In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
The door it opened slowly
My father he came in
I was nine years old
And he stood so tall above me
Blue eyes they were shining
And his voice was very cold
He said, "I've had a vision
And you know I'm strong and holy
I must do what I've been told"
So he started up the mountain
I was running, he was walking
And his axe was made of gold
Well, the trees they got much smaller
The lake, a lady's mirror
We stopped to drink some wine
Then he threw the bottle over
Broke a minute later
And he put his hand on mine
Thought I saw an eagle
But it might have been a vulture
I never could decide
Then my father built an altar
He looked once behind his shoulder
He knew I would not hide
You who build these altars now
To sacrifice these children
You must not do it anymore
A scheme is not a vision
And you never have been tempted
By a demon or a God
You who stand above them now
Your hatchets blunt and bloody
You were not there before
When I lay upon a mountain
And my father's hand was trembling
With the beauty of the word
And if you call me brother now
Forgive me if I inquire
"Just according to whose plan?"
When it all comes down to dust
I will kill you if I must
I will help you if I can
When it all comes down to dust
I will help you if I must
I will kill you if I can
And mercy on our uniform
Man of peace or man of war
The peacock spreads his fan
My father he came in
I was nine years old
And he stood so tall above me
Blue eyes they were shining
And his voice was very cold
He said, "I've had a vision
And you know I'm strong and holy
I must do what I've been told"
So he started up the mountain
I was running, he was walking
And his axe was made of gold
Well, the trees they got much smaller
The lake, a lady's mirror
We stopped to drink some wine
Then he threw the bottle over
Broke a minute later
And he put his hand on mine
Thought I saw an eagle
But it might have been a vulture
I never could decide
Then my father built an altar
He looked once behind his shoulder
He knew I would not hide
You who build these altars now
To sacrifice these children
You must not do it anymore
A scheme is not a vision
And you never have been tempted
By a demon or a God
You who stand above them now
Your hatchets blunt and bloody
You were not there before
When I lay upon a mountain
And my father's hand was trembling
With the beauty of the word
And if you call me brother now
Forgive me if I inquire
"Just according to whose plan?"
When it all comes down to dust
I will kill you if I must
I will help you if I can
When it all comes down to dust
I will help you if I must
I will kill you if I can
And mercy on our uniform
Man of peace or man of war
The peacock spreads his fan
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Oy. This is the song, on a scratchy old second-hand LP, that got me hooked on Cohen. The whole album is absolutely brilliant but SO dry that it doesn't work for everybody. If you imagine it to be songs from a desert, more than a room, it begins to make more sense. Anyway, this song in particular touches on so much of what his work was about, except for the fact that there's no sex in it. It mines his deep-seated spirituality and also brilliantly reimagines an ancient parable from the point of view of the one who suffers the impact of the teaching; the boy was moments from death at his father's hand, stayed by an act of profound mercy. Cohen evokes the innocence and vulnerability of the boy to show how important it is that we, as a race, aspire to some of that same merciful quality. The last lines are wrong up there: "Have mercy on our uniform, man of peace or man of war, the peacock spreads his fan." It's a final prayer. Cohen takes the unusual stand of singling out neither the warrior nor the pacifist for blame -- all men are trying to make their mark on the world, and deserving of and hungry for mercy. It's those who act in an unholy way -- those in power who answer to no one but themselves -- that he wants to correct. It's the early work of a poet, to be sure, but it's usually young poets who look at such big-picture stuff.
i somewhat agree with everyone here. i would emphasize that in comparing the 'story of isaac' to world leaders who send younger generations to war, cohen is coming out and saying that "a scheme is not a vision" and "you were not tempted by a demon or god". the abraham truly loves his son and would only think of sacrificing him due to the call of a higher power whereas the worldleaders see the youth as pawns to be manipulated and used. great song!
this is the story of abraham and isaac and the bible...the image of the father sacrificing his son because of god, compared with soldiers killing in war
This song tells the story of isaac in the Bible, but it has a second meaning, Its is also about how an older generation of men sending thier sons to fight in thier war, e.g. The peacock spreads his fan = Nuclear bomb
"the peacock spreads his fan" adds meaning to the line before - "man of peace or man of war". It suggests that one man can be both. A man can seem to be a man of peace and then spread his fan and show that he isn't. A man can go from "helping" to "killing" if the need be.
I'm not entirely sure what the meaning is, but I think it may have something to do with Leonard's own father, as he died when Lenny was nine years old.
He explains it in two lines at the beginning of a live version from "Live Songs" : "This is a song called The Story of Issac, and it's about those who would, ah, sacrifice one generation on behalf of another." Later in the lyrics, he admonishes this practice: "You who build these altars now to sacrifice our children, you must not do it anymore..."
I hadn't got the underlying meaning before, about old men sending the young generation out to die. Absolutely brilliant. I like the way he tells the story from Isaac's point of view - emphasising how appalling Abraham's actions were with tiny details like "I was running / he was walking".
I particularly like the reversal at the end of
"I will kill you if I must/ I will help you if I can."
and
"I will help you if I must / I will kill you if I can."
I agree with Mr.V above - he's condemning the generals and politicians as worse than Abraham: they have no excuse, no spiritual explanation for their actions.
About: 'The peacock spreads its fan'<br /> <br /> I've leaved in India and there, the peacock is reveread as a protector against evil He is often seen close to the goddess on representation of Saraswati, goddess of the arts, if I'm not wrong (hindouism has so much Gods and Goddess and I'm not a specialist). <br /> <br /> But anyway, in Uttar Pradesh, I've seen peacocks fighting against snakes. When the snake is dead, the victorious peacock spreads its fan.<br /> <br /> As in the Bible, snake is the Evil, I would say that the end of the song means that, Evil is (or will be) defeated...
About: 'The peacock spreads its fan'
I've leaved in India and there, the peacock is reveread as a protector against evil He is often seen close to the goddess on representation of Saraswati, goddess of the arts, if I'm not wrong (hindouism has so much Gods and Goddess and I'm not a specialist).
But anyway, in Uttar Pradesh, I've seen peacocks fighting against snakes. When the snake is dead, the victorious peacock spreads its fan.
As in the Bible, snake is the Evil, I would say that the end of the song means that, Evil is (or will be) defeated...
It's about exploitation of the young. His 'father' is a paedophile who comes into the room and abuses him. This symbolises the way young people are expendable in war.
Abraham was tested by God. His mission was Holy, but God wouldn't let him sacrifice Isaac. In today's world, there are those who sacrifice our children by means of war for profit. Abraham's thoughts were, no doubt, I will kill you if I must...I will help you if I can. But those who put our children on the altar of war for profit...I think God will help them if He can, but kill them if He must. And the peacock spreads his fan...