Quite old, but I thought I would point out that this song was the opening theme for a Hollywood movie titled "McCabe and Mrs. Miller". I first heard the song watching that movie long ago, and I've had difficulty separating the two ever since.
Warren Beatty stars as a smalltime gambler who teams up with Julie Christie's prostitute and Madam, to run a whorehouse in the California Gold Rush country.
It is, in every way, a bleak, hopeless and pointless movie from Robert Altman. McCabe accomplishes nothing, and ends up getting himself shot. Miller ends up an opium addict, their business closed by a larger company. One memorable scene involves a young boy taught to shoot another out of prejudice, to no purpose at all. You'd be hard pressed to find a moral, or even a point, here.
The song fit well with the tone of the movie, but I always took from it an essential hopelessness that isn't really there in the lyrics. I wonder which came first, the song or the movie?
Actually, the song appeared on his debut album in 1967, four years before the movie came out. Cohen recorded additional instrumentals for the movie though.
Actually, the song appeared on his debut album in 1967, four years before the movie came out. Cohen recorded additional instrumentals for the movie though.
Quite old, but I thought I would point out that this song was the opening theme for a Hollywood movie titled "McCabe and Mrs. Miller". I first heard the song watching that movie long ago, and I've had difficulty separating the two ever since.
Warren Beatty stars as a smalltime gambler who teams up with Julie Christie's prostitute and Madam, to run a whorehouse in the California Gold Rush country.
It is, in every way, a bleak, hopeless and pointless movie from Robert Altman. McCabe accomplishes nothing, and ends up getting himself shot. Miller ends up an opium addict, their business closed by a larger company. One memorable scene involves a young boy taught to shoot another out of prejudice, to no purpose at all. You'd be hard pressed to find a moral, or even a point, here.
The song fit well with the tone of the movie, but I always took from it an essential hopelessness that isn't really there in the lyrics. I wonder which came first, the song or the movie?
I think the song was recorded specifically for the movie, along with "Sisters of Mercy" and "Winter Lady".
I think the song was recorded specifically for the movie, along with "Sisters of Mercy" and "Winter Lady".
Actually, the song appeared on his debut album in 1967, four years before the movie came out. Cohen recorded additional instrumentals for the movie though.
Actually, the song appeared on his debut album in 1967, four years before the movie came out. Cohen recorded additional instrumentals for the movie though.