| Leonard Cohen – Alexandra Leaving Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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This is a song about facing imminent loss. Cohen has very skilfully written it so that there are multiple possible interpretations of exactly what the loss is. This is why there are so many different interpretations posted here, all quite valid. Multiple meanings are an inherent part of the appeal of literature and here we cannot tell what kind of loss it is but only very clearly that this is about facing iminnent loss. Representing a city by a woman is a traditional literary device (it's Biblical even). There's support for losing the woman to another man, for her dying, for Alexandra to be the historical city and because of these ambiguities the song is therefore about all loss and especially Alexandra represents life itself and her loss is the occasion for which each is long prepared. So it transcends the mere historical event and makes it timeless and something with which we can all empathise. As others have pointed out, it is based on the preceeding work of Plutarch and Cavafy. You cannot completely understand it without reference to that work. (See refs others have already posted). I would just like offer an explanation of some lines which others seem to have been struggling with, and for which in my opinion, no-one has yet posted the correct interpretation, namely Even though she sleeps upon your satin; Even though she wakes you with a kiss. Do not say the moment was imagined; First to re-interate something fundamental. The song is called Alexandra Leaving, although the recurrent lines are Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving. Then say goodbye to Alexandra lost. Why is the song "Alexandra Leaving" and not "Alexandra Lost"? Because it is set at the moment in time when Alexandra is about to be lost but before she is actually lost. The song is about embracing imminent loss, not about the moment of loss itself. In the Plutarch/Cavafy scenario that time is during and just after the ghostly procession. So with this established, the meaning of these lines is obvious. The "moment" referred to here, is the ghostly procession, the sign that predicts imminent loss. The next morning, waking up with Alexandra still next to you, you might be tempted to say that you imagined this moment, this procession last night, and that everything is going to be alright. The song is telling you not to do that. It is exactly the same idea as It’s not a trick, your senses all deceiving, A fitful dream, the morning will exhaust — Finally, for a long time I wondered what the final lines were telling us. And you who were bewildered by a meaning; Whose code was broken, crucifix uncrossed — The reference to a crucifix - the paraphernalia of the Roman Catholic church - in the context of the classical Greek and Roman gods like Bacchus seemed distinctly incongruous. My tentative explanation is this. Throughout the song, at least in one layer of meaning, the "you" is the historical Anthony and the song is addressed to him. Then in the last verse, Cohen is turning from Anthony to address his modern day audience, and reminding them that they have to face loss too. Or possibly he has turned to address Cavafy, perhaps this is why the crucifix is uncrossed. At any case there does not seem to be any counterpart in the Cavafy poem for this verse, whereas it is quite obvious from where each of the preceeding verses is derived. |
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| Meat Loaf – Not A Dry Eye In The House Lyrics | 14 years ago |
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Very sophisticated and ironical song. It is about a woman who is playing with him, who did not have a real relationship with him but went through a series of set scenes. At least partly such people play for the effect on those around them - hence the ironic "not a dry eye in the house" - taking her viewpoint and the effect she wants to create. "It was almost like a movie - the way you said goodbye You must have spent a lot of time rehearsing each and every line" The song is not a metaphor as suggested above, but the realisation that his lover was an actress. It is interesting that the song was written by a woman. Of course there might be a deeper irony intended too, a sort of meta-irony, since of course singers are actors playing with our emotions... |
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