This song is based on Constantine Cavafy's Poem 'The God Abandons Antony' (users.hol.gr/~barbanis/cavafy/antony.html). The same Antony from 'Julius Caesar' and 'Antony and Cleopatra'. The original poem itself is based on Plutarch's story that Antony heard a ghostly, musical procession the night before he lost the siege of Alexandria to Octavian. The procession - among other things, signified the desertion of his God protector, Bacchus. The departing procession could thus signify the loss of love, glory, fame, fortune, love....
Leonard Cohen changes Alexandria to Alexandra, making the loss more firmly that of love. The song, in Cohen's hands, becomes about how to face the loss of a lover and all the accompanying promises and expectations. The warrior's exhortation to face up to the loss of life on the eve of battle transforms into the lover's counsel to be strong and accept the loss of a relationship.
The song as written carries no particular significance to specific biographical events in Cohen's life but is more of a symbolic dirge carrying many layers of meaning.
This song is based on Constantine Cavafy's Poem 'The God Abandons Antony' (users.hol.gr/~barbanis/cavafy/antony.html). The same Antony from 'Julius Caesar' and 'Antony and Cleopatra'. The original poem itself is based on Plutarch's story that Antony heard a ghostly, musical procession the night before he lost the siege of Alexandria to Octavian. The procession - among other things, signified the desertion of his God protector, Bacchus. The departing procession could thus signify the loss of love, glory, fame, fortune, love....
Leonard Cohen changes Alexandria to Alexandra, making the loss more firmly that of love. The song, in Cohen's hands, becomes about how to face the loss of a lover and all the accompanying promises and expectations. The warrior's exhortation to face up to the loss of life on the eve of battle transforms into the lover's counsel to be strong and accept the loss of a relationship.
The song as written carries no particular significance to specific biographical events in Cohen's life but is more of a symbolic dirge carrying many layers of meaning.
Many Thanks for this. Strange that others still ignore it after reading this exc. comment.
Many Thanks for this. Strange that others still ignore it after reading this exc. comment.
thanks! Expected no less from a muse… and to paraphrase Greek theatre, there are only so many plot lines.
thanks! Expected no less from a muse… and to paraphrase Greek theatre, there are only so many plot lines.
It would be more unusual if this song didn't work on multiple levels.
It would be more unusual if this song didn't work on multiple levels.
Nice - this is what this website should be about, really. Thank you.
Nice - this is what this website should be about, really. Thank you.