Famous Blue Raincoat

Famous Blue Raincoat is a song by Leonard Cohen. It appeared in 1971 on his third album Songs of Love and Hate.

Text

The lyrics are written in the form of a melancholy letter, possibly a suicide note, and tells the story of a love triangle between the author, a woman named Jane and the addressee, who as "my brother, my killer" ("my brother, my killer " ) is addressed. After a sleepless night by four clock in the morning, the narrator looks back on this relationship, which ends at the moment, after Jane had brought closer to the third party. The narrator would like to thank the other that it Jane thereby better go now, he had not been able to achieve this improvement with her, though he admits that he would not have believed to affect the poor state of Jane's for the better ( " I thought it was there for good so I never tried "). When Jane wakes up from sleep, he realizes that she is in his mind at all with the third party, although it now appears to be equidistant from the two men ( " and when to she came back she what nobody 's wife" ). Remains to be seen what it may mean that the "enemy " of the addressee "sleeps " after Jane "free" is now ( "If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me, your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free "). The narrator draws the letter with the author's name ( " Sincerely, L. Cohen "). Numerous verses are written in Amphibrachys.

As with many of Cohen's texts, it is also for this a real background. The question " Did you ever go clear? " To the end of the song was sometimes understood as an allusion to the "Clear", the seeking to bring their followers Scientology. In fact, Cohen was once a member of this sect, but only a very short time and although he is Jewish. He once said that he had been the only reason why there articulate, because he had heard that it was easy to meet women there. In an interview with the magazine, he told Details in 1993, similar to the song Bird on the Wire, he has never had the feeling well on this song, he was finished. After all, he was " good enough" was to publish it, although he continued to be "too mysterious, too unclear " him feel. There are similarities to Cohen's Beautiful Losers story, but in an interview on the radio to the BBC he said in 1994 that he had forgotten who he meant.

In the notes to his best-of album, which was published in 1975 and can be heard on the "Famous Blue Raincoat " also, Cohen writes, after all, the " famous blue coat," who gave his name to the song, I actually heard him not another. It was a Burberry was that he had bought in London in 1959, and he had so long carried him, that finally the sleeves had to be repaired with leather. During this time, he knew how one must dress. The jacket had been stolen one day in the early 1970s from Marianne's New York loft, at a time, as if he had not so frequently carried him.

Cover versions

Famous Blue Raincoat was recorded by numerous other artists, including:

  • Tori Amos on the tribute album Tower of Song (1995 )
  • BAP ( a famous Cologne Title: Wat schriev mer en su enem case ) on the album Aff un zo (2001)
  • Joan Baez on the live album Diamonds & Rust in the Bullring (1989 )
  • John Bergeron on the tribute album In the House of Mystery (2002)
  • Kari Bremnes on the tribute album Hadde Månen s Søster: Cohen på norsk (1993 ), as " du Gikk noen gang fresh? "
  • Katie Buckhaven on the album Katie Buckhaven (2005)
  • Lloyd Cole on the compilation Rare on Air, Vol 2 (1995 )
  • Judy Collins on the live album Living ( 1971) and the tribute album Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy ( 2004)
  • Jonathan Coulton on the album Thing a Week III (2006)
  • Luce Dufault on the album Soir de première (2000)
  • Angel Falls (live)
  • Karen Jo Fields on the album In Your Pages ( 2005)
  • The Handsome Family on Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (OST ) (2006)
  • Paul Hayden Desser, 1996.
  • Steve Hogarth ( live)
  • Andrew John on the album The Machine Stops (1972 )
  • Matej Krajnc on the album Likvidamber (2004)
  • Swan Lee (Danish cover) on the tribute album På danske Läber, as Din gamle blå frakke
  • Sharon Lifshitz on the album Kav Haosher (1993 )
  • Jared Louche and the Aliens on the album cover girl
  • Laurie MacAllister on the album The Things I Choose to Do (2005)
  • Tom Mega on the album Songs & Prayers (1995 )
  • Marissa Nadler on the album Songs III: Bird on the Water ( 2007)
  • Dax Riggs (live)
  • Damien Saez on the live album God Blesse (2002)
  • Beth Sorrentino on the album Nine Songs, One Story ( 2006)
  • Jennifer Warnes on the tribute album Famous Blue Raincoat (1987 )
  • Solveig Slettahjell on the album Anthology (2011)

" When I Need You "

The chorus melody by Albert Hammond and Leo Sayers Hit When I Need You has strong resemblance to the Famous Blue Raincoat. In an interview with Cohen at the Globe & Mail states:

326259
de