First We Take Manhattan
![]() | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2015) |
"First We Take Manhattan" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Jennifer Warnes | ||||
from the album Famous Blue Raincoat | ||||
B-side | "Famous Blue Raincoat" | |||
Released | 1987 | |||
Recorded | Spring 1986 | |||
Genre | Folk rock | |||
Length | 3:32 | |||
Label |
| |||
Songwriter(s) | Leonard Cohen | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Jennifer Warnes singles chronology | ||||
|
"First We Take Manhattan" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. It was originally recorded by American singer Jennifer Warnes on her 1986 Cohen tribute album Famous Blue Raincoat, which consisted entirely of songs written or co-written by Cohen.
Meaning[]
The song's oblique lyric is suggestive of religious and end time themes with references to prayer, meaningful birthmarks and signs in the sky. Ben Hewitt writing for The Guardian in 2015 drew attention to the lyric's apocalyptic nature, imagining Cohen "greedily eyeing world domination like a Bond villain".[1] Rolling Stone magazine's Mikal Gilmore similarly described the song as a threatening vision of "social collapse and a terrorist's revenge".[2] The Daily Telegraph's Robert Sandall likewise observed the prophetic character of the song, but emphasized the song's political statement, placing it in the context of the last days of the Soviet Union.[3]
Cohen explained himself in a backstage interview at 1988:[4] "I think it means exactly what it says. It is a terrorist song. I think it's a response to terrorism. There's something about terrorism that I've always admired. The fact that there are no alibis or no compromises. That position is always very attractive. I don't like it when it's manifested on the physical plane – I don't really enjoy the terrorist activities – but Psychic Terrorism. I remember there was a great poem by Irving Layton that I once read, I'll give you a paraphrase of it. It was 'well, you guys blow up an occasional airline and kill a few children here and there', he says. 'But our terrorists, Jesus, Freud, Marx, Einstein. The whole world is still quaking.'"
Jennifer Warnes version[]
Warnes' original recording is notable for the distinctive driving lead guitar played by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Producer Roscoe Beck was from Austin, Texas and friends with Vaughan. In late February 1986, at the annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Beck asked Vaughan to record the guitar for the song. In a 2007 interview, Beck recalls that Vaughan did not have his guitar or amp with him, and used one of Beck's old Strats instead. After working on a few technical problems, the finished recording was achieved after two or three takes.[5] According to Jennifer Warnes' official site, Vaughan finished recording his takes at 4 AM.[6]
Music video[]
The music video for Warnes' version of "First We Take Manhattan" was directed by Paula Walker. Filmed in New York City, the video features Stevie Ray Vaughan playing his weathered "Number One" guitar (with its distinctive "SRV" logo) on the Brooklyn Bridge. Cohen also appears with Warnes in the video. The 20th anniversary edition of the music video contains a German intro about the West Berlin discotheque bombing.[7]
The album version of the song is 3:47 in length, whereas the single is 3:32 long. A promotional 12-inch single version, entitled "Jennifer Warnes — First We Take Manhattan, Radio Remix — featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan", contained extended and edited versions.
Personnel[]
- Vocals – Jennifer Warnes
- Lead guitar – Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Guitar – Robben Ford
- Bass guitar – Roscoe Beck
- Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
- Percussion – Lenny Castro
- Synthesizer – Russell Ferrante
- Synthesizer programmed by – Gary Chang
Leonard Cohen version[]
"First We Take Manhattan" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Leonard Cohen | ||||
from the album I'm Your Man | ||||
Released | February 1988 | |||
Recorded | 1987 | |||
Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 5:56 | |||
Label | Columbia Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Leonard Cohen | |||
Producer(s) | Leonard Cohen | |||
Leonard Cohen singles chronology | ||||
|
Leonard Cohen's own quasi-synthpop version of "First We Take Manhattan" (with additional verses) was released in 1988 as the first track on his album I'm Your Man. Cohen's then-girlfriend, Dominique Issermann, shot a black and white promotional video for Cohen's version of the track.
On his 1988 tour, instead of the original, Euro-disco-influenced arrangement of his studio version, Cohen introduced the new, funk-influenced arrangement, suggested by his backing singers Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen. He continued to perform the song this way in 1993, 2008 and 2009 tours.
Cohen's studio recording plays over the closing credits of the 2009 film Watchmen.
Personnel[]
- Jeff Fisher – arranger and performer
- Leonard Cohen – vocals and production
- Anjani – vocals
- – Bass
Other cover versions[]
The song has been covered dozens of times. Most notably, R.E.M. contributed a cover for the Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan. Their presence on the compilation led to a re-arranging of the I'm Your Fan track list. In the US release of the tribute, R.E.M.'s cover appeared as the first track, rather than House of Love's "Who by Fire" which was the starting track in all other countries. The song also appeared as a B-side on some versions of the single "Drive".
Joe Cocker covered "First We Take Manhattan" on his 1999 album No Ordinary World.
Other artists to cover the song include Show of Hands, Cookies 'N' Beans, Boris Grebenshchikov, Yasmine, Sirenia, Maxx Klaxon, Tyskarna från Lund, Enrique Morente, and Widespread Panic.
Charts[]
Jennifer Warnes version[]
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] | 32 |
Canadian Hot 100 | 43 |
Canadian Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 6 |
UK Singles Chart[9] | 74 |
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 29 |
R.E.M. version[]
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Alternative Songs[10] | 11 |
References[]
- ^ "Leonard Cohen: 10 of his best songs". The Guardian. 6 May 2015.
- ^ "Leonard Cohen: Remembering the Life and Legacy of the Poet of Brokenness". Rolling Stone. 30 November 2016.
- ^ "Twelve towering Cohen songs". The Daily Telegraph. 23 October 2004.
- ^ "Diamonds In The Lines". Archived from the original on 2010-02-27. Retrieved 2016-12-05.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- ^ "2007 XM Interview with Jennifer Warnes, Leonard Cohen and Roscoe Beck". Jenniferwarnes.com. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ "Photo of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jennifer Warnes". Jenniferwarnes.com. Retrieved 2009-02-15.[permanent dead link]
- ^ John Brunton (14 January 2009). Jennifer Warnes: First We Take Manhattan on YouTube.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 333. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Official Charts > Jennifer Warnes". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2015-12-17.
- ^ "R.E.M. - Charts & Awards – Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
External links[]
- 1987 singles
- 1987 songs
- 1988 singles
- Ariola Records singles
- Black-and-white music videos
- Columbia Records singles
- Jennifer Warnes songs
- Joe Cocker songs
- Leonard Cohen songs
- R.E.M. songs
- Songs about New York City
- Songs written by Leonard Cohen
- Warren Zevon songs
- Works about terrorism