Famous Blue Raincoat?
Phil42444
Who is the man in the Cohen song sung by Judy Collins? Gotta believe the
song (sung by Judy Collins) is based on a real person.
Apurt
In article <19970430025...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
phil...@aol.com (Phil42444) writes:
>Who is the man in the Cohen song sung by Judy Collins? Gotta believe the
>song (sung by Judy Collins) is based on a real person.
The song which ends "Sincerely, L. Cohen" Doesn't Judy sing that? I
believe so. Based on a real person? Fact? Fiction? Hey, the man is a
poet.
Ann Purtill
Frank Mutter
phil...@aol.com (Phil42444) wrote:
>Who is the man in the Cohen song sung by Judy Collins? Gotta believe the
>song (sung by Judy Collins) is based on a real person.
Dear all,
Leonard Cohen remarked:
1
BBC Radio Interview : Leonard Cohen
©1994 BBC Radio
"The problem with that song is that I've forgotten the actual triangle.
Whether it was my own - of course, I always felt that there was an invisible
male seducing the woman I was with, now whether this one was incarnate or
merely imaginary I don't remember, I've always had the sense that either
I've been that figure in relation to another couple or there'd been a
figure like that in relation to my marriage. I don't quite remember but I
did have this feeling that there was always a third party, sometimes me,
sometimes another man, sometimes another woman. It was a song I've never
been satisfied with. It's not that I've resisted an impressionistic approach
to songwriting, but I've never felt that this one, that I really nailed
the lyric. I'm ready to concede something to the mystery, but secretly I've
always felt that there was something about the song that was unclear. So
I've been very happy with some of the imagery,
but a lot of the imagery ... "
2
Cohen talks about the rain-coat in the liner notes of "The Best of
Leonard Cohen" album. It reads, " I had a good raincoat then, a
Burberry I got in London in 1959. Elizabeth thought I looked like a
spider in it. That was probably why she wouldn't go to Greece with
me. IT hung more heroically when I took out the lining, and achieved
glory when the frayed sleeves were repaired with a little leather.
Things were clear. I knew how to dress in tose days. It was stolen
from Marianne's loft in New York sometime during the early seventies.
I wasn't wearing it very much toward the end."
All good things,
Frank
Bill Bracewell
In article: <3367d769...@news.xs4all.nl> fmu...@xs4all.nl (Frank
> >Who is the man in the Cohen song sung by Judy Collins?.
<snip>
> Dear all,
> Leonard Cohen remarked:
>
<2 explanations snipped>
>
Just goes to show how satisfactory it is asking a songwriter the meaning
of one of his songs (:-)>
--
Barnacle Bill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Live Folk in Yorkshire, Montagu's Regiment, Binary Files Index
& Bill O'th Hoylus End - all on http://www.bracewel.demon.co.uk/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YH Mgt
I thought it was about David Blue, although I am not sure why I am under
this impression xcept that Blue, (real name Stuart David Cohen) was a)
heavily influenced by L. Cohen and b)owner of a blue raincoat which he was
heavily identified with and c) part of the NYC Dylan, Andersen, etc.
circle of which people like Joni M. and L. Cohen moved in and out of.
-- Charlie
Stewa1
There's a wonderful version of this song on the Guardian CD (in stores
now) "Diamonds & Rust in the Bullring" by Joan Baez.
Thomta
and don't forget the wonderful version of the song by Jennifer Warnes
on her cd of Cohen songs entitled "FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT.
tom taylor
Ira . Hessel
Jennifer Warnes does the definitive version. The saxes really accent the
mood of the song which is rife with great lines. Warnes does a great
"Bird on the wire " as well. If you've never heard these versions you are
in for a treat. But noone can do "Suzanne" like Cohen,
Your Name Here
I think the song is about Bob Dylan. Joan Baez does the song in
her "No Woman, No Cry" album, I believe.
Rogelio Saenz
Sekrs
I agree that Jennifer Warnes does a great version of Famous Blue Raincoat,
but she changes some of the words to make them fit a woman singing--and
though they may seem small, those word changes ( which Baez also makes), I
think detract from some of the power in the meaning of the song.
Specifically, Cohen sings:
So you treated my woman to a flick of your life,
and when she came home she was nobody's wife...
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer, what can I possible say,
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you,
I'm glad that you stood in my way...
Warnes and Baez sing
So you treated some woman to a flick of your life
and when she came home she was nobody's wife...
And what can I tell you, oh what can I tell you, what can I possible
say...
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you, I'm glad that you stood in
my way.
I do love Warnes whole album, and this song in particular, but I regret
the word changes. They've always bugged me.
Sharyn
anyse
Sekrs wrote:
>
> I agree that Jennifer Warnes does a great version of Famous Blue Raincoat,
> but she changes some of the words to make them fit a woman singing--and
> though they may seem small, those word changes ( which Baez also makes), I
> think detract from some of the power in the meaning of the song.
> Specifically, Cohen sings:
>
> So you treated my woman to a flick of your life,
> and when she came home she was nobody's wife...
>
ANYSE
John J. Digney
Don't forget Judy Collins' version of this song many years ago.
Bill Kinkaid
"Ira . Hessel" <ihe...@lonestar.jpl.utsa.edu> wrote:
>On 4 May 1997, Thomta wrote:
>> and don't forget the wonderful version of the song by Jennifer Warnes
>> on her cd of Cohen songs entitled "FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT.
>>
>mood of the song which is rife with great lines. Warnes does a great
>"Bird on the wire " as well. If you've never heard these versions you are
>in for a treat. But noone can do "Suzanne" like Cohen,
Jennifer's album was wonderful, especially FBR, but i think that it really
fell down on "Bird on a Wire" (though not as poorly as Aaron Neville's
copycat version of the song). That song was definitively done, finished,
and should never have been attempted again after Joe Cocker did it. JW
re-arranged it so that it was almost unrecognisable as the same song.
As for "Suzanne", i'm sure JW was tempted to have a go but thought better
of it. One of the few Cohen songs which didn't sound better done by someone
else, though Tom Northcott came pretty close.
Bill in Vancouver
(delete EAT.SPAM.AND.DIE
from e-mail address to respond)
Ira . Hessel
Cohen has a recent "concert" album in which he does a version of
Suzanne-This is an older wiser Cohen and I think it is quite the
definitive version. I still like JW's Bird on a wire and yes it is quite
different. Wlillie Nelson does it justice as well.
Ton Maas
In article <337394b7....@news.pinc.com>,
ckinkaid.EAT...@pinc.com (Bill Kinkaid) wrote:
>Jennifer's album was wonderful, especially FBR, but i think that it really
>fell down on "Bird on a Wire" (though not as poorly as Aaron Neville's
>copycat version of the song). That song was definitively done, finished,
>and should never have been attempted again after Joe Cocker did it. JW
>re-arranged it so that it was almost unrecognisable as the same song.
>As for "Suzanne", i'm sure JW was tempted to have a go but thought better
>of it. One of the few Cohen songs which didn't sound better done by someone
>else, though Tom Northcott came pretty close.
Judy Collins' version of Suzanne on "In My Life" blew me away when I first
heard it.
Speaking of "Bird on a Wire" - is anyone aware of Tim Hardin's version of
it? I very much like his diction, phrasing etc.
Ton Maas
Ira . Hessel
It is true that Judy Colloins did a great Suzanne. Her voice is quire
superior to Cohen's. However, Cohen's songs are really poems and his
"translation" of Suzanne is far more meaningful. I've listened to Cohen's
songs for 30+ years and I think his version on "Cohen Live" (his voice
has changed over the years) is the definitive version. There is certain
understanding that he brings to his songs.
Thomta
and I do think that Judy Collins version on Bird on the Wire is
one of the best off of Who Knows Where the Time Goes. She does Suzanne
well also. Well i got introduced to Cohen through Collins, so I must admit
it is a bit nostalgic for me
thomas taylor