Muse. A lot of people I know think that there is nothing more important than making a song. Fortunately, this belief arises infrequently in their conversation.

1979, reported by Harry Rasky in his book
"The Song of Leonard Cohen-Portrait of a poet, a friendship and a film"

"About the popularity of the song ... "

I think it's a good song. It was filled with emotion that was authentic. It fell into place. It's hard to say, you know, why a song works or it doesn't work. But she is a muse, and many writers have written songs for her, this is one of them.

Zürich 22/05/93

(sung as additional verse by chorists Julie Christensen and Perla Batalla)

Here comes the morning boat
Here comes the evening train
Here comes Marianna,to wave goodbye again.
So long Marianne....

Home