SUZANNE
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by and you can spend the night beside her
And you know that she’s half crazy but that’s why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her that you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength and she lets the river answer
That you’ve always been her lover
You want to travel with her and you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind
Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
He said all men will be sailors then until the sea shall free them
Oh but he himself was broken long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
You want to travel with him and you want to travel blind
And you know that he will find you
For he’s touched your perfect body with his mind
Suzanne takes your hand now and she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbour
And she shows you wear to look among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed, there are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love and they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
You want to travel with her and you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she’s touched your perfect body with her mind
©1967 Leonard Cohen (SOCAN). All rights reserved. Lyrics used by permission only.
