"Take This Waltz" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

, originally released as part of the 1986

Federico García Lorca Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936), known as Federico García Lorca ( ), was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblemat ...

tribute album ''Poets in New York'' and as a single. The song was later included in Cohen's 1988 studio album '' I'm Your Man'', in a slightly re-arranged version (with addition of violin and

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet "Up Where We Belong" and in 1987 for ...

's duet vocals, both absent from the 1986 version). The song's lyrics are a loose translation, into English, of the poem "Pequeño vals vienés" (Little Viennese Waltz) by the Spanish poet

(one of Cohen's favorite poets). The poem was first published in Lorca's seminal book '' Poeta en Nueva York''. The song reached number one in Spain in 1986.

Covers

Actor/singer

Sven Wollter Sven Justus Fredrik Wollter (11 January 1934 – 10 November 2020) was a Swedish actor, writer, and political activist. Wollter is one of the most renowned Swedish actors, he was awarded Best Swedish actor twice. In his native country, he becam ...

recorded a version of the song with lyrics translated into Swedish on his 1989 album ''Nån sorts man''. The title of the song is "Tag min vals" ("Take My Waltz"). Zorán Sztevanovity covered the song in 1991 with Cohen's original music but with different lyrics in

Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...

written by his brother Dusán. The title of the song is "Volt egy tánc" ("There Was a Dance").

Enrique Morente Enrique Morente Cotelo (25 December 1942 – 13 December 2010), known as Enrique Morente, was a flamenco singer (in Spanish, cantaor) and a celebrated figure within the world of contemporary flamenco. After his orthodox beginnings, he plunged in ...

and

Lagartija Nick "Lagartija Nick" is a song by English gothic rock band Bauhaus, released as a stand-alone single in 7" and 12" format on the Beggars Banquet Records label in January 1983. It reached number 44 in the UK Singles Chart. A version of the song w ...

covered the song in 1996 with Cohen's music and Lorca's original verse on the album ''Omega''. Two years later, Spanish singer

Ana Belén María del Pilar Cuesta Acosta (born 27 May 1951, Madrid), known professionally as Ana Belén, is a Spanish actress and singer. Life/career Born in 1951, Ana Belén is the oldest of three children. Her father was a cook in Hotel Palace, and ...

covered the song in Spanish ("Pequeño Vals Vienés") for her album ''Lorquiana''. In 2014,

Sílvia Pérez Cruz Sílvia Pérez Cruz (born 15 February 1983) is a Spanish singer. In 2012, she recorded her first solo album, ''11 de Novembre'', which was nominated for album of the year in both Spain and France. A song performed by her, "No Te Puedo Encontrar" ...

and Raül Fernandez Miró covered the song in Spanish for their Album ''Granada''. The Spanish version is also included in the 2015 film ''La Novia'' (''The Bride''), based on Lorca's tragedy ''

Blood Wedding ''Blood Wedding'' ( es, link=no, Bodas de sangre) is a tragedy by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1932 and first performed at Teatro Beatriz in Madrid in March 1933, then later that year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

''. The film '' Take This Waltz'' directed by

Sarah Polley Sarah Ellen Polley (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian actress,Howell, Peter (September 24, 1999)"Nobody's Starlet: Toronto's Sarah Polley is Only 20 but already a veteran actor so secure in her craft she can thumb her nose at Hollywood" ''Tor ...

takes its name from the song which was also featured prominently in the movie. Croatian singer

Ibrica Jusić Ibrahim "Ibrica" Jusić (born 15 December 1944) is Croatian chanson, folk, pop and sevdalinka singer-songwriter and musician. Early life and career beginnings Ibrica Jusić was born as Ibrahim Jusić in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik into a ...

recorded this song as ''Mali Bečki Valcer'' on his 1999. L. Cohen-tribute-album named ''Hazarder''. The Canadian singer

Patricia O'Callaghan Patricia Mary O'Callaghan (born October 2, 1970) is a classically trained Canadian singer. She is a soprano who has built an international reputation as a performer of contemporary opera, early 20th-century cabaret music and the songs of Leonard Co ...

performs the song on her 2001 album '' Real Emotional Girl''. Swedish Singer

Ebba Forsberg Ebba Maria Knigge Forsberg (born in Stockholm on 31 July 1964) is a Swedish pop singer. She sings solo and was a member of many musical band projects, most notably in Traste Lindéns Kvintett. Forsberg's family moved from Sweden to Tortola in ...

covered the song in 2009 on her Leonard Cohen tribute album '' Ta Min Vals''. Adam Cohen covered the song on the 2009 Leonard Cohen tribute album '' Acordes Con Leonard Cohen''.

and Andrés Herrera 'El Pájaro' covered the song with the original poem in Spanish in 2017.Archived a
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References

External links

*http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/poetasny.html {{Authority control Songs about classical music 1986 singles Leonard Cohen songs Songs written by Leonard Cohen Number-one singles in Spain Columbia Records singles Songs based on poems 1986 songs Waltzes