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

Take this longing (1976-1992)

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

Buffy Ste Marie recorded an early version of this called "The Bells". It took me six or seven years to get a version for myself. I began while listening to Nico sing at the Dome on the 8th Dtreet in 1966. I broke the code in Asmara and finished the song in the shed of St Dominique Street in Montreal lat year.

Paris June 1976 (and before in Mainz, May 4th, 1976)

verse variations

So keep your beauty to wind
So give all this beauty to the wind
Put your (precious) pride to rest
And let me judge your famous love affair
In this very room where I have sentenced mine to (total) death
I'll even wear these old laurel leaves
That he's shaken from his head

Just take this longing, take it from my tongue
All the lonely things that these hands have done;
Let me see your beauty ,let me see it broken down
Like you would do for someone you love

Hanover November 11th, 1979

I wrote this song long time ago for a German girl, her name was Christa. She had another name that she used in America, but I found out that her name really was Christa. The most wonderful thing about this girl which I discovered after I had given this song to her and sung it for her was that she was deaf. She never even heard it but she kept nodding her head in deep appreciation. This is the song I wrote for her

* Christa Pfaggen, whose stage name was "Nico".

Last verse modified

So give your beauty to the wind
Put your pride to rest
You thought I want you to be good
Now you know that I want you to be best
I'll even wear these old laurel leaves
That he's shaken from his head
Just take this longing from my tongue

Interview 1992 (Magazine "Throat Culture" ** )

About his relationship with Nico

I gave her that song. She sang it to me a couple times but never recorded it. Nico was very strange. I tried to talk to her and she always replied very mysteriously. No matter what you said she always replied in a curious fashion. It was only after many weeks, after being perplexed by her conversation and paralyzed by her beauty that she told me she was deaf. She responded to everyone with whatever came into her mind because she could hardly hear a thing. Which explains her particularly strange style. But I definitely wrote "Take This Longing" thinking of her.

** Read the complete interview

John Bergeron has covered "Take This Longing" in his beautiful album "In the House Of Mystery". His version is as beautiful as his entire tribute album. Read more about John Bergeron and this tribute album.