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.
Olana
Marc Cohn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was this house upon the hill
High above the great and mighty river
My hand could not hold the brushes
Yes I guess I lost my will
And you can't keep painting paradise forever
Oh forever
To where we stand today
I drew the great creations of my master
'Til the oil and the canvas
Lord I threw them all away
And traded them for stone and brick and plaster
I traded them all for you
(Winter wind blows and the river lies frozen at my feet)
I traded them all for you
(Springtime come and the river want to run above the street)
[Chorus]
She came to me one night
While I was tossing in my dreams
She said she'd give my family protection
I recall the night I died
Beneath her arches and her beams
I thanked her for the shelter and direction
I was lost until Olana
(Sun beat down on a summertime town -- he left me there)
I was lost until Olana
(Watching these hills turning gold for one more year)
Oh I've been from Jerusalem to Rome
Now I'm floating through these rooms tonight alone
And looking back on everything
All I ever wanted was a home
I was lost until Olana
How sweet the sound
How sweet the sound
They say my final masterpiece
Was this house upon the hill
[Chorus]
In Marc Cohn's song Olana, the lyrics are spoken from the perspective of Frederic Church, an American landscape painter who is widely known for his artistic creation of the house upon the hill that stood high above the Hudson River. The opening line of the song "they say my final masterpiece was this house upon the hill" describes the way in which history has marked Frederic Church's Olana as his final, and perhaps greatest, artistic legacy. However, this lyric also indicates that Frederic himself may not have had the same sentiment. He laments "my hand could not hold the brushes, yes I guess I lost my will, and you can't keep painting paradise forever." Here, Frederic acknowledges his realization that true paradise, whether it be artistic or personal, is an unattainable and fleeting ideal. He identifies that he traded his previous artistic masterpieces for the building of Olana, which is symbolized by "stone and brick and plaster," and yet the trade-off, a family and a home, gave him the sense of shelter and direction that he desperately sought.
The lyrics in the song have a deeply reflective quality, and through Frederic Church's success and struggles, the song highlights the way in which we trade one dream for the other in the pursuit of something meaningful. The song is also a metaphor for changing one's life course and finding a home that gives the sense of purpose and belonging that we crave. Frederic mentions his travels from "Jerusalem to Rome," but it is only through the completion of Olana at a time when he was "lost" that he found the sweet sound of belonging. The lyric "I was lost until Olana" shows that sometimes home is not a physical location, but rather a place of comfort and peace where one can truly exist as themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
They say my final masterpiece
The people claim that the last work of art I created was this house on top of the hill.
High above the great and mighty river
The house is built at an elevated location near a large and powerful river.
My hand could not hold the brushes
I lost the ability to create artistic masterpieces using paint and brush strokes.
Yes I guess I lost my will
I suppose I lost the drive and motivation to continue creating art.
And you can't keep painting paradise forever
One cannot continue making perfect and idealistic creations indefinitely.
Oh forever
The idea of forever is impossible to achieve.
From the Andes to Niagara
Throughout my career, I've traveled to various locations such as the Andes and Niagara Falls.
To where we stand today
I've ended up in the current position where I'm at now.
I drew the great creations of my master
As an artist, I drew and created under the guidance of my master or teacher.
'Til the oil and the canvas
Until I decided to stop painting with oil paints and canvas as my medium of choice.
Lord I threw them all away
I got rid of all my previous creations.
And traded them for stone and brick and plaster
I exchanged my art for building materials, such as rocks, bricks, and plaster, to construct the house on the hill.
I traded them all for you
I was willing to give up all of my previous artwork for the person I love.
(Winter wind blows and the river lies frozen at my feet)
I recall a chilly winter day when the river was frozen, and I was near its bank.
(Springtime come and the river want to run above the street)
During springtime, when the snow melts and the river starts to flow at higher levels, it overflows onto the nearby road.
She came to me one night
One evening, my lover approached me.
While I was tossing in my dreams
I was lying in bed and unable to fall asleep.
She said she'd give my family protection
She promised to provide protection to my family.
I recall the night I died
I remember the evening I passed away.
Beneath her arches and her beams
I died in the house and under the structure that my lover and I built together.
I thanked her for the shelter and direction
I was grateful to my lover for providing me with guidance and a sense of belonging.
I was lost until Olana
I felt confused and directionless until I met my lover and built the house with her.
(Sun beat down on a summertime town -- he left me there)
On a scorching summer day, I was left behind in a particular location by someone I cared for.
I was lost until Olana
I felt lost until I built a life with my lover at Olana.
(Watching these hills turning gold for one more year)
Observing these hills change color to a golden hue one more year.
Oh I've been from Jerusalem to Rome
I've traveled to several places throughout my life, including Jerusalem and Rome.
Now I'm floating through these rooms tonight alone
I'm alone, and my spirit seems to be wandering through the rooms of the house I built on the hill.
And looking back on everything
Reflecting on my life and everything that has happened.
All I ever wanted was a home
Throughout it all, what I truly desired was a place to call home.
How sweet the sound
Such a lovely and pleasant sensation.
How sweet the sound
A repetition of the previous line for emphasis.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind