Anjani's professional relationship with Leonard Cohen began in 1984, when she was hired as a background vocalist for "Hallelujah," a song now recognized as one of the greatest in his canon. She was the sole female vocalist and keyboardist on his Various Positions world tour, and continued to record vocals for him on I'm Your Man (1988), The Future (1992) and Dear Heather (2004). But it was not until Blue Alert , that their collaboration achieved a true fusion of both of their creative strengths and talents.
Half The Perfect World
Anjani Thomas Lyrics
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I'd cook for her, I'd pour her tea
She was in her thirties then
Had made some money, lived with men
We'd lay us down to give and get
Beneath the white mosquito net
And since no counting had begun
The candles burned
The moon went down
The polished hill
The milky town
Transparent, weightless, luminous
Uncovering the two of us
On that fundamental ground
Where love's unwilled, unleashed,
Unbound
And half the perfect world is found
The lyrics of Anjani Thomas's song "Half The Perfect World" depict a tale of a woman who comes to visit the singer every night. The singer cooks for her and pours her tea, depicting a cozy atmosphere. The woman is in her thirties and has had experiences with men and has made money. The two of them lay down together under a white mosquito net, engaging in an act of intimacy. The singer emphasizes that since no counting had begun, they lived a thousand years in one.
The candles burn, and the moon goes down, depicting the passing of time. The polished hill and the milky town are metaphors for the world outside, but their moment together is shielded by the mosquito net. They are in a liminal space, defined by the unfiltered nature of love. Their world is half-perfect, which means that it does not conform to the notion of the absolute perfect world, but it prospers in its imperfections. The perfect world they find is not confined to earthly boundaries, but it is a world that exists beyond any bounds. It is where love is unwilled, unleashed, and unbound.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night she'd come to me
She would visit me every night
I'd cook for her, I'd pour her tea
I would prepare food and serve tea for her
She was in her thirties then
At that time, she was in her thirties
Had made some money, lived with men
She had earned some wealth and stayed with multiple partners in the past
We'd lay us down to give and get
We rested to exchange affections
Beneath the white mosquito net
Under a white mosquito net
And since no counting had begun
As we did not keep track of time
We lived a thousand years in one
It felt like we had lived a millennium in just one night
The candles burned
The candles were lit
The moon went down
The moon disappeared from view
The polished hill
The hill was smooth and shiny
The milky town
The town appeared white and milky
Transparent, weightless, luminous
Clear, lacking in heaviness, and shining
Uncovering the two of us
Revealing both of us
On that fundamental ground
On a primary, basic level
Where love's unwilled, unleashed, Unbound
Where love is uncontrolled, free, and unconstrained
And half the perfect world is found
And we found half of the perfect world, in that moment
Writer(s): Anjani Thomas, Leonard Cohen Copyright: Little Fountain Music, Old Ideas LLC
Contributed by Aubrey W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.