submissions

Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat Lyrics

14 years ago

I do believe that the brother's enemy is the singer. The only logical and explainable thing i can write to explain this thinking is the use of "my woman" previously and then "his woman" in the later lines. I believe cohen just changes to third person for some reason. The woman does "come back" to the singer and i believe that the woman/jane is free when the singer is sleeping as she still loves the brother and yet for some unkown reason has not ended her and the singer's relationship/marriage. Although i also think this is a very accurate description i only differ on one more matter. I think your idea that, the brother has a mental illness, while valid, doesn't seem to have enough evidence. If anyone at all, i would imagine cohen, as was customary at this time, had some form of depression.

submissions

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Mercy Seat Lyrics	14 years ago
great post, i didn't realise there was a 2nd page when writing mine. Yours has, i believe, far more insight than mine. I can definitely see the comparisons and similarities to "the outsider".

submissions

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Mercy Seat Lyrics

14 years ago

i think there's a conflict and confusion between truth and lies in the mind of the convicted. Truth and lies are continually going around in his mind before being put to death and he's constantly "weighing them" up, this is why, i believe, there is so much repetition. I think his main lie is that he's lying about not being "afraid to die" and he actually is scared regardless of how many times he tries to convince himself he's not, also hence the repetition. As already stated above, i believe in the final line he is admitting he is scared. i think the song could also be pointing out the ludicrousy of the belief that all things are "good or ungood". The convicted is shown as having conflicting morals as is shown by his good hand and the evil of his "killing hand" and also him being "nearly, wholly innocent". He himself is also not wholly good or bad, this could suggest, as is everyone. I think cave was trying to examine the meaning of evil (maybe this is pulling it apart too much) or/and get into the head of the murderer and imagine what the convicted was thinking as he was being put into the chair. Of course, the murderer could infact be cave himself and he's thinking about his own guilt: this could be true as other songs on this album talk about not wholly "good" characters in the first person. Either way, this song had a real affect on me, especially on first listen; i think it's just a great idea for a song and greatly written as is a load of NC's songs. thanks

submissions

Leonard Cohen – Avalanche Lyrics

14 years ago

i think this song is about someone who is in a state of depression and because of that has caused him to become horrible to his wife, partner, lover... i think the depression "has covered up his soul" as ids described in the song. This "side A" of the album is known as the side of "hate" and the latter, "love". the "I" is more than likely cohen. The lyrics seems to suggest cohen is ashamed of his actions although that isn't for certain.

submissions

Leonard Cohen – Love Calls You By Your Name Lyrics

14 years ago

Although this doesn't quite work, this closest i can come to figuring these lyrics out is this: i think the song is about being depressed and wallowing in loneliness (near to the point of suicide) and love comes from out of the blue and saves you (love calls you by your name). At this time leonard cohen was depressed and near suicidal as is shown far more clearly and explicitly on another track from this album("songs of love hate"): dress rehearsal rag. You can tell that he feels suicide might be a relief i think by the line: "shouldering your loneliness like a gun that you will not learn to aim". Apart from the lyrics, the music seems to suggest the themes mentioned, i refer mainly to the uplifting bridge or "chorus" when the brass kicks in and when the title is sung. i'm not sure the "love" necessarily means a woman, i think it refers to some kind of epiphony when the depression lifts away, after which he can't fully understand why he was so deeply depressed as there was no real reason for it. i believe this is indicated in the lines: "wondering out loud as the bandage pulls away, was i only limping, was i really lame?" There are few things that i can't work and another few reasons why this argument doesn't work and also might be completely wrong but this is as near as i can figure at the moment.

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