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| released = January 1968| recorded = Columbia Studio E, New York City| studio = | venue = Folk music>Folk| length = 3:48Columbia Records>Columbia| writer = Leonard CohenJohn Simon (record producer)>John Simon| prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Extra album cover }}}}”Suzanne” is a song written by Canadian poet and musician Leonard Cohen in the 1960s. First published as a poem in 1966, it was recorded as a song by Judy Collins in the same year, and Cohen performed it as his debut single, from his 1967 album Songs of Leonard Cohen. Many other artists have recorded versions, and it has become one of the most covered songs in Cohen’s catalogue.Far Out and American Songwriter ranked the song number four and number two, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Leonard Cohen songs.WEB,faroutmagazine.co.uk/leonard-cohen-10-greatest-song-of-all-time/, Leonard Cohen’s 10 greatest songs of all time, Tom, Taylor, Far Out (magazine), Far Out, November 7, 2021, April 27, 2023, WEB,americansongwriter.com/top-10-songs-by-leonard-cohen/, Top 10 Songs by Leonard Cohen, Alli, Patton, American Songwriter, March 8, 2023, April 27, 2023, In 2021, it was ranked at No. 284 on Rolling Stone{{’}}s “Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.MAGAZINE, 2021-09-15, The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/, 2022-07-18, Rolling Stone, en-US,

Background

“Suzanne” was inspired by Cohen’s platonic relationship with dancer Suzanne Verdal. Its lyrics describe the rituals that they enjoyed when they met: Suzanne would invite Cohen to visit her apartment by the harbour in Montreal, where she would serve him Constant Comment tea,WEB, Martyris, Nina, The Story Behind The ‘Tea And Oranges’ In Leonard Cohen’s Song ‘Suzanne’,www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/15/502047665/the-story-behind-the-tea-and-oranges-in-leonard-cohens-song-suzanne, The Salt: what’s on your plate, NPR, November 18, 2016, November 15, 2016,www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/15/502047665/the-story-behind-the-tea-and-oranges-in-leonard-cohens-song-suzanne," title="web.archive.org/web/20161119062457www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/15/502047665/the-story-behind-the-tea-and-oranges-in-leonard-cohens-song-suzanne,">web.archive.org/web/20161119062457www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/15/502047665/the-story-behind-the-tea-and-oranges-in-leonard-cohens-song-suzanne, November 19, 2016, live, and they would walk around Old Montreal past the church of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, where sailors were blessed before heading out to sea.Simmons, Sylvie. I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen. New York: HarperCollins, 2012, p. 124-7.Verdal was interviewed by CBC News’s (CBC News: The National|The National) in 2006 about the song. Verdal says that she and Cohen never had a sexual relationship,Simmons, Sylvie. I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen. New York: HarperCollins, 2012, p. 126. contrary to what some interpretations of the song suggest. Cohen stated in a 1994 BBC interview that he only imagined having sex with her, as there was neither the opportunity nor inclination to actually go through with it.WEB,www.webheights.net/speakingcohen/bbctrans.htm, Archived copy, October 30, 2004, dead,arquivo.pt/wayback/20090707111733/http://www.webheights.net/speakingcohen/bbctrans.htm, July 7, 2009, She says she has met Cohen twice since the song’s initial popularity: once after a concert Cohen performed in the 1970s and once in passing in the 1990s when she danced for him, but Cohen did not speak to her (and possibly did not recognise her). Verdal never benefited financially from the song’s enormous commercial success.Maslin, Janet. “Searching the Soul of a Soulful Poet”. The New York Times. September 14, 2012, C1. Its lyrics first appeared as the poem “Suzanne Takes You Down” in Cohen’s 1966 book of poetry Parasites of Heaven. The song was on his debut album Songs of Leonard Cohen. Cohen’s recording was released as a single in 1968 but did not reach music charts.BOOK, Ira B., Nadel, 1996–2010s, Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen, Random House of Canada, 9780307367020,books.google.com/books?id=p44Jtck3VCAC&pg=PT193, The song only charted after Cohen’s death in 2016.

In popular culture

Film

The song is used in the 1971 Werner Herzog poetic documentary Fata Morgana and the 1971 Robert Altman film McCabe & Mrs. Miller. It is also featured in Lars Von Trier’s 1996 film Breaking the Waves and the 2011 Adam Curtis documentary All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace. Nick Cave performed the song in the film (Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man).WEB, Trendell, Andrew, Nick Cave pays tribute to Leonard Cohen: ‘The greatest of them all’, NME, November 11, 2016,www.nme.com/news/music/nick-cave-pays-tribute-leonard-cohen-greatest-1846385, April 18, 2019,www.nme.com/news/music/nick-cave-pays-tribute-leonard-cohen-greatest-1846385," title="web.archive.org/web/20171001032315www.nme.com/news/music/nick-cave-pays-tribute-leonard-cohen-greatest-1846385,">web.archive.org/web/20171001032315www.nme.com/news/music/nick-cave-pays-tribute-leonard-cohen-greatest-1846385, October 1, 2017, live,

Other

Martin Sharp wrote the lyrics for Cream’s “Tales of Brave Ulysses” to the melody of the Judy Collins version of this song. Eric Clapton later set Sharp’s lyrics to his own music.MAGAZINE,www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tales-of-a-brave-ulysses-cream, Tales of a Brave Ulysses - Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, September 15, 2017,www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tales-of-a-brave-ulysses-cream," title="web.archive.org/web/20161221054204www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tales-of-a-brave-ulysses-cream,">web.archive.org/web/20161221054204www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tales-of-a-brave-ulysses-cream, December 21, 2016, live,

Charts {| class“wikitable plainrowheaders sortable” style@text-align:center”

! Chart (2016)! Peakposition{{single chart|Austria|39|artist=Leonard Cohen|song=Suzanne|rowheader=true|access-date=November 24, 2016}}! scope=“row“| France (SNEP)WEB,www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-singles-telecharges/?ye=2016&we=46, Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 46, 2016), Syndicat National de l’Édition Phonographique, fr, November 19, 2016,www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-singles-telecharges/?ye=2016&we=46," title="archive.today/20161118154254www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-singles-telecharges/?ye=2016&we=46,">archive.today/20161118154254www.snepmusique.com/tops-semaine/top-singles-telecharges/?ye=2016&we=46, November 18, 2016, live, | 3{{single chart|Germany|61|songid=13620|artist=Leonard Cohen|song=Suzanne|rowheader=true|access-date=November 18, 2016}}{{single chart|Dutch100|79|artist=Leonard Cohen|song=Suzanne|rowheader=true|access-date=November 19, 2016}}{{single chart|Scotland|56|date=20161118|rowheader=true|access-date=November 19, 2016}}{{single chart|Spain|9|artist=Leonard Cohen|song=Suzanne|rowheader=true|access-date=November 29, 2016}}{{single chart|Switzerland|14|artist=Leonard Cohen|song=Suzanne|rowheader=true|access-date=November 21, 2016}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Leonard Cohen|title=Suzanne|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2022|id=18120-2139-1|access-date=June 7, 2022}}{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

Notable recordings

The song “Suzanne” was first performed by The Stormy Clovers in 1966 and then recorded by Judy Collins, appearing on her 1966 album In My Life.(File:Suzanne by Noel Harrison 1967 US vinyl A-side.jpg|thumb|240px|A-side label of Noel Harrison recording (US release pictured))In 1967, Noel Harrison’s version—the second cover of the songBOOK, Sylvie, Simmons, 2012, The Dust of a Long Sleepless Night,books.google.com/books?id=0l5xaU2YBBQC&q=Suzanne+%22Noel+Harrison%22+-Pseudopedia&pg=PT177, I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, McClelland & Stewart, 9780771080425, —reached number 125 in the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart on the week ending September 30.MAGAZINE, Bubbling Under the Hot 100, September 30, 1967, Billboard,books.google.com/books?id=WygEAAAAMBAJ&q=Suzanne+%22Noel+Harrison%22+-Pseudopedia&pg=PA29, 29, Harrison’s version entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 86 on October 28MAGAZINE, The Hot 100: The Week of October 28, 1967,www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1967-10-28, Billboard, November 11, 2016,www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1967-10-28," title="web.archive.org/web/20161105190024www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1967-10-28,">web.archive.org/web/20161105190024www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1967-10-28, November 5, 2016, live, and peaked at number 56 on November 25, 1967.BOOK, Maury, Dean, 2003, Rock ‘n’ Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-cyclopedia,books.google.com/books?id=i6RMBAAAQBAJ&q=Suzanne+%22Leonard+Cohen%22+chart+-Pseudopedia&pg=PA352, 352, Algora Publishing, New York City, 9780875862071, BOOK, Bob, Leszczak, 2015,books.google.com/books?id=UpucCQAAQBAJ&q=Suzanne+%22Leonard+Cohen%22+chart+-Pseudopedia&pg=PA150, Noel Harrison, From Small Screen to Vinyl: A Guide to Television Stars Who Made Records, 1950–2000, 150, Rowman & Littlefield, 9781442242746, MAGAZINE, Noel Harrison,www.billboard.com/artist/312387/noel-harrison/chart, Billboard, November 11, 2016,www.billboard.com/artist/312387/noel-harrison/chart," title="web.archive.org/web/20170206225754www.billboard.com/artist/312387/noel-harrison/chart,">web.archive.org/web/20170206225754www.billboard.com/artist/312387/noel-harrison/chart, February 6, 2017, live, In Canada it reached number 38.WEB,www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.100131.pdf, RPM Top 100 Singles - December 9, 1967, In 1969, Herman van Veen’s Dutch versionWEB, Herman Van Veen – Suzanne,www.top40.nl/herman-van-veen/herman-van-veen-suzanne_8119, Media Markt Top 40, November 11, 2016,web.archive.org/web/20161111193206/https://www.top40.nl/herman-van-veen/herman-van-veen-suzanne_8119, November 11, 2016, live, entered the Dutch Top 40 list at number 39 on April 26WEB, week 17 (26 april 1969),www.top40.nl/top40/1969/week-17, Media Markt Top 40, November 11, 2016,web.archive.org/web/20161111194711/https://www.top40.nl/top40/1969/week-17, November 11, 2016, live, and reached fourth place on May 31.WEB,www.top40.nl/top40/1969/week-22, week 22 (31 mei 1969), Media Markt Top 40, November 11, 2016,web.archive.org/web/20161111193203/https://www.top40.nl/top40/1969/week-22, November 11, 2016, live, It has since been covered by many other artists,Arjatsalo, J., Riise, A., & Kurzweil, K. (July 11, 2009). A Thousand Covers Deep: Leonard Cohen Covered by Other Artists {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828073446www.leonardcohenfiles.com/coverlist.php |date=August 28, 2009 }}. The Leonard Cohen Files. Retrieved July 12, 2009. including a young Bruce Springsteen in his band the Castiles.WEB, Cover Song Spotlight: “Suzanne” by the Castiles,www.legendsofspringsteen.com/2015/03/cover-song-spotlight-suzanne-by-castiles.html, Legends of Springsteen, May 12, 2015,www.legendsofspringsteen.com/2015/03/cover-song-spotlight-suzanne-by-castiles.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20151207001757www.legendsofspringsteen.com/2015/03/cover-song-spotlight-suzanne-by-castiles.html,">web.archive.org/web/20151207001757www.legendsofspringsteen.com/2015/03/cover-song-spotlight-suzanne-by-castiles.html, December 7, 2015, live, It has been translated in Italian by Fabrizio De André and included in his album Canzoni (1974).The band R.E.M. gave Cohen a joint songwriting credit for their song “Hope” (on their 1998 album Up), in light of the similarity between the two songs.WEB, Zaleski, Annie, 20 Years Ago: R.E.M. Find Their Way as a Trio With ‘Up’,ultimateclassicrock.com/r-e-m-up-album/, Ultimate Classic Rock, en, October 26, 2018,

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

• The song lyrics, from Leonard Cohen’s web site (higher graphics)
• The song lyrics, from The Leonard Cohen Files (lower graphics)
• music.cbc.ca/" title="web.archive.org/web/20160301002442music.cbc.ca/">Rear-view Mirror: Who was “Suzanne” and why did Leonard Cohen make her famous? (CBC)
• Transcripted excerpt from the BBC Radio 4 FM, June 1998 interview with Suzanne Verdal McCallister

{{Leonard Cohen}}{{Authority control}}