Leonard Cohen – Clap! Clap! lyrics

(Mirror Song) (Written By Cohen, Performed In "Night Magic")

(Michael) I never thought I'd get this far

(Audience) We always knew you would

(Michael) I've put a little weight on

(Audience) Not really, it looks good.

(Michael) These lines around my mouth are new

(Audience) They're the lines of wisdom

(Michael) This puffiness around my eyes?

(Audience) The burden of the kingdom!

(Michael) You know I like to talk with you

(Audience) We do too, we never knew
Someone who we could talk to
Who was quite as smart as you.

We would like to hear you talk all night
But tell us if we might
Interrupt you with applause
If you should chance to pause.
We would love to rock the walls
Again and again with curtain calls
And a standing ovation
For your brilliant conversation...

(Michael) Clap, clap!
Now silence

Have you noticed people wear...

(Audience) Copies of your favourite hat?

(Michael) You have noticed that my dears?

(Audience) O yes we have noticed that.

(Michael) They wear copies of my shoes

(Audience) Two by twos they wear your shoes

(Michael) And they like to sing my blues

(Audience) Echoes of your ah's and ooh's.

(Michael) You know I like to talk with you

(Audience) We do too, we never knew
Someone who we could talk to
Who was quite as smart as you.

(Michael) I'm afraid that I've become
For nearly everyone
A model of behaviour
A devil or a saviour.

(Audience) He's afraid that he's become
For next to nearly everyone
The very latest model of behaviour
He's a devil, he's a saviour

(Michael) They read my news and
They hold their views
On whether I'm the devil
Or a saviour

(Audience) He's afraid that he's become
For almost everyone
The very latest model of behaviour
He's a devil, he's a saviour

(Michael) I'm the very latest model of behaviour

But I've paid my dues

(Audience) We know you have!
We hold your views!

(Michael) You read my news?

(Audience) Of course we do!

(Michael) I've been a bum.

(Audience) How very, very, very, very far you've come!

(Michael) I've crossed this country on my thumb.
I've met a lot of people...

(Audience) Good and evil?

(Michael) Good and evil!
I've been up hills

(Audience) You've been down hills.

(Michael) I've been on junk.

(Audience) You've beaten junk.

(Michael) I don't mean pills

(Audience) You don't mean pills!

(Michael) I mean the needle

(Audience) He means the needle
He means the needle!
He means the needle!

(Michael) I've noticed my words on everyone's lips
And women are always leaving me slips
Of paper
I'm supposed to get back to them later
And sometimes I do

(Audience) It's only your due
After all that you've been through
To lie down with some grateful stranger

To think he honours someone's bed
With his wine and with his bread
And his legendary member
It is April in December

It's charity
It's religion
Saint Francis with the birds
Jesus with the leper
Please talk to us forever
And ever and ever

(Michael) Clap, clap
Now silence!

But now I make my confession
Before all the mirrors of history
This power was given to me
It must have been given to me
For something more
Than a star on the door
And a foot in this shabby profession

(Audience) This is surely the sound
Of the most profound
Remark that has ever been made
From the pulpit or the stage
Or even the gates of heaven

(Michael) There's something waiting for me
There's something I must feel
There's something that must bend it's knee
And I must see it kneel

There's nothing to be conquered there
A beast that keeps the crown
And marble steps into the air
And one man looking down

(Audience) He's smiling
He's smiling

There is something that is waiting for him
Something that he must feel
Something that must bend it's knee
And it's he must see it kneel

There is something to be conquered there
There's a beast that keeps the crown
And marble steps into the air
And one man looking down

Smiling, smiling

(Michael) Clap clap!

(Audience) Smiling, smiling

(Michael) Clap, clap!