I was walking in New York City and I brushed up against the man in front of me. I felt a cardboard placard on his back. And when we passed a streetlight, I could read it, it said Please don't pass me by - I am blind, but you can see -I've been blinded totally - Please don't pass me by. I was walking along 7th Avenue, when I came to 14th Street I saw on the corner curious mutilations of the human form; it was a school for handicapped people. And there were cripples, and people in wheelchairs and crutches and it was snowing, and I got this sense that the whole city was singing this:
Oh please don't pass me by,
Oh please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, but you can see,
Yes, I've been blinded totally,
Oh please don't pass me by.
And you know as I was walking I thought it was them who were singing it, I thought it was they who were singing it, I thought it was the other who was singing it, I thought it was someone else. But as I moved along I knew it was me, and that I was singing it to myself. It went:
Please don't pass me by,
Oh please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, but you can see,
Well, I've been blinded totally,
Oh please don't pass me by.
Oh please don't pass me by.
Now I know that you're sitting there deep in your velvet seats and you're thinking Uh, he's up there saying something that he thinks about, but I'll never have to sing that song. But I promise you friends, that you're going to be singing this song: it may not be tonight, it may not be tomorrow, but one day you'll be on your knees and I want you to know the words when the time comes. Because you're going to have to sing it to yourself, or to another, or to your brother. You're going to have to learn to sing this song, it goes:
Please don't pass me by,
Ah you don't have to sing this.. Not for you.
Please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, but you can see,
Yes, I've been blinded totally,
Oh please don't pass me by.
Well I sing this for the Jews and the Gypsies and the smoke that they made. And I sing this for the children of England, their faces so grave. And I sing this for a saviour with no one to save. Hey, won't you be naked for me? Hey, won't you be naked for me? It goes:
Please don't pass me by,
Oh please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, but you can see,
Yes, I've been blinded totally,
Oh now, please don't pass me by.
Now there's nothing that I tell you that will help you connect the blood tortured night with the day that comes next. But I want it to hurt you, I want it to end. Oh, won't you be naked for me? Oh now:
Please don't pass me by,
Oh please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, but you can see,
Yes, I've been blinded totally,
Oh now, please don't pass me by.
Well I sing this song for you Blonde Beasts, I sing this song for you Venuses upon your shells on the foam of the sea. And I sing this for the freaks and the cripples, and the hunchback, and the burned, and the burning, and the maimed, and the broken, and the torn, and all of those that you talk about at the coffee tables, at the meetings, and the demonstrations, on the streets, in your music, in my songs. I mean the real ones that are burning, I mean the real ones that are burning
I say, Please don't pass me by,
Oh now, please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, but you can see,
Ah now, I've been blinded totally,
Oh no, please don't pass me by.
I know that you still think that it's me. I know that you think that there's somebody else. I know that these words aren't yours. But I tell you friends that one day
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down on your knees,
You're going to get down...
Oh, please don't pass me by,
Oh, please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, yeah but you can see,
Yes, I've been blinded totally,
Oh, please don't pass me by.
Well you know I have my songs and I have my poems. I have my book and I have the army, and sometimes I have your applause. I make some money, but you know what my friends, I'm still out there on the corner. I'm with the freaks, I'm with the hunted, I'm with the maimed, yes I'm with the torn, I'm with the down, I'm with the poor. Come on now...
Ah, please don't pass me by,
Well I've got to go now friends,
But, please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, yeah but you can see,
Oh, I've been blinded, I've been blinded totally,
Oh now, please don't pass me by.
Now I want to take away my dignity, yes take my dignity. My friends, take my dignity, take my form, take my style, take my honour, take my courage, take my time, take my time, .. Time.. 'Cause you know I'm with you singing this song. And I wish you would, I wish you would, I wish you would go home with someone else. Wish you'd go home with someone else. I wish you'd go home with someone else. Don't be the person that you came with. Oh, don't be the person that you came with, Oh don't be the person that you came with. Ah, I'm not going to be. I can't stand him. I can't stand who I am. That's why I've got to get down on my knees. Because I can't make it by myself. I'm not by myself anymore because the man I was before he was a tyrant, he was a slave, he was in chains, he was broken and then he sang:
Oh, please don't pass me by,
Oh, please don't pass me by,
For I am blind, yes I am blind, Oh but you can see,
Yes, I've been blinded totally,
Oh, please don't pass me by.
Well I hope I see you out there on the corner. Yeah I hope as I go by that I hear you whisper with the breeze. Because I'm going to leave you now, I'm going to find me someone new. Find someone knew.
And please don't pass me by.
Please Don't Pass Me By (A Disgrace)
Leonard Cohen
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Lyrics by Leonard Cohen
"Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" "So Long, Marianne" A Bunch Of Lonesome Heroes A Bunch Of Lonesome Heros A PARTISAN A Singer Must Die A Street A Thousand Kisses Deep Ain't No Cure For Love Ain't No Cure For Love Alexandra Leaving Almost Like the Blues Always Amen Angels Eyes Anthem Anyhow Avalanche Avalanche [Gothenburg Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sw... Avalanche [Gothenburg Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sw... Avalanche [Live] Ballad Of The Absent Mare Banjo Be For Real Be For Real Be My Baby Because Of Bird On A Wire Bird On The Wire Bird on the Wire [Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Scotl... Bird On The Wire [Live] Blessed Is The Memory Blessed Is The Memory (Remastered) [Bonus Track] Boogie Street Born In Chains Born to Lose By The Rivers Dark California Came So Far For Beauty Careless Love Chelea Hotel No. 2 Chelsea Hotel Chelsea Hotel (Live Nov 17, 2008; Royal Albert Hal... Chelsea Hotel [Royal Albert Hall, London, England,... Chelsea Hotel #2 CHELSEA HOTEL NO. 2 Chelsea Hotel No.2 Chelsea Hotel, No. 2 Choices - Live at Christchurch Soundcheck, 2013 Clap! Clap! Closing Time Closing Time [John Labbatt Centre, London, Ontario... Cohen Talking About His Fedora & Performing On Sta... Come Healing Coming Back Coming Back To You Coming Back Toyou Crazy To Love You Dance Me To The End Of Love Dance Me to the End of Love [Live] Darkness Dear Heather Death Of A Ladies' Man Death Of A Ladies' Man Death Of A Lady's Man Democracy Diamonds In The Mine Did I Ever Love You Different Sides Do I Have To Dance All Night Don't Go Home With Your Hard Don't Go Home With Your Hard - On Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On Downhearted Blues Dress Rehearsal Rag Dress Rehearsal Rag Everybody Knows Famous Blue Raincoat Famous Blue Raincoat [Live] Famous Blue Raincoat [O2 Arena, London, England, N... Field Commander Cohen Field Commander Cohen - Live at Denver Soundcheck,... Fingerprints Fire First We Take Manhattan First We Take Manhattan [Album Version] First We Take Manhatten Get It While You Can Glimpse Into His Life In A Zen Monastery In Califo... Gloomy Sunday Go No More A-Roving God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot Going Home Goodnight Irene Got a Little Secret - Live at Auckland Soundcheck,... Hallelujah Hallelujah - Live in London Hallelujah (Live) Hallelujah (Original) Hallelujah [Coachella Music Festival, Indio, Calif... Hallelujah [from Watchmen] Hallelujah [Live] Heart With No Companion Heart With No Companion [Live] Heart with No Companion [Oberhausen King Pilsener ... Here It Is Hey, That's No Way To Say Good-bye Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbyen Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye Humbled In Love Humbled In Love Humbled in Love Hunter's Lullaby Hunter's Lullaby I Am The Law! (the Future) I Came So Far For Beauty I Can't Forget I Can't Forget - Live at Copenhagen Show, 2012 I Can't Forget I Left A Woman Waiting I Shall Be Released I Tried To Leave You I'm Your Man I've Counted What I Have I'm Your Man I've Counted What I Have If I Didn't Have Your Love If It Be Your Will Improvisation In My Secret Life Inducted Into The Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fam... Intro To So Long, Marianne Intro: Let's Renew Ourselves Now... Introduction Iodine Is This What You Wanted Is This What You Wanted? It Seemed the Better Way Jazz Police Jezebel Joan Of Arc Joan of Arc - Live at Québec City Soundcheck, 201... La Complainte Du Partisan (The Partisan) La Manic La Manic (Live at Québec City Show, 2012) Lady Midnight Last Year's Man Last Year's Man Leaving Green Sleeves Leaving The Table Light As A Breeze Light As The Breeze Light as the Breeze - Live at Dublin Show, 2012 Like a Bird (Bird on the Wire) Love Calls You By Your Name Love Itself Lover Lover Lover Lover, Lover, Lover [Live] Lover, Lover, Lover [Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv, ... Lover, Lover, Lover [Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv, ... Lullaby Master Song Memories Minute Prologue Misty Blue Misty Blue (outtake From Recent Songs) Morning Glory My Oh My Nancy Nancy (live) Never Any Good Never Any Good [#] Never Gave Nobody Trouble Never Gave Nobody Trouble - Live at Odense Soundch... Nevermind Night Comes On Night Comes On - Live at Mönchengladbach Show, 20... Nightingale Not Known Nothing to One (You Know Who I Am) On That Day On the Level One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong One Of Us Cannot By Wrong Our Lady Of Solitude Paper Thin Hotel PAPER THIN MOTEL Partisan Passing Through Passing Through (written By ) Please Don't Pass Me By PLEASE DON'T PASS ME BY (A DISGRACE) Please Don't Pass Me By (A Disgrace) [Live] Please Don\u2019t Pass Me By (A Disgrace) Priests Queen Victoria Range Of Subjects Recitation Recitation W/ N.L. Red River Valley Reflecting On His Songwriting Rivers Of Dark Samson In New Orleans Save the Last Dance for Me SEEMS SO LONG AGO, NANCY Show Me The Place Since You've Asked Since You've Asked (Dialogue) Since You've Asked (Dialogue) Sing Another Song, Boys Sisters Of Mercy Slow So Long Marianne So Long, Marianne Song Of Bernadette Song Of Destruction Song To My Assassin Stages - Live at Sydney Show and Hamburg Soundchec... Steer Your Way Store Room Storeroom Stories Of The Street Story Of Isaac Stranger Song String Reprise / Treaty String Reprise\/ Treaty Supermarket In California Suzanne Suzanne [DVD] Suzanne [DVD] Suzanne [Live] Tacoma Trailer Take This Longing Take This Waltz Teachers Tennessee Waltz Tennessee Waltz (Live) Tennessee Waltz [Live] Tennessee Waltz- Live That Don't Make It Junk That Don't Make It Junk [Live] That Don't Make It Junk The Bells The Butcher The Captain The Captain The Darkness The Faith The Favourite Game The Future The Great Event The Great Pretender The Guests The Gypsy's Wife The Gypsy's Wife The Land Of Planty The Land Of Plenty The Law The Letters The Lost Canadian The Lost Canadian (Un Canadien Errant) The Marriage March The Night Comes On The Old Revolution The Partisan The Partisan [Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland, O... The Partisan [Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland, O... The Promise The Smokey Life The Smokey Life The Spice-Box of Earth The Stranger Song The Third Invention The Throne Of Desire The Traitor The Walls The Window There For You There Is A War There's No Reason Why You Should Remember Me They Locked Up A Man (Poem) / A Person Who Eats Me... Throne Of Desire Variations To A Teacher To Love Somebody To Love Somebody (The Bee Gees cover) Tonight Will Be Fine Tower Of Song Traditional Demarcations Between Novelist, Poet & ... Traveling Light Treaty True Love Leaves No Traces Turn! Turn! Turn! Un Canadien Errant (The Lost Canadian) Unchained Melody Undertow Villanelle For Our Time Waiting For The Miracle Waiting for the Miracle [HP Pavilion, San Jose, Ca... Waiting For The Miracle [Live] Way Down Deep We Told You So What'd I Say Which Side Are You On? Whither Thou Goest Whither Thou Goest (from The Book Of Ruth) Who By Fire Who By Fire? Why Don't You Try Why Don't You Try Winter Lady Wishing Window Wither Thou Goest Woke Up This Morning You Got Me Singing You Have Loved Enough You Know Who I Am You Want It Darker Your Cheatin' Heart
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