Leonard Cohen – The Butcher

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "The Butcher" Ringtone to Cell

I came upon a butcher,
He was slaughtering a lamb,
I accused him there
With his tortured lamb.

He said, Listen to me, child,
I am what I am and you, you are my only son.
Well, I found a silver needle,
I put it into my arm.

It did some good,
Did some harm.
But the nights were cold
And it almost kept me warm,
How come the night is long?
I saw some flowers growing up
Where that lamb fell down

Was I supposed to praise my Lord,
Make some kind of joyful sound?
He said, Listen, listen to me now,
I go round and round
And you, you are my only child.

Do not leave me now,
Do not leave me now,
I'm broken down
From a recent fall.

Blood upon my body
And ice upon my soul,
Lead on, my son, it is your world.

Send "The Butcher" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Hosimosi

Track duration: 03:20

"The Butcher" as written by Cohen

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Butcher song meanings
Add your thoughts

5 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Maybe this is about religion, though not necessarily about God. I think this song is more about the idea of erasing the lines between black and white; that separate good/evil. Perhaps the protagonist in this song initially prides himself as somewhat of a saint--someone who is virtuous, self-righteous, exemplary--in other words, a hero. He tries to rectify wrongs by calling out an action he perceives as evil being done to someone he sees as helpless and innocent (like a butcher slaughtering a lamb). Then he comes to acknowledge that this evil is very much inherent, perhaps at times even necessary-- but is inevitably a part of himself. He learns that he can gain what he wants (maybe selfishly) from performing tasks that weigh heavy on his conscience and soul. Lyrics such as "Listen to me child/I am what I am/and you/you are my only son" make me think that at some point, the protagonist decides he needs to accept the ugliness within himself because it is a trait he feels he must keep or cannot let go of--much like an only son would carry on a last name.

    "Blood upon my body
    and ice upon my soul
    Lead on my son, it is your world"

    the last stanza make me think the bigger picture he is trying to convey is a commentary on misogyny.
    Flag heidismellson June 03, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The Butcher seems to me to be the way the subject views God.
    Flag ThomYorkeGuyGarvey92on September 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:As cliche as this sounds, the needle stanza sounds awfully like heroin usage to me.
    Flag Anilandon December 23, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Or just the relantionship between father and son.
    Flag annazoffon December 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I feel this song is about God and Jesus, at least at some level.
    Flag tetrabeatingon March 11, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain