The 14 Aug 2012 soundcheck as viewed by most fans
The Aug 14, 2012 Field Commander Cohen Performance
By Lennard Torbijn from the Netherlands
DrHGuy Note: Lennard Torbijn asked if I would be interested in his recording and discussion of ”Field Commander Cohen” performed at the Aug 14, 2012 Ghent soundcheck. After hearing the imperfect but listenable recording and reading the erudite description and commentary, the choice was an easy one – I believe it was something on the order of “Heck, yes.”
I made this iPhone recording outside the venue of the 14 August, 2012 soundcheck. The quality is not superb but it sounds adequate (at least to me) for posting, given the significance of the performance.
A number of songs were performed during the soundcheck, some of which have not yet been played in the first three concerts I attended. These include Night Comes On, Chelsea Hotel #2 (numerous times), and Field Commander Cohen.
Field Commander Cohen was started twice during the rehearsal. The first time was aborted when Leonard Cohen erred on the lyrics. The second attempt, however, was successfully completed, and this is the effort that I recorded.
The finish of Field Commander Cohen segued immediately into the start of The Gypsy’s Wife, leading me to wonder if this may indicate plans for an even more acoustic/seventies oriented beginning of the second set. While this is no more than speculation on my part, the setlists have also included other Cohen songs in this genre, such as The Guests, A Singer Must Die, Avalanche, Crazy To Love You, Heart With No Companion, The Partisan, and Night Comes On, on all of which Cohen accompanies himself with his acoustic guitar.
Cohen has changed the lyrics of Field Commander Cohen in at least three instances, but I cannot decipher the words that replace the original lyrics. The lyrics, as far as I can make them out, follow with the original lyrics that have been changed underlined and in bold:
Field Commander Cohen, he was our most important spy
wounded in the line of duty
parachuting acid into diplomatic cocktail parties
urging Fidel Castro to abandon [fields and castles?]
leave it all, and like a man,
come back to nothing special
such as waiting rooms and ticket lines,
and silver bullet suicides,
and messianic ocean tides,
and racial roller-coaster rides,
and other forms of boredom advertised as [poetry?].
I know you need your sleep now.
I know your life’s been hard,
But many men have fallen
where you promised to stand guard.
I never asked but I heard that you cast your lot along with the poor
how come I overheard your prayer
that you be this and nothing more
than just some grateful, faithful woman’s favourite singing millionaire,
the patron saint of envy and the grocer of despair,
working for the Yankee dollar.
Drinkin´ rum and Coca-Cola. Go down Point Koomahnah.
Both mother and daughter. Working for the Yankee dollar.
I know you need your sleep now.
I know your life’s been hard,
But many men have fallen,
where you promised to stand guard.
Ah lover, come and lie with me, if my lover is who you really are.
And be your sweetest self [a while, until I ask for more, my child?]
Then let the other selves be rung; let them manifest and come?]
and every taste is on the tongue,
`til love is pierced and love is hung
and every kind of freedom done, then
oh my love, oh my love, oh my love
Both versions of Field Commander Cohen (those found in the New Skin For The Old Ceremony (1974) album and the Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 (2001) live album) begin in the key of F. This 14 August 2012 soundcheck version starts in the key of C#, which is significantly lower. It seems likely this shift was made to accommodate Cohen’s voice, which has deepened considerably since the 1970s.
The 2012 soundcheck version includes the change to the middle of the song made in the 1979 live version the addition of a verse from the song Rum and Coca-Cola by the Andrew Sisters in 1945.1 This verse is not part of the original album version.
As far as I know, Leonard Cohen has not performed Field Commander Cohen live since the 1979 tour.
It sounds as though almost all the band members play on the song, but I cannot confidently discern Neil Larsen and Mitch Watkins taking part.
Listen To Field Commander Cohen by Leonard Cohen
Ghent Soundcheck – Aug 14, 2012
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Download Ghent Soundcheck Field Commander Cohen MP3
An MP3 (the sort of file that should work in your iPod or MP3 player and can be burned to a CD) of Leonard Cohen singing Field Commander Cohen at the August 14, 2012 Ghent Soundcheck is available for download. The title (“Field Commander Cohen”), artist (“Leonard Cohen”), album name (“Soundcheck Ghent 8/14/2012), and art (the graphic atop this post) have been embedded in the file as tags.
Download the file at
Leonard Cohen – Field Commander Cohen (Ghent Soundcheck)
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Click ONLY on the box’s green bar labeled “Download.” Do not click on other items labeled “Download” on the same page – they are links to other software.
i don’t think the cohen community around the globe fully appreciates how lucky we are to have you as our oh-so-dedicated blogger – such splendid work every time, now we take it for granted it every morning