Tom Jones Gives Leonard Cohen’s ‘Tower of Song’ a Quiet Turn on The Voice UK

Tom Jones turned his coach’s chair into a small performance space when he sang ‘Tower of Song’ on ‘The Voice UK.’ The setting made Leonard Cohen’s song feel close to the conversation already taking place among the coaches.

Cohen’s words move between aging, absence and the work of making music over a lifetime. There is humor in those reflections, which gives the singer room for more than one mood.

Jones lets his lower register carry the opening. His choice to keep the delivery contained leaves the changing emphasis of the lyric easy to hear.

Remaining in the chair helps establish the scale of the performance. The singer is near the other coaches, and the camera can take in the exchange without needing a stage change.

Will.i.am wipes away tears during the song. The reaction gives viewers a glimpse of what it was like to hear Jones from a few feet away.

Watch the performance

The tempo stays steady, leaving the words to create much of the movement. A pause between lines can have the force of a larger shift in a more elaborate arrangement.

Jones gives the song the quality of a story told in his own voice. His resonance sits close to the melody, allowing the individual phrases to carry their own weight.

Listen for the lighter turns in Cohen’s writing. Jones gives those moments time to register alongside the lines that deal more directly with loss.

The interpretation keeps the shape of the original song familiar. What changes is the perspective brought to it by a singer with his own long history in music.

The other coaches’ reactions are part of the record of the moment. A format usually built around judging performances briefly becomes an occasion for listening together.

Jones has spoken about his attachment to Cohen’s words. That affinity comes through here as attention to timing and tone more than as a change in the arrangement.

The phrasing is particularly clear where the melody stays low. With little movement in the surrounding music, the smallest changes in the vocal are audible.

It also gives a useful view of Jones outside his role as a coach. He can demonstrate what interpretation means through a song that has already lived in another singer’s voice.

A second listen makes the understatement easier to appreciate. The lines have room to be wry, warm or grave without a break in the overall pace.

That balance gives the performance its feeling of intimacy. The companion videos offer two more ways to hear Cohen’s writing in very different vocal settings.

Two more performances to explore

"Hallelujah" – Performed by The United States Air Force Band's Singing Sergeants

The Singing Sergeants use soloists and a cappella harmony for ‘Hallelujah.’ Their arrangement moves between an individual voice and the sound of the full ensemble.

Hallelujah, WHAT A PERFORMANCE from Alexandra Burke! | Live Shows | The X Factor UK

Alexandra Burke’s ‘Hallelujah’ brings the same song onto ‘The X Factor UK’ stage. Its solo vocal gives Cohen’s melody a different kind of scale from both the choral version and Jones’s seated performance.