歌詞大意 單字/文句解釋   ∥學習指引  ∥聆聽演唱  ∥心得分享  ∥參考資料回歌手目錄


Album Cover of "Songs of Leonard Cohen"


    Suzanne
                                           by Leonard Cohen

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river 
You can hear the boats go by 
You can spend the night beside her 
And you know that she's half crazy 
But that's why you want to be there 
And she feeds you tea and oranges 
That come all the way from China 
And just when you mean to tell her 
That you have no love to give her 
Then she gets you on her wavelength 
And she lets the river answer 
That you've always been her lover 
And you want to travel with her 
And you want to travel blind 
And you know that she will trust you 
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind

And Jesus was a sailor 
When he walked upon the water 
And he spent a long time watching 
From his lonely wooden tower 
And when he knew for certain 
Only drowning men could see him 
He said "All men will be sailors then 
Until the sea shall free them
But he himself was broken 
Long before the sky would open 
Forsaken, almost human 
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone 
And you want to travel with him 
And you want to travel blind 
And you think maybe you'll trust him 
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind. 

Now Suzanne takes your hand 
And she leads you to the river 
She is wearing rags and feathers 
From Salvation Army counters 
And the sun pours down like honey 
On our lady of the harbour 
And she shows you where to look 
Among the garbage and the flowers 
There are heroes in the seaweed 
There are children in the morning 
They are leaning out for love 
And they will lean that way forever 
While Suzanne holds the mirror 
And you want to travel with her 
And you want to travel blind 
And you know that you can trust her 
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind. 



歌詞大意:

 

這首歌一如許多Cohen的歌都是由詩改編而來。歌曲描寫歌者與Suzanne一種精神相契,近似愛情又似宗教的關係。Suzanne住在河岸邊,她既具有藝術家半瘋狂的迷人特質,又與自然似乎有一種完全和諧的融合。歌者甚至以耶穌基督對於信徒所具有的影響力來描寫她對他的吸引,令他渴望完全將自己依隨在她身邊。

Cohen的生活經歷中確有Suzanne這個女性,Cohen第一次見到她時便深受吸引。然而當時Suzanne正在與一位雕塑家熱戀。歌曲據她說正是描寫1965年她離婚後住在加拿大的聖羅倫斯河岸邊,他常來到訪的情形。Cohen與Suzanne都屬於癱的一代(beat generation),十分崇尚精神完全契合的一種關係。

單字/文句解釋:﹙以下所列僅為最可能適切的中文解釋,讀者應自己查詢英漢或英英辭典

 

she's half crazy 這裡指的應該是作為藝術家的一種非常人的特質,而非病態的瘋。關於詩人或是創作與瘋的關係,其實希臘羅馬神話已經以酒神來傳達了。
tea and oranges/ That come all the way from China 茶與橘子都是從中國來的,傳達出一種異色情調exoticism,襯托出Suzanne的不俗。
you have no love to give her 原詩是you have no gifts for her。差很多吧。我覺得原詩較佳
gets you on her wavelength  讓你接收到我的波長,表示你我心靈契合。
you've touched her perfect body with your mind 身體的情慾這裡毫無困難地就被納入心靈的交融中,據Suzanne自己表示她與Cohen從未有過性關係。我想情慾並非不存在於他們之間,而是六0年代(尤其是癱的一代Beat Generation)對於人與人之間心靈追求的強調,導致身體關係的重要性與當今九0年代大不相同。接下來Cohen用耶穌來暗喻Suzanne,強化了這個心靈關係。
Until the sea shall free them 這裡的邏輯有些複雜:1、將溺者(受苦難者)才能看到神/耶穌;2、每個人都是航海者(海比喻生活苦難);3、每個人都有可能將溺(需要耶穌);4、海(苦難)使你得救
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone 包含這一句的前幾句都是描寫耶穌被釘十字架時痛苦情景。在宗教的神學觀裡,耶穌(自稱人子)必須如人一樣死去(替人類承擔罪惡),而後如神一樣死裡復活(resurrection,神不會死),二者接必須強調。但是Cohen這裡僅將耶穌人的部份抽出來描寫,他的人性部份感動了人(humility),因而使他成為西方智慧的基石(beneath the wisdom like a stone),人們願意不顧一切追隨他,相信他。
There are heroes in the seaweed 
There are children in the morning 
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever 
While Suzanne holds the mirror 
這裡十分象徵性地指出遇難的英雄(海草裡)與初生的小孩都需要如Suzanne所擁有的女性的愛(照鏡子向來就是美或虛榮的象徵)

學習指引 :

1、可以參考Suzanne的訪問,其中對於當時她與Cohen的關係有諸多說明,可以幫助了解這首歌的意義。

參考資料:

中大視聽中心館藏

Leonard Cohen Songs 9002366 Columbia 198-?
Leonard Cohen Greatest Hits 9002412 Sony Music 1975
Leonard Cohen future 9002416 Columbia p1992