According to the Walking In Memphis Songfacts, Cohn was discovered by Carly Simon in the mid-'80s when he was with a 14-piece band called The Supreme Court. Atlantic Records signed him in 1989, but the first attempts to record his debut album with Tracy Chapman 's producer David Kerschenbaum failed. Ten months later, he tried again, producing the set himself with help from the little-known Ben Wisch, who had helped him with his demos. Finally released in 1991 when Cohn was 31 years old, his self-titled debut album was a huge hit, thanks to the massive success of "Walking In Memphis." Cohn won the 1991 Grammy for Best New Artist award, beating out both Boyz II Men and Seal. Cohn never matched the chart success of this song, but like his musical heroes Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne , he remained a critical and artistic success as a songwriter and performer.
He has issued two other studio albums to date, The Rainy Season (1993) and Burning the Daze (1998), both on Atlantic Records. A self-released live compilation, Live 04-05 (2005), is being sold at concerts on his current tour.
He is the most famous graduate of Beachwood High School in Beachwood, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. He attended Oberlin College as well. In addition, Cohn is notably married to ABC News journalist Elizabeth Vargas whom he met at the 1999 US Open after being introduced by Andre Agassi. Cohn and Vargas have two sons: Zachary Raphael (born on January 31, 2003) and Samuel Wyatt (born on August 16, 2006). Cohn has two other children— Max and Emily—from a previous marriage.
On August 7, 2005, Cohn was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking, following a concert with Suzanne Vega in Denver, Colorado. He was hospitalized and released the next day. The remaining concerts on the tour were cancelled.
Cohn released The Very Best Of Marc Cohn in June 2006, and his 4th studio album, Join The Parade, was released on October 9, 2007. He continues to tour to this day. For photographs and additional information visit Marc's official website, www.MarcCohn.net.
Live Out The String
Marc Cohn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the gift of being left alive
How love how give
Have spread the higher purpose
And cut through all the shuck and jive
Its only natural
Maybe superstitious
To try to find the meaning
But sometimes we (get down on your knees)
But sometimes could ya
Sometimes yeah
And thank the whole world your the verse of god
For letting you
Live out the string
A little longer boy
Raise your voice and
Make a joyful noise
And a gaurentee
But if anything
Live out the string
now that a meteorite has fallen in the chair
You just got up to answer the phone
Will you live every moment
Like it just might be your last?
Or will you still just bitch and moan
fate is kind
Fate is creul
Its termanilly cool
And its random and eruption
In your groove
But sometimes get down on your knees
sometimes baby
Sometimes could ya get down on your knees
And find yourself a deeper groove
live out the string
A little longer boy
Raise your voice
And make a joyful noise
Ain't a gauruntee
But if anything
Live out the string
The string
bridge
Who knows if we had angels on our shoulders
That night with the devil in the street
Who's knows if it means we have more work to do
But hey baby don't the air taste sweet
hey baby, don't the air taste sweet
get down on your knees
And live out the string
Live out the string
Yeah yeah yeah
Get down on your knees
Live it out baby
Maybe life is curious to see what you would do
With the gift of being left alive
The lyrics of Marc Cohn's song "Live Out The String" are all about coming to terms with one's mortality and living life to the fullest. The opening lines suggest that life is curious, almost like a game or experiment, to see how individuals will use the gift of being left alive. The next lines, "How love how give, have spread the higher purpose, and cut through all the shuck and jive," suggest that living a life full of love and generosity is the way to achieve this higher purpose, rather than being bogged down by societal illusions or distractions. While it may be natural to try and find meaning in life's hardships, the lyrics suggest that sometimes it's better to simply be grateful for being alive and living out one's "string," or the time one has left on Earth.
The song's chorus emphasizes this point, repeating the line "Live out the string, a little longer boy, raise your voice and make a joyful noise." It's a call to action, to live fully and enjoy every moment of life, even if there's no guarantee of what's to come. The bridge of the song takes a more philosophical turn, questioning the role of fate and whether angels or devils are watching over us. But in the end, the lyrics come back to the simple idea that life is a gift, and one that should be cherished and lived to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe life is curious to see what you would do
Perhaps life is interested to observe how you utilize the privilege of being alive
With the gift of being left alive
With the blessing of survival
How love how give
Express affection and kindness by sharing
Have spread the higher purpose
Are devoted to serving a noble cause
And cut through all the shuck and jive
Eliminate all the insincere and deceptive actions
It's only natural
It's a common human inclination
Maybe superstitious
Perhaps it's based on irrational beliefs
To try to find the meaning
To attempt to discover significance
Of greed in the eyes
Of avarice in someone's gaze
But sometimes we (get down on your knees)
But sometimes we ask for guidance humbly
But sometimes could ya
But sometimes can you
Sometimes yeah
Occasionally, certainly
And thank the whole world your the verse of god
Grateful for being a part of creation
For letting you
For allowing you
Live out the string
Contribute all that you can during the remainder of your life
A little longer boy
For a bit more, my friend
Raise your voice and
Speak up loudly, and
Make a joyful noise
Generate a cheerful sound
And a guarantee
However, there's no assurance
But if anything
If nothing else
Live out the string
Spend your life to maximum, come what may
Now that a meteorite has fallen in the chair
Considering things can change unexpectedly
You just got up to answer the phone
Your life was interrupted
Will you live every moment
Will you make the most of every second
Like it just might be your last?
Treating it as if it could be your final moment?
Or will you still just bitch and moan
Or won't you still complain and whine?
Fate is kind
Destiny can be benevolent
Fate is cruel
However, it can also be wicked
It's terminally cool
It's often distressing but presumed 'in' to outsiders
And it's random and eruption
And it's unpredictable and explosive
In your groove
In your uninterrupted phase
And find yourself a deeper groove
And pursue a more profound experience in life
Get down on your knees
Humble yourself
Live out the string
Fulfill your existence
Bridge
Interlude
Who knows if we had angels on our shoulders
Nobody knows if we had spiritual guidance
That night with the devil in the street
That difficult time when evil was prevalent
Who's knows if it means we have more work to do
Who knows if it's an indication that we require additional effort
But hey baby don't the air taste sweet
But hey, don't the atmosphere seem more pleasant?
And live out the string
And exhaust your physical and spiritual potential
Yeah yeah yeah
Definitely, certainly
Live it out baby
Fully realize it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind