Testo originale e traduzione in italiano.
THE NIGHT OF SANTIAGO
She said she was a virgin
That wasn’t what I’d heard
For the sake of conversation
I took her at her word
The lights went out behind us
The fireflies undressed
The broken sidewalk ended
I touched her sleeping breasts
They opened to me urgently
Like lilies from the dead
Behind a fine embroidery
Her nipples rose like bread
Then I took off my necktie
And she took off her dress
My belt and pistol set aside
We tore away the rest
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
Her thights they slipped away from me
Like schools of startled fish
Though i’ve forgotten half my life
I still remember this
Now as a man I won’t repeat
The things she said aloud
Except for this my lips are sealed forever
And for now
And soon there’s sand in every kiss
And soon the dawn is ready
And soon the night surrenders
To a daffodil machete
I gave her something pretty
And I waited ’til she laughed
I wasn’t born a gipsy
To make a woman sad
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
I didn’t fall in love of course
It’s never up to you
But she was walking back and forth
And I was passing through
When I took her to the river
In her virginal apparel
When I took her to the river
On the night of Santiago
And yes she lied about her life
Her children and her husband
you were born to judge the world
Forgive me but I wasn’t
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
Ispirata alla poesia La Casada Infiel di Garcia Lorca |
THE NIGHT OF SANTIAGO
She said she was a virgin
That wasn’t what I’d heard
For the sake of conversation
I took her at her word
The lights went out behind us
The fireflies undressed
The broken sidewalk ended
I touched her sleeping breasts
They opened to me urgently
Like lilies from the dead
Behind a fine embroidery
Her nipples rose like bread
Then I took off my necktie
And she took off her dress
My belt and pistol set aside
We tore away the rest
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
Her thights they slipped away from me
Like schools of startled fish
Though i’ve forgotten half my life
I still remember this
Now as a man I won’t repeat
The things she said aloud
Except for this my lips are sealed forever
And for now
And soon there’s sand in every kiss
And soon the dawn is ready
And soon the night surrenders
To a daffodil machete
I gave her something pretty
And I waited ’til she laughed
I wasn’t born a gipsy
To make a woman sad
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
I didn’t fall in love of course
It’s never up to you
But she was walking back and forth
And I was passing through
When I took her to the river
In her virginal apparel
When I took her to the river
On the night of Santiago
And yes she lied about her life
Her children and her husband
you were born to judge the world
Forgive me but I wasn’t
The Night of Santiago
And I was passing through
And I took her to the river
As any man would do
Ispirata alla poesia La Casada Infiel di Garcia Lorca |
Testo: Leonard Cohen
Musica: Adam Cohen
Javier Mas – chitarra acustica, nacchere
Michale Chaves – basso, nacchere, tecnico del suono
Adam Cohen – chitarra acustica, nacchere
Zac Rae – sintetizzatore, felt piano, organo würlitzer, grancassa
Richard Reed Parry – basso
Beck – scacciapensieri, chitarra acustica
Daniel Lanois – piano, cori
Carlos de Jacoba – chitarra acustica
Silvia Perez Cruz – cori
Howard Bilerman – assistente tecnico del suono
Il testo della canzone è stato originariamente pubblicato nell’album “The Book of Longing” di Philip Glass, sia pur con alcune varianti.’.
