None of them
#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
Die Gedanken sind Frei (text and music: anonymous)
Dean Engelhard writes in his complete collection of cohen songs (ftp.uwp.edu
/pub/music/lyrics) that Cohen had performed this german folk song.
It was never released on CD (as much as I know).
The song was written between 1780 and 1800, at the time of the French
Revolution.
Possible accompaniment patterns:
C C
1 a 2 a 3 a 1 a 2 a 3 a
e:--------------------|--------0-----0-----|
B:--------1-----------|--------1-----1-----|
G:-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D:--------------2-----|--------------------|
A:--3-----------------|--3-----------------|
E:--------------------|--------------------|
p i m i p i p i a i a i C
m m
3 a 1 2 3 a
---------------||--------------0-----|
---------------||--1-----1--------1--|
---------0--0--||--------------------|
The melody: ---------------||--------------------|
---------------||--------------------|
---------------||--------------------|
Die Ge- dan- ken sind
G7 C
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 a
e:---------------|---------------|----------------|-------------0-----|
B:---------------|---------------|----------------|--1-----1-------1--|
G:--0---------0--|------------0--|------------0---|-------------------|
D:---------------|--3----0-------|--2-------------|-------------------|
A:---------------|---------------|-------3--------|-------------------|
E:---------------|---------------|----------------|-------------------|
frei wer kann sie er- ra- ten? Sie flie- hen vor-
G7 C G7
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 a
e:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
B:-----------------|-----------------|---------------1--|--0------3-----0--|
G:--0-----------0--|--------------0--|------------------|------------------|
D:-----------------|--3-----0--------|--2---------------|------------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|--------3---------|------------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|------------------|------------------|
bei, wie naech- li- che Schat- ten. Kein Mensch kann sie
C G7 C
1 2 3 a 1 2 3 a 1 2 3
e:--------0---------|----------------|----------0--------|
B:--1------------1--|--0----3-----0--|--1------------1---|
G:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
D:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
A:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
E:------------------|----------------|-------------------|
wis- sen, kein Jae- ger er- schies- sen mit
F C G7
1 2 a 3 a 1 2 3 a 1 a 2 3
e:--------------------|----------------0--|--0----------------|
B:----------0---1-----|------------1------|-----3---1----0----|
G:--2----2---------2--|--0----------------|-------------------|
D:--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A:--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E:--------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Pul- ver und Blei, die Ge- dan- ken sind
C
1 2 Da capo
e:--------------||
B:--1----------*||
G:--------------||
D:-------------*||
A:--------------||
E:--------------||
frei.
C G7 C
Die Gedanken sind frei! Wer kann sie er-raten?
G7 C
Sie fliegen vorbei wie naechtliche Schatten.
G7 C G7 C
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen, kein Jaeger er-schiessen
F C G7 C
mit Pulver und Blei. Die Ge-danken sind frei!
Thoughts are free! Who can guess them?
They fly along like nightly treasures
No man can know them
No hunter can shoot them
With powder and lead
Thoughts are free!
C G7 C
Ich denke, was ich will und was mich be-gluecket,
G7 C
doch alles in der Still und wie es sich schicket.
G7 C G7 C
Mein Wunsch und Be-gehren kann niemand ver-wehren,
F C G7 C
es bleibet da-bei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!
I think about what I want and what makes me happy
But everything quietly, and just how it comes.
To my wish and desire
Nobody can oppose,
It stays this way:
Thoughts are free!
C G7 C
Und sperrt man mich ein im finsteren Kerker,
G7 C
das alles sind rein ver-gebliche Werke,
G7 C G7 C
denn meine Ge-danken zer-reissen die Schranken
F C G7 C
und Mauern ent-zwei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!
And if they lock me in a dark dungeon
That is something that can be forgiven
Cause my thoughts
Tear up the bars
And walls.
Thoughts are free!
C G7 C
Ich liebe den Wein, mein Maedchen vor allen,
G7 C
sie tut mir allein am be-sten ge-fallen.
G7 C G7 C
Ich bin nicht al-leine bei meinem Glas Weine,
F C G7 C
mein Maedchen da-bei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!
I love wine, my girl most of all,
Only me she pleases best
I am not alone
With my glass of wine
My girl is with me:
Thoughts are free!
C G7 C
Drum will ich auf immer den Sorgen ent-sagen
C G7 C
und will mich auch nimmer mit Grillen mehr plagen.
G7 C G7 C
Man kann ja im Herzen stets lachen und scherzen
F C G7 C
und denken da-bei: Die Ge-danken sind frei!
That's why I will never worry anymore
And I will never tease myself with whims anymore
Because in one's heart
One can keep laughing and joking
While thinking
Thoughts are free!
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