Leonard Cohen Recites God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot

The words Leonard Cohen recites in this 1966 performance are from a passage from his novel, “Beautiful Losers.“ This passage was itself later published separately as an illustrated book called “God is Alive, Magic is Afoot.“ Buffy Sainte-Marie first released “God is Alive, Magic is Afoot“ on her album, Illuminations, in 1969. Cohen’s recitation includes a final section absent from the Buffy Sainte-Marie version: “Old friend, aren’t you happy? You and Edith alone know how long I’ve waited for this instruction. --Damn you, Mary Voolnd spits at me. --What? --Your hand’s gone limp.“