Leonard Cohen: "Feels So Good"

Fans eagerly await a new studio release from Leonard Cohen, especially when the new material is this good.

Leonard Cohen releases albums so infrequently that it's always such a treat and a pleasure to hear new material from him.

New Material Performed On Tour

On his 2008-2009 tour, he wrote and performed a few new songs, including "Lullabye," "The Darkness" and "Feels So Good." Two of those - "The Darkness" and "Feels So Good" - were performed at his last stop on the tour.

Leonard Cohen plays acoustic guitar on both "The Darkness" and "Feels So Good."

Lyrics Change

As with many of Leonard Cohen's compositions, the lyrics have changed and will probably change again before an official recording is released (and probably again even after that). But the lyrics here are from his performance of the song on November 13, 2009 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California (the last performance of it thus far). There really isn't a chorus, but the first verse is repeated at the end, and is as close to a chorus as the song has. This is that first verse:

Feels so good not to love you like I did
Feels so good not to love you like I did
It's like they tore away my blindfold and they said, "We're going to let this prisoner live"
It's like they tore away my blindfold and they said, "We're going to let this prisoner live"

Audience Response To The Song

Fans of Leonard Cohen respond well to hearing new material, and this song particularly got a great response from the crowd. Especially that last line. The second line of the second verse also got a laugh and a cheer from the audience.

Feels so good to wake up in the morning by myself
Cup of coffee in the kitchen, fire up a little danger to my health
I got the same old broken heart, but now it feels like it belongs to someone else
I got the same old broken heart, but it feels like it belongs to someone else

Leonard Cohen's Wonderfully Deep Voice

Leonard Cohen's voice has gotten progressively deeper over the years. And many fans have attested that he sounded better on this tour than he did in 1993. The deep voice works particularly well when he plays with certain words, such as "kiss" and "ugly" in this verse:

Feels so good not to wonder who you're with
Who you're loving, who you're touching, who you kiss
I guess I just got lucky 'cause I never thought this mood of mine would lift
I guess I just got lucky 'cause I never thought this ugly mood would lift

Leonard Cohen Takes Time Off - His 2010 Tour Postponed

Because of a back injury Leonard Cohen sustained, the 2010 tour has been postponed. It was due to begin in March, but those dates have been pushed back to September. This gives Leonard Cohen a lot of time in which to work on new material.

Fans are hopeful that he will use this time for just that purpose. And while this amazing touring band is together, it is hoped he will enter the recording studio and put the new material down on a CD.

Leonard Cohen's Current Touring Band

To hear what his current touring band sounds like, fans can purchase the Live In London CD. That concert was also released on DVD.

The band is made up of Leonard Cohen on vocals and acoustic guitar (and keyboard on "Tower Of Song"); Roscoe Beck on bass and backing vocals; Neil Larsen on keyboards; Rafael Gayol on drums; Javier Mas on bandurria, laud, archilaud and 12-string guitar; Bob Metzger on guitar, pedal steel and backing vocals; Sharon Robinson on backing vocals; Dino Soldo on saxophone, wind instruments, harmonica, keyboard and backing vocals; and Hattie and Charley Webb - the Webb Sisters - on backing vocals (and harp and guitar on "If It Be Your Will").

This band is known as Unified Heart Touring Company.

(Note: I originally posted this on February 22, 2010.)