Like A Bird On A Wire. (1 Viewer)

[pratincol]

Dear old Leonard Cohen died yesterday.
There was an Arena programme on TV last night.They showed a clip of him pointing out of the window of his villa on the island of Hydra,Greece where he saw the bird which inspired this beautiful song.The song was written in the 60's.
I often wondered which bird he saw.It was in a built-up area of Hydra so possibly it was a Spotless Starling,House, Sparrow or maybe a Collared Dove.The lyrics give no clues about it's identity.
RIP Leonard.

 

[Richard Prior]

He wrote some wonderful poetry and songs, but like me, was clearly not good at bird identification (see my 'signature', from his 'Story of Isaac')

 

[Mark Lew1s]

I reckon you can rule out spotless starling on range alone. That narrows things down a tiny bit...

 

[pratincol]

I will forgive him getting mixed up between a vulture and an eagle- he wrote some wonderful [but depressing] songs and lyrics.
Didn't realise Spotless Starlings don't get that far.Maybe it was a swallow on migration then.

 

[Johann Sebastian Bach]

I will forgive him getting mixed up between a vulture and an eagle- he wrote some wonderful [but depressing] songs and lyrics.

Yes, wonderful and depressing songs which formed a major part of my student days. You couldn't go to a party without hearing "Songs from a Room". I suspect he was an early Goth, so the bird would be black and probably a portent of doom - a jackdaw, perhaps.

Peter

 

[pratincol]

Yes, wonderful and depressing songs which formed a major part of my student days. You couldn't go to a party without hearing "Songs from a Room". I suspect he was an early Goth, so the bird would be black and probably a portent of doom - a jackdaw, perhaps.

Peter

I too have happy[or maybe unhappy] memories listening to his beautiful,mournful songs in my paraffin heater fuel fumes - filled bedsit.
It was really sad to hear how he got ripped off by his accountant in his later years-hence his comeback in his 70's.
Learning that Leonard couldn't distinguish between a vulture and an eagle,I'm beginning to wonder now if Paul McCartney actually did hear a Blackbird singing in the dead of night?