As a teenager Harrison joined the Ipswich repertory theatre group and taught himself guitar, but his main interest was sport and most of his spare time was spent skiing in Switzerland. At an early age he was a member of the British ski team, becoming its first giant-slalom champion in 1953 and representing Britain at the Winter Olympics in Oslo in 1952 and Italy in 1956, competing in both down-hill and slalom events.
Noel also did his National Service and, after leaving the army in the fifties, toyed with the idea of becoming a journalist, but instead he concentrated on his guitar.
When he was 20, he started playing professionally, around the tables in a Greek restaurant in London, for meals and tips. He also made a living playing in bars and nightclubs all over Europe, including appearances at the famous Blue Angel Club, where one show was recorded for a live album.
But his early break came in 1958 when he took a regular part in the BBC TV programme Tonight, as part of a team who sang the day's news in a calypso style.
He left England for America in 1965, working as a nightclub entertainer at such venues as San Francisco's Hungry I and at the Persian Room in New York
Thanks to his managers Bob Chartoff and lrwin Winkler, who went on to produce the Rocky films, he had a record hit the charts, A Young Girl, written by Charles Aznavour. The song was included on his first studio album, Noel Harrison, which was released in 1966.
He also landed the co-lead with Stefanie Powers in the television show The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
The TV series, plus the top 40 record, landed Noel a contract with Reprise, who he released three albums for, Collage, Santa Monica Pier and The Great Electric Experiment is Over.
He also toured with the Beach Boys, and Sonny and Cher and appeared on both the Ed Sullivan show and Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.
The high point of his Hollywood period though came with his Oscar-winning version of The Windmills of Your Mind, written for the original Thomas Crown Affair film.
Despite the song winning the 1968 Oscar for best original song, Noel did not sing it at the Oscar ceremony. Instead his place was taken by Jose Feliciano.
The change came because Noel was working on the film Take A Girl Like You in England with Oliver Reed and Hayley Mills.
With Noel now an established actor, when Roger Moore announced his departure from the hit television show, The Persuaders, to take on the role of James Bond in 1972, Noel was considered as a replacement for him by television legend, Sir Lew Grade, but a second series of the show was never made.
Later in 1972, Harrison left America for Nova Scotia on Canada’s south-east coast and built a house from scratch with no electricity, inspired by the fashionable pioneers Scott and Helen Nearing and their self-help bible, Living The Good Life.
But one day the wood stove caught fire and the house burned down.
Noel rebuilt it with money earned from touring musicals in America and hosting a show called Take Time for Canada’s CBC channel. The fire was also the inspiration for one of the tracks on his 1979 classic album, Mount Hanley Song.
During the Seventies Noel also toured America in productions of Camelot and The Sound of Music.
He also played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, the part made famous by his father in the film of the same name.
Other touring roles included King Arthur in Camelot, Count von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, Brian Runicles in No Sex Please, We're British and Lloyd Dallas in Noises Off.
An admirer of Jacques Brel, the Belgian troubadour, Noel later created a one-man musical, Adieu Jacques, and released a CD of songs from the show.
During the 1990s, Noel also turned his hand to script writing, penning the plots for a number of soft-porn television shows in America, including Justine: Crazy Love and Emmanuel, Queen of the Galaxy.
Before the millennium he returned to Britain, moving to Devon.
He still sings, putting on occasional gigs and finances his own CDs including the album Hold Back Time.
A compilation of his work for Reprise called Life is a Dream was released in 2003, his debut album, Noel Harrison, was re-released in 2008 and his three Reprise albums were re-released in 2011.
In 2010, he recorded a new album called From the Sublime to the Ridiclious! The record was made as part of the internet event, the RPM Challenge, which challenges musicians to record a new album from scratch during the month of February.
Albums
Noel Harrison at the Blue Angel (1960)
Noel Harrison at Unika (1960)
Noel Harrison (1966)
Collage (1967)
Santa Monica Pier (1968)
The Great Electric Experiment is Over (1969)
The World of Noel Harrison (1969 - compilation)
Mount Hanley Song (1979)
Live From Boulevard Music (2002 - live album recorded in the US)
Adieu, Jacques (2002 - music from the show, sung in French)
Hold Back Time (2003)
Life is a Dream (2004 - compilation)
From the Sublime to the Ridiculous (2010)[5]
For more info go to www.thewindmillsofyourmind.com - the only Noel Harrison fan site on the web.
Suzanne
Noel Harrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said 'All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them'
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.
Noel Harrison's song "Suzanne" is a poetic journey of a man who is deeply enchanted by a woman named Suzanne. The song has been interpreted in many ways, but at its core, it is a story of love, spirituality, and travel. Suzanne is portrayed as a free-spirited and unconventional woman who is half-crazy, and the singer is drawn to her because of her unique qualities. The singer spends the night with Suzanne near the river and indulges in tea and oranges from China. Despite intending to tell her that he has no love to give her, he finds himself on her wavelength, and the river answers, indicating that he has always been her lover.
The singer then recollects the story of Jesus, who was a sailor and spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower. Jesus knew that only drowning men could see him, and he said that all men would be sailors until the sea sets them free. However, Jesus himself was broken, long before the sky opened, and he sank beneath the singer's wisdom like a stone. The singer relates to Jesus's story and wants to travel with him, blind and trusting him, for he has touched his perfect body with his mind.
In the final verse, Suzanne takes the singer's hand and leads him to the river wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters. The sun pours down like honey on the "lady of the harbor," and Suzanne shows the singer where to look among the garbage and the flowers. There are children and heroes in the seaweed, all leaning out for love, and they will continue to do so forever. Suzanne holds the mirror, and the singer wants to travel with her, blind and trusting, for she has touched his perfect body with her mind. The song is a celebration of unconventional love and spiritual connection, urging us to look beyond materialistic possessions and embrace the beauty in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
Suzanne invites you to her sanctuary by the river
You can hear the boats go by
The sounds of passing boats are audible
You can spend the night beside her
You can stay with her overnight
And you know that she's half crazy
You are aware that she has a bit of eccentricity in her
But that's why you want to be there
That is exactly why you want to be with her
And she feeds you tea and oranges
She offers you sustenance, such as tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
The items offered to you have originated from China
And just when you mean to tell her
Just as you're about to articulate your thoughts to her
That you have no love to give her
That you cannot reciprocate her feelings
Then she gets you on her wavelength
She reaches a mutual understanding with you
And she lets the river answer
She allows the river's response to speak for her
That you've always been her lover
That you've always had strong feelings for her
And you want to travel with her
You desire to journey with her
And you want to travel blind
You are willing to embark on this journey without knowing what lies ahead
And you know that she will trust you
You know that she has faith in you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
Your mental connection has allowed you both to feel intimately connected to each other without physical touch
And Jesus was a sailor
The song shifts to a reflection on Jesus being a sailor
When he walked upon the water
The belief that Jesus could perform miraculous acts like walking on water is mentioned
And he spent a long time watching
It's suggested that Jesus spent quite some time observing
From his lonely wooden tower
From a place where he was isolated
And when he knew for certain
When he was absolutely certain
Only drowning men could see him
It became clear that only those in dire straits could perceive his presence
He said 'All men will be sailors then
Jesus made a proclamation that all men will be like sailors
Until the sea shall free them'
Until they are released from the bondage of the sea'
But he himself was broken
It's revealed that Jesus himself was hurting
Long before the sky would open
Before anyone else saw a sign of what was to come
Forsaken, almost human
He was abandoned, almost in a more earthly and relatable sense
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
He ultimately yielded to human wisdom and weakness
And you want to travel with him
The song goes back to the artist's desire to travel with someone who has a similarly profound life journey like Jesus
And you want to travel blind
They are willing to follow blindly as a sign of immense faith and trust
And you think maybe you'll trust him
There is still some doubt, but there is a chance that trust can be built
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
Jesus has impacted the artist in a capacity beyond the physical realm
Now Suzanne takes your hand
The song comes back to Suzanne, taking your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is still leading you to that place of peace, by the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
Suzanne is seen fashioning unconventional clothing
From Salvation Army counters
The Salvation Army is mentioned as her potential source of inspiration for her unusual attire
And the sun pours down like honey
The sun's warmth and radiance is evoked through a sweet simile
On our lady of the harbour
There is a sense of spiritual significance to the image of this female entity
And she shows you where to look
Suzanne directs your gaze to a particular location
Among the garbage and the flowers
There is beauty to be found in the midst of unpleasant and lovely things
There are heroes in the seaweed
Even in unlikely places, there are unsung heroes
There are children in the morning
There is hope in the innocence of the young
They are leaning out for love
They are searching, reaching out for love
And they will lean that way forever
Their search for love and meaning will persist indefinitely
While Suzanne holds the mirror
Suzanne is positioned as holding the mirror of reflection, illuminating these enigmatic truths
And you want to travel with her
There is the desire to explore and experience this journey with Suzanne
And you want to travel blind
The willingness to explore, even without certainty of what lies ahead
And you know that you can trust her
Knowing that trust can be placed in Suzanne
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.
There is that intimate, spiritual connection that has been shared with her.
Contributed by Isabelle L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lemurianchick
This is the best version IMO.
@lisawarrilow2184
Only just discovered this song but wow!!!!
@lastrada52
There is something about Noel's version of "Suzanne," that for me is the absolute best. I can't explain it -- it just has some kind of magic to it, the acoustic guitar picking, his accent, his sincerity. RIP Leonard -- thanks for allowing us to have all your songs and poetry. It certainly does enrich one's life if they have that talent and can share it. Many listeners relate to your stories and that's the key to great songwriting. Today's top 25 will wither away and be largely forgotten -- but, many will still be singing your song a hundred years from now. And that's what makes a classic. "...and he touched your perfect body with his mind." He sure did.
@wrh195330161
I couldn't agree with more John, very well put. Noel Harrison certainly shows more than just his talent, he seems to show a great appreciation for the songs he performs. As for Leonard Cohen, we lost more than a fine composer, we have lost a fine human being.
@gentizzy
RIP Mr Cohen. This is the first version of it that I remember hearing as a 10 year old back in the 60s. Thought, what a strangely beautiful song.
@Millentrax
I had exactly the same experience. I was 15 at the time. I thought the lyrics were dazzling but had no idea of the song's origins. As a Canadian, I was thrilled to bits when I later found out the composer was from Montreal.
@wilbporterwp
This is the first Cohen song I heard. I think Noel Harrison did it justice. I had just started university in the fall of 1967. I was only 16. I bought the 45 and played it endlessly.
@carolnahigian9518
Amen
@virginiaconnor8350
I still have Noel's records. Did they make any into cds? My stereo is kaput now.
@dbrmnt3545
that voice <3