Tower of Song Lyrics

Tower song
I'm a singer in the tower of song
OK, now
1, 2, 3, 4

Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm paying my rent everyday in the Tower of Song

I said to Leonard Cohen: How lonely does it get?
Leonard Cohen hasn't answered me yet

But I can hear him coughing all night long
A million floors above me in the Tower of Song

I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born like this, with a golden voice
Twenty-seven angels from the Great Beyond
Well they tied me to this table right here in the Tower of Song

You can stick your needles in a voodoo doll
I'm sorry baby, but it don't look like me at all
I'm standing by the window where the light is strong
They don't let a woman kill you in the Tower of Song

I've grown bitter, bitter, of this you may be sure:
The rich, the rich have got channels in the bedrooms of the poor
And there's a mighty judgement but it won't be long, but I may be wrong
You see, you hear these funny voices in the Tower of Song - oh yeah -
The guitar, the bass, the drums, so nice every hour in the Tower of Song
I see you standing on the other side
I don't know how the river got so wide
But I loved you, baby, way back when
All the bridges are burning that we might have crossed
But I feel so close to everything that we lost
But I'll never have to lose you again, Tower of Song

I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'm back
They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
But you'll be hearing from me, baby, long after I'm gone
I'm speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song

Now you can say that I've grown bitter, of this you can be sure:
The rich have got channels in the bedrooms of the poor
And there's a mighty judgement but it won't take long, I may be wrong

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About

Genius Annotation

Recorded for the Leonard Cohen tribute album I’m Your Fan, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' version was edited down from a 30 minute long jam session which can be found on various bootlegs. The final edit was eventually collected on the compilation B-Sides & Rarities.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds say about "Tower of Song"?
Genius Answer

Thomas Wylder: “The song where we improvised more than ever was the old Leonard Cohen one, ‘Tower Of Song’. That was a straight improvisation, where Nick took direction from the lyrics, then we played in a style that followed those lyrics. It was like a comic. I remember the long version and how all those different styles affected the music. We did it in voodoo style, then there was a jazz part and more rock sections. Mostly Cave leads the song with piano, so that phrase and mood was already set. The great thing with Nick is that he changes from record to record. I’m not a drummer with a straight style, so it suited me perfectly.”

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