Leonard Cohen at the Beacon Chelsea Hotel 2 NYC 2/19/06

Cohen called his song of love and hate to the late Janis Joplin by the name of hotel where he met her, the famous palace headquarters of New York's underground artists and bohemians The Hotel Chelsea. He recalls the atmosphere of rock stars luxuriating in fashionable decadence at they love and hate each other and create art that will live long after them. A few words from Chelsea Hotel 1 (as performed in the documentary Bird on a Wire) occur in this performance. The New York audience cheers wildly as its local landmark is remembered. From the 1974 album New Skins for the Old Ceremony (may refer to circumcision ).



CHELSEA HOTEL NO. 2 Lyrics
Artist(Band):Leonard Cohen

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,
you were talking so brave and so sweet,
giving me head on the unmade bed,
while the limousines wait in the street.
Those were the reasons and that was New York,
we were running for the money and the flesh.
And that was called love for the workers in song
probably still is for those of them left.

Ah but you got away, didn't you babe,
you just turned your back on the crowd,
you got away, I never once heard you say,
I need you, I don't need you,
I need you, I don't need you
and all of that jiving around.

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
you were famous, your heart was a legend.
You told me again you preferred handsome men
but for me you would make an exception.
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,
you fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,
we are ugly but we have the music."

And then you got away, didn't you babe...

I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best,
I can't keep track of each fallen robin.
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,
that's all, I don't even think of you that often.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Leonard
• Cohen
• Janis
• Joplin
• Chelsea
• Hotel