Leonard Cohen
Chelsea Hotel (Early Live Version)
Here’s a new song that we… just wrote a couple weeks ago
Takes place in the Chelsea Hotel in New York City
And it’s for a brave woman who, uh
Put an end to it all
I remember you well
In the Chelsea Hotel
You were talkin’ so brave and so sweet
Givin’ me head on the unmade bed
While the limousines wait in the street
And those were the reasons
And that was New York
I was runnin’ for the monеy and the flesh
I’ll say it again
I was runnin’ for the monеy and the flesh
And that was called love
For the workers in song
And it still is for those of us left
Ah, but you got away
Didn’t you, babe?
Just threw it all to the ground
You got away
They can’t pay you now
For makin’ your sweet little sound
Can they?
Makin’ your sweet little sound?
On the juke box
Makin’ your sweet little sound
On the radio
Makin’ your sweet little sound
I remember you well
In the Chelsea Hotel
In the winter of ‘67
My friends of that year
They were all gettin’ queer
And me? I was just gettin’ even
And those were the reasons
And that was New York
I was runnin’ for the money and the flesh
And that was called love
For the workers in song
And it still is for those of us left
Ah, but you got away
Didn’t you, babe?
You just turned your back on the pain
You got away
Oh, in your deepest dream
Racin’ the midnight train, baby
Racin’ the midnight train, all naked
Racin’ the midnight, feet on the gravel
Racin’ the midnight train, yes you caught it, babe
Racin’ the midnight train, won’t you wave to me now?
Racin’ the midnight train, we can’t follow you
Racin’ the midnight train
I remember you well
In the Chelsea Hotel
Then I went down to Tennessee
Sat by the stream, listenin’ to nothing else but
Holdin’ my honorable dream
Willy York form the big east fork
He came there to talk with me
And we fed the peafowl
The bread for their pride
The stream there, it’s still runnin’ inside
Ah, but you got away
Didn’t you babe?
You just threw it all to the ground
You got away
They can’t pay you now
For makin’ your sweet little sound
I’m so tired
Makin’ your sweet little sound
I’m thinkin’ of you babe
Makin’ your sweet little sound
Did it happen, baby?
Were you standing here
Just like I am
I heard singin’
All that clappin’
People listenin’
Nobody viewin’
Makin’ your sweet little sound
I can hear you now
Go into the juke box
Choose your records
I listen all night now
Makin’ your sweet little sound, baby
Makin’ your sweet little sound
The juke box, ah
Guess I got nothin’ more to say to you baby
I mean
So long…
I’ll leave ya, now
Little sound…