On which Leonard Cohen album does the song Suzanne appear?
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Leonard Cohen’s song Suzanne appears on his very first studio album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, released in 1967. This track is one of the Canadian singer-songwriter’s most iconic compositions and has become a classic of 20th-century folk music and singer-songwriter songs.
Before becoming a song, Suzanne was first a poem, published in 1966 in the collection Parasites of Heaven. Cohen, who first made his name as a poet and novelist before turning to music, then decided to set it to music. American folk singer Judy Collins performed the first sung version of Suzanne in 1966. Following the success of this interpretation, Leonard Cohen himself recorded the song the following year for his debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen.
The album, released in December 1967, contains other songs that have become classics, such as Sisters of Mercy, So Long, Marianne, and Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye. But it is Suzanne that remains the flagship song, the one that revealed Leonard Cohen as a singer-songwriter on an international scale.
Suzanne’s lyrics are both poetic and mysterious. They are inspired by a real encounter with Suzanne Verdal, a friend of Cohen’s who lived in Montreal. The poet describes her with a mixture of realism and symbolism, evoking her gestures, her environment, and the special bond that united them. The song is constructed as an ode to tenderness, sensuality, and spirituality, blending concrete images (tea, oranges, the river) with religious references (Jesus walking on water). This symbolic richness contributes to its timelessness.
Musically, Suzanne is part of the folk universe of the 1960s, with simple acoustic guitar accompaniment and minimal orchestration that highlights Cohen’s deep, hypnotic voice. This pared-down style would become the artist’s trademark, contrasting with the more complex orchestrations of some of his contemporaries.
Suzanne was a huge success upon its release. The song quickly became a standard, covered by numerous artists, including Nina Simone, Françoise Hardy, and Neil Diamond. These covers helped to further increase the song’s popularity and consolidate its place in global musical culture.
The album Songs of Leonard Cohen, thanks in particular to Suzanne, paved the way for an exceptional musical career. Leonard Cohen, already respected as a poet, was then recognized as a great songwriter, capable of skillfully combining literary poetry and popular music. The impact of this record was such that it remains today an essential reference in the history of folk music and singer-songwriting.
Suzanne occupies an extremely important place in Cohen’s work. It is often considered an artistic “calling card,” highlighting all the qualities that make his style unique: rich poetic language, reflection on the human condition, and a rare ability to combine the intimate and the universal.
Even today, more than fifty years after its release, the song continues to move and touch new generations. It remains one of Leonard Cohen’s best-known and most beloved songs, regularly performed at tributes and concerts dedicated to his work.
Leonard Cohen’s song Suzanne appears on the album Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967). This seminal track revealed the Canadian poet’s talent as a singer and composer to the world and remains one of the jewels in his repertoire, a symbol of the fusion between poetry and music.
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On which Leonard Cohen album does the song Suzanne appear?
Answer
Leonard Cohen's song Suzanne appears on his first studio album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, released in 1967, which has become an essential classic.