Cohen's "most upbeat" album: "Rather than focus on loss as an end, it looks upon experience as something to be accepted as a portal to wisdom and gratitude...If this is indeed his final offering as a songwriter, it is a fine, decent, and moving way to close this chapter of the book of his life." Track listing Personnel Leonard Cohen – vocals, guitar, Jew's harp Sharon Robinson – vocals, arrangements Anjani Thomas – vocals, backing vocals; piano on "On That Day", "Nightingale" and "Tennessee Waltz" Bob Sheppard – tenor saxophone on "Go No More a-Roving" Stan Sargeant – bass on "On That Day" and "Nightingale" Johnny Friday – drums on "On That Day" and "Nightingale" Sarah Kramer – trumpet on "Dear Heather" Mitch Watkins – guitar on "The Faith" and "Tennessee Waltz" Garth Hudson – accordion on "The Faith" Roscoe Beck – bass on "The Faith" Bill Ginn – piano on "The Faith" Raffi Hakopian – violin on "The Faith" John Bilezikjian – oud on "The Faith" Paul Ostermayer - flute on "The Faith" Ron Getman – steel guitar and vocals on "Tennessee Waltz" John Crowder – bass and vocals on "Tennessee Waltz" Richard Crooks – drums on "Tennessee Waltz" Jeremy Lubbock - string arrangement on "The Faith" Track notes "Go No More a-Roving" is musical adaptation of Lord Byron's poem "So, we'll go no more a roving", dedicated to Cohen's friend and mentor, Canadian poet Irving Layton, member of the Montreal Group of modernist poets. "Villanelle for Our Time" was recorded 6 May 1999, shortly after Cohen's return from Mount Baldy Zen Center. It is an improvised jazz recitation of a poem by F. R. Scott, Cohen's older colleague from the Montreal Group of modernist poets. "To a Teacher" is a spoken-word track based on Cohen's poem from his 1961 book of poetry The Spice-Box of Earth, dedicated to the Canadian poet A.M. Klein. "The Letters" is a duet with Cohen's producer, collaborator and track's co-writer Sharon Robinson. "Because Of" is a recitation of Cohen's poem which was included in his 2006 Book of Longing. "On That Day" is a song about the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City. The track "Nightingale" is dedicated to the late R&B singer Carl Anderson, Anjani Thomas's colleague. She composed the music using Cohen's abandoned poem. Music track for "The Faith" is actually an outtake from Recent Songs, with completely new