Different Sides

Album: Old Ideas (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Leonard Cohen closes his twelfth studio album Old Ideas with an argument. The Hammond organ-fuelled soft-shoe shuffle is a witty examination of a lovers' tiff. "C'mon baby give me a kiss, stop writing everything down," he croons.
  • Cohen is supported by some angelic female voices supplied by Sharon Robinson and the Webb Sisters. Longtime collaborator Sharon Robinson first started working with Cohen on his 1979 Field Commander Cohen tour. An established songwriter in her own right, Robinson won a Grammy Award in 1985 for co-writing "New Attitude" with Patti LaBelle for the movie Beverly Hills Cop. She has also written with Cohen, and for 2001's Ten New Songs she wrote all the music, performed virtually all the parts and produced the album.

    Charley and Hattie Webb hail from Kent in England. In addition to their gorgeous harmony singing, Hattie plays harp and mandolin while Charley performs on the guitar, piano, clarinet and saxophone. The sisters were part of Cohen's 2008-10 world tour and are featured on the Leonard Cohen Live in London backing Cohen on the song "If It Be Your Will."
  • Old Ideas is actually an old idea as it was the original name for 2004's Dear Heather. Cohen was persuaded to drop it as it was feared people would assume it was a retrospective.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."

Queen

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The Devil

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The DevilSong Writing

Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?