The Folk Revival Sounds of the Sixties

This is BBC1.

Among the aficionados of American folk music,

the name Bob Dylan, I'm told, is murmured with hushed respect.

He it was who wrote the now famous protest song, Blowin' In The Wind.

He's just arrived here to sing at the Royal Festival Hall

and his latest protest is called With God On Our Side.

# Oh, my name, it ain't nothin'

# My age, it means less

# The country I come from

# Is called the Midwest

# I was taught and brought up there

# The laws to abide

# And that land that I live in

# Has God on its side

# Oh, the history books tell it

# They tell it so well

# The cavalries charged

# The Indians fell

# The cavalries charged

# The Indians died

# Oh, the country was young

# With God on its side

# The Spanish-American War's had its day

# And the Civil War too

# Was soon laid away

# And the names of the heroes

# I was made to memorise

# With guns in their hands

# And God on their side... #

Bob Dylan.

APPLAUSE Thank you. It's been a while since I left California and came to Europe.

When I first came to Europe, I went to a Greek island and met a lot of interesting people.

Among them, I met a young poet from Canada called Leonard Cohen.

After I left the island, I went my way and he went his

and we didn't see each other again until yesterday when we got together to decide what to do in the show.

Since then, he's become a major poet. He always was, but he's recognised as a major poet now.

And his last book, Beautiful Losers, was a best-seller in America,

though it hasn't been published here.

But Leonard, besides being a writer, has written many beautiful songs.

They've been recorded by Judy Collins, Noel Harrison and many others.

I'm very proud to have him here on the show and introduce him to the English public.

Here is the writer, poet, songwriter...

He's a friend, but he says he's a stranger in this song.

Ladies and gentlemen, Leonard Cohen.

APPLAUSE

# It's true that all the men you knew

# Were dealers who said they were through

# With dealing every time you gave them shelter

# I know that kind of man

# It's hard to hold the hand of anyone

# Who's reaching for the sky

# Just to surrender

# Who is reaching for the sky Just to surrender

# And sweeping up the jokers that he left behind

# You'll find he did not leave you very much

# Not even laughter

# Like any dealer, he was watching

# For the card that is so high and wild

# He'll never need to deal another

# He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

# He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

# And then leaning on your windowsill

# He'll say one day you caused his will

# To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter

# And then taking from his wallet

# An old schedule of trains

# He'll say I told you when I came

# I was a stranger

# I told you when I came I was a stranger

# Oh, but now another stranger seems to want you

# To ignore his dreams as though they were the burden of some other

# You've seen that man before

# His golden arm dispatching cards

# But now it's rusted from the elbow to the finger

# And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter

# Yes, he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter

# Oh, you hate to watch another tired man lay down his hand

# Like he was giving up the holy game of poker

# And while he talks his dreams to sleep

# You notice there's a highway

# That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder

# And suddenly you feel a little older

# Now you tell him to come in, sit down

# But something makes you turn around

# The door is open You can't close your shelter

# You try the handle of the road

# It opens, do not be afraid

# It's you, my love You, who are the stranger

# It is you, my love You, who are the stranger

# Well, I've been waiting

# I was sure we'd meet between the trains we're waiting for

# I think it's time to board another

# Please understand I never had a secret chart

# To get me to the heart of this or any other matter

# When he talks like this

# You don't know what he's after

# When he speaks like this

# You don't know what he's after

# Let's meet tomorrow if you choose

# Upon the shore, beneath the bridge

# That they are building on some endless river

# Then he leaves the platform

# For the sleeping car that's warm

# You realise he's only advertising one more shelter

# And it comes to you He never was a stranger

# And you say OK, the bridge or someplace later

# And then leaning on your windowsill

# He'll say one day You caused his will to weaken

# With your love and warmth and shelter

# And then taking from his wallet an old schedule of trains

# He'll say, I told you when I came I was a stranger

# I told you when I came I was a stranger

# I told you when I came I was a stranger. #

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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