The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it’s done –
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it’s real,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
I’m turning tricks, I’m getting fixed,
I’m back on Boogie Street.
it could be that because dylan & cohen have always been more "writerly" than most of their contemporaries they've somehow endured to give us excellent late work. pop music doesn't seem to be kind to old men. most of our high school idols have slipped into self parody(morrison)or trite redundancy(young). dylan has definitely hit a late stage productivity similar to, say, yeats or stevens. cohen's productivity is all about quality & not quantity, which has always been the case. he's just stayed true to his muse, i suppose.
while dylan & cohen's lyrics can still dazzle w/their word play & characterizations, they've both chosen to musically explore seemingly "played out" forms(blues, cabaret)to great affect. watching each assume the late personae of the rocking roadhouse journeyman & the "joel grey" cabaret master has been another lesson about getting back on boogie street.
leonard cohen turns 75yo today.
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