Old and young

We've been to visit TSH's 94 year old mother who is independent and alert and brilliant. That was immediately after visiting TSH's daughter and husband and the new grandson who is brilliant and becoming alert but not independent for a while yet.  So I've had another few days off.

But today I've looked at how Cohen is using 'there'. He mostly (66%ish of the time) uses it existentially - 'there are laws to obey' rather than 'standing there', indicating place. This shows that he writes with great authority - like an academic or an expert witness.

I've been amusing myself on youtube with extracts from Cohen concerts I have been to . When he sings 'Save the Last Dance for me' and 'Marianne', two big finishes with audience participation, he looks exhausted. But he gives an outstanding performance and he's nearly 80!

TSH has been ill with a stomach bug but hopefully OK now. I think I'm immune.

The analysis section

I decided today to try to put the analysis section of the dissertation together from all the bits and pieces I already have. I ended up with over 6,000 words. They won't all make it into the final version but that's well on the way to my 12,500, which will also include introduction, conclusion, data acquisition and the dreaded literature review.

I've merged the three manual analyses - Marianne, Manhattan and Going Home because there are common features and it saves word count. I have started looking at the keywords 'he' and 'his'. There is a lurking 'other man' in 'the stranger song', 'the master song' and 'one of us cannot be wrong'. These are all from Cohen's early period, so I have produced files of his early, middle and later lyrics and tomorrow I will do some analysis of whether there is a difference in the use of these pronouns over time.

The apple crumble was very good.

This will NOT change my image

TSH's daughter has had a baby boy. So I am married to a granddad. And they have suggested I be called Granny T. I am thrilled to be accepted and included. But I am not old enough (well, OK, maybe I'm old enough). But I'm not mature or sober or wise. And I'll still paint my nails and angst about my hair and clothes.

I am looking forward to hearing the language development in a real child instead of a text book. But I need to focus on Leonard. I'm re-writing my analysis of Marianne at the moment.

And I cannot (will not?) ever ever knit.

Preparation

I spent today preparing for Skype with S next week. I Skyped my sister, as its ages since I used it and was shocked at how old I looked on the screen. I need heavier makeup - I don't want him to think I'm really ancient.

I have three manual analyses (Marianne, Manhattan and Going home), an intro to them and a summary conclusion, timetable, summary of findings so far and a draft table of contents. So I hope he won't think I've been idle.

My conclusion so far is that LC's lyrics are like a conversation which keeps switching topic so that you don't know what its about. But full of metaphor, so that its poetic as well. And that's before you introduce the uplifting music!!

Had a wardrobe clearance and put lots of 'could do better' out for the charity shop.

Without the computer

I've started my manual analysis of three lyrics - 'Marianne' from the early period for a personal relationship, 'First we take Manhattan' for a political one and 'Going home' for one where 'leonard' appears. 'Going home' is really quite sinister. There is a controlling voice and an automaton just following orders. 'Marianne' is more ambiguous than I thought. He appears to be dumping her but it then seems she's already left.

Its been very difficult to find time for work for the past few weeks, with all our visitors and then the aftermath of the clearing up. But I really need to get down to it now. The clock is ticking.

Sad week - we went to a funeral for an ex-colleague of TSH - the same age as him and just a bit older than me. So someone's gone forever (and with a holiday booked!), his family are distraught because it was very sudden and we are reminded of our age.

But I still have a forward plan which extends over more than ten years and I intend to add to it.

What to do

I keep thinking about my Supervisor's suggestion to measure Cohen against other artists. This is not how I envisaged this going. I think there is enough in Cohen's complexity of portrayal to be a study in itself. I don't want to do the usual of counting up words and then reaching conclusions like 'Cohen uses words for parts of the body 3 times as often as Dylan, who uses words for geographical places and features 10 times more than Cohen'. (Note: I made those figures up)  Cohen presents himself as a lover in songs like 'Marianne' and as a (flawed) revolutionary leader in 'Field Commander Cohen'. He is a helpless pawn in 'Tower of Song' and some think he is conversing with his younger self in 'Famous Blue raincoat'. All of this is much more fascinating to me. I need to get S on-side.