VENOVANO L COHENOVI:
LEONARD
BY MARSYAS




This song is a tribute to Leonard Cohen by the Czech folkrock group Marsyas. The song "Leonard" (from the album "Jen tak", which means in English "Just like that") is written by Zuzana Michnova. It describes her experiences in Cohen's concert in Mainz in November 1979.

The musicians recording this song were:
Zuzana Michnova - vocal
Petr Kalandra - acc. guitar
Pavel Skala - el. guitar
Jaroslav "Olin" Nejezchleba - bass guitar
Jaroslav Petrasek - drums
and as guests:
Petr Skoumal - keyboards
Vlastimil Marek - tabla

Marsyas was the most famous Czech folkrock group between 1975-85, playing mostly its original songs, but also some cover versions (in Czech or English) of Bob Dylan's, Joni Mitchell's, Neil Young's, Band's etc. songs. They recorded four albums (more were not allowed, they had standing problems with the permission of their lyrics to be printed - very common case in the Czechoslovakian cultural situation at that time). "Jen tak" is their third album recorded on 28.12.1983-4.2.1984 and issued by Supraphon under cat. number 1113 3485 H (Prag 1984). Only on LP available, CD reprint is being prepared.

LEONARD by Zuzana Michnova
translated by Karel Pazourek

I'm hunting for a ticket                      Shanim listek
Would pay my salary for it                    Plat za nej dam
I don't mind the worst seat                   Treba k stani
I'm buzzing around desperately                Zoufale pobiham 
I welcome this longed-for day                 Vitam touzeny den
Noisy crowd is running closer to stage        Sumi dav bezi k podiu bliz
Suddenly the dream is reviving                Nahle ozije sen
From the darkness he's coming - Leonard       Ze tmy vchazi - Leonard 
Singing Leonard                               Zpiva Leonard
Singing Leonard                               Zpiva Leonard

Attack with a royal sight                     Utok s pohledem kralovskym
Now I'm sure nobody could vie with him        Ted uz vim to Utocit nema s kym
He's illegible from the distance              Z dalky necitelny
Spotlights make a conic shadow                Svetla ramp tvori v kuzelu stin
He's close and vulnerable                     Blizky zranitelny
With his fragile name Leonard                 S krehkym jmenem Leonard
Poet Leonard                                  Basnik Leonard
Poet Leonard                                  Basnik Leonard 

He's changing our feelings                    Strida pocity v nas            
Even blinfold he's able to give what he wants Co chce muze i poslepu dat
The frost is flowing through my body          Proudi po tele mraz
Just from the breath of Leonard               To jen dychne Leonard 
Singing Leonard                               Zpiva Leonard
Singing Leonard                               Zpiva Leonard

(Written 1980-81, recorded 1984)


Many thanks to Karel Pazourek, Brno, the Czech Republic,
for the translation and all the additional information.





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