Leonard Cohen Famous Blue Raincoat Reaction, Meaning, And Poetry Lyrics Interpretation

[@alexgenadinikmusicandpoetr1012]

Thank you for watching! Please try this playlist of my original music: kzbin.info/aero/PLKgmKoy-sltYmUnXy_DiJWd9fcZ8vs4zm and my cover song of Leonard Cohen's Who By Fire: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKmxp4aqmt1ooaMsi=iTzSZNcYOpiiygm5

[@patrickcorliss8878]

Dolly Parton's pretty cool. See Coat of Many Colors, Jolene etc.

[@tzaph67]

I’ve been listening to this song for nearly 50 years now (I was 14 when I first heard it and am now 62). I loved it from the first hearing although obviously my understanding and interpretation have changed and deepened over the years. I heard a fabulous version of it by a young Scandinavian woman called Aurora which I think you would probably really enjoy. I initially thought going clear was getting off drugs but I believe it’s a state of mental emancipation in Scientology. I thought the guy was thin with a torn raincoat because he wasn’t looking after himself - maybe he was focusing on spiritual or emotional needs rather than the physical. I feel he restored Jane to herself; with just a “flake” of his life (like a snow flake!) he’d taken the trouble, a deep sorrow from her eyes. Also after her experience with him Jane could own and be her own self, she know no longer defined herself in relation to men. I find the thin gypsy thief quite mysterious and powerful, slightly shamanic even - mystics often retreated to the desert like this guy has. I think LC feels conflicted about him, both bitterness and love he feels - hence writing the latter at 4.00 am at the bum end of the year. I could write about it for ages! Thanks so much for your interesting discussion of this wonderful Cubist song! Don’t forget to listen to Aurora!💚🐦‍⬛

[@touchedbyasong]

Thank you very much for such an insightful comment! I also did a cover of one of Cohen's songs here that you might like: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKmxp4aqmt1ooaM - would be curious what you think

[@touchedbyasong]

Btw, Aurora is great - I just listened! :)

[@tzaph67]

@@touchedbyasong I really enjoyed your interpretation of it. I always felt it had the atmosphere of a hymn when sung by LC and I liked the harder, almost rock vibe you gave it. Am not sure but I think it may have been written by Buffy St Marie rather than LC himself. His has been the only version I’ve heard apart from yours. Nick Cave has written some beautiful songs over the years. He’s also done a cover of Avalanche by LC which is worth a listen - even darker than Cohen’s imho. So pleased you liked Aurora! Got to go now but will subscribe and get back to you with some Nick Cave songs you might like.

[@chrisvickers7928]

Leonard Cohen started by publishing several books of poetry in the 50's and early 60's. He was a friend of Canadian poet Irving Layton. They used to spend time together talking and drinking wine and Layton said if you want your poetry to reach a bigger audience, set it to music. He had already won the Governor Generals award for poetry at this point.

[@sarajin]

Pretty sure, "going clear" is a reference to scientology which was popular back then and "going clear" is a term used in scientology to mean "Achieving the state of Clear means a person has supposedly overcome the "reactive mind" and is in complete control of their analytical mind. According to Hubbard: "A Clear is a being who no longer has his own reactive mind, and therefore suffers none of the ill effects the reactive mind can cause."

[@alexgenadinikmusicandpoetr1012]

Really interesting insight - thank you for posting.

[@welbeckmanor]

@@alexgenadinikmusicandpoetr1012 I too had taken it to mean 'get clean' off drugs or drink, but perhaps that distinction isn't as critical to the interpretation, if all characters in the song considered the Scientology state of "clear" to be a positive thing (as most would consder 'getting clean' to be.)

[@jimcarlson6157]

I'd rather stay muddy

[@chrisvickers7928]

Try Gordon Lightfoot, Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald or Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, we Canadians were so spoiled.

[@welbeckmanor]

I loved your analysis. My only contribution to this might be that "when she came back she was nobody's wife" might indeed mean trouble in the marriage (perhaps temporarily a rupture), but more significantly she was again herself, "Jane", not "somebody's wife", and with the trouble taken from her eyes she was not "free" of her love of the singer, but rather free of the pain that had been burdening her, allowing herself & the singer to reconcile and make peace with each other - and for the singer to attempt to make peace with Mr Raincoat. I do also, as you noted, love the bitterness that the singer can't quite shake free of ("I see you there with a rose in your teeth...") however, I felt more of a compassionate tone when he remarks "you're living for nothing now" because he hopes his old friend is "keeping some sort of record". Thank you for doing this analysis, and I look forward to following more of your work.

[@alexgenadinikmusicandpoetr1012]

Hi Welbeck, thank you for your comment. I like the sensitivity you have to the lyrics, and I agree with you. The "she was nobody's wife" does sound like it's quite loaded here. In the back of my mind it always felt that way, but it was always hard to get to that because it's always examined after so many other details. So it's a great catch! Regarding my other work, I re-launched my KZbin channel to this new one and released 3 songs on it. I'd appreciate it if you took a listen: kzbin.info/door/bBId5WkHk9RAWnwF0SdRow

[@amybynight]

We have very different interpretations. I really appreciate the way you explain yourself in the time you put in here. I think the biggest main difference is that Cohen was famous for wearing a blues trench coat. So this is examining the different sides of himself. He's playing both roles here. And I don't mean to sound rude but to critique a master like Leonard Cohen's writing for using the word flake... When I think you missed the biggest part... I had to stop there

[@DamEngineer]

Regards "That night that you planned to go clear...Did you ever go clear?", must be interpreted in light of Leonard Cohen's onetime involvement with Scientology. As I understand it, after progressing through multiple levels of Scientology, and spending lots of money by the way to get through those levels, you arrive at the highest level, the state of being "clear". Edit: I see now that others have previously commented on this idea. Thanks to all.

[@simonreynolds7988]

Thank you for your work on this masterpiece. It's interesting the different opinions folk have as to the lyrics. I think 'flake' is the strongest and most powerful word in the song. 'He' did all the damage with just a flake of his life! The letter is signed L Cohen (not Leonard as you say). Why? Because L Cohen is writing to his alter ego Leonard?

[@alexgenadinikmusicandpoetr1012]

Thanks for your comment, and sorry it took me so long to reply :)

[@Nemo77777]

You mixed two songs up here: "Also, I discuss the potency of the poetry in this song by showing that in just the first two lines of Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen, he paints amazing paintings of a dying relationship, amazing music, king David, and God - all this in just the two opening"

[@guynicoletti5811]

Love the enterpretation…but I love the word ‘flake’ in this context.

[@parthoroy9545]

Subscribed

[@ladybridey8559]

Cohen dabbled in Scientology and going clear is terminology from that.

[@parthoroy9545]

Pink Floyd Brain Damage... It's deep.... Hope you will explain..... Love from India

[@thunderousapplause]

his brother/friend is unwell. Going Clear is about a state in Scientology where supposedly you will never get sick you’ll never even need glasses, etc. etc. The processes of Scientology can drive people literally insane. Cohen wrote this when Scientology was at its height of popularity, and so many people believed that they could save the world by joining Scientology and “Clearing” the planet. Crazytown. His brother or his friend who took away his woman, and then sent her back without the pain in her eyes seems entirely selfish and entirely crazy and that’s what it means he’s living for nothing now. He is empty. His famous blue raincoat, by which he was recognized, by which he gathered women and other acolyte to him, torn at the shoulder, like epaulets, are stripped from a former officer in disgrace. Lili Marlene is on no train. Does she even exist?

[@Yogi-Megan]

Loved the version by Jennifer Warnes,. The music score, the musical arrangements, the high quality of recording and Jennifer's voice is superb. But this is Waaay too arty and complicated for me.

[@ChristofSacherer]

Wot if the third person is a nother women thet hed a affair with his wife he calls her brother for a delivered confusion. She lives in the desert dieing and hardly ever gose clear of the drugs..

[@eaks52]

Get to the point please, you are way too verbose

[@Yogi-Megan]

I call it over glossing white paint....