Leonard Cohen passed in 2016; the Thanks for the Ride memorial CD was assembled by his son Adam Cohen in 2019. Leonard started with poetry and finished the same way. These 9 poems have been set to music by Adam and other musicians; quite the labor of love.
This is no album for literal people; all the ironic words and images are metaphorical and symbolic, as is most of Cohen’s writings. Everywhere on the album lines and phrases jump out honestly and reveal Cohen’s sensibility in his last days:
Listen to the mind of G-d Which doesn’t need to be Listen to the mind of G-d Don’t listen to me ……………………….
I can’t make the hills The system is shot I’m living on pills For which I thank G-d ……………………..
German puppets burned the Jews Jewish puppets did not choose …………………….
No one to follow And nothing to teach Except that the goal Falls short of the reach ……………………
It’s torn where there’s beauty, it’s torn where there’s death It’s torn where there’s mercy but torn somewhat less ………………………..
So turn up the music Pour out the wine Stop at the surface The surface is fine …………………………….
The night of Santiago And I was passing through So I took her to the river As any man would do …………………………..
And now you’re gone, now you’re gone As if there ever was a you Who held me dying, pulled me through Who’s moving on, who’s kidding who ………………………….
I had no trouble betting On the flood, against the ark You see, I knew about the ending What happens to the heart ………………………….
The musical arrangements are nicely unpredictable and listenable in themselves and put together; many of Cohen’s old musical collaborators are on board for this labor of love including: Javier Mas, Daniel Lanois, Patrick Leonard, Anjani Thomas, Sharon Robinson, Adam Cohen, and Jennifer Warnes.
If you are a fan of his previous three albums, this late entry is not to be missed for its final feelings and insights.