Famous Blue Raincoat

I have to say, I never thought of the song as being as sexual as all that.. I always thought it had to do with that strange relationship when a couple are close friends with another person. Both man and woman platonically loving another man. <br /> <br /> When Joan turns to the other man to see her through her depression or boredom or inertia or whatever it is - perhaps because this 2nd man battles the same demons - she betrays Cohen by castrating him emotionally. She effectively cancels his usefulness to her. Another man, the man Cohen most admires and loves has betrayed him by understanding 'his woman', usurping his position as the woman’s confessor. The woman can come back head high, 'with a lock of his hair' because she did not technically cheat on her partner. Maybe she feels vindicated, Cohen didn’t help her, this other man did. She was right to do as she did. He cannot help but welcome her back. He cannot help but be thankful the trouble she felt is gone. <br /> <br /> That his woman would rather place her wellbeing with another is a hit, especially to a man. It's the kind of betrayal that you cannot speak about, so fine and minute are its grains of discomfort. But discomfort is there. The 3 friends have been torn apart by subtle jealousy and ill advised confidences; the letter wishes the damage can be undone, now the fault lines are fading. <br /> <br /> I think it’s about the feeling of loving people who have hurt you, wanting to forgive, wishing to remember the carefree days and after all the trying, the crushing weight of the betrayal comes back. I think that’s why after reminiscing of love lost — coming home without lily marlene, dancing with a rose between his teeth, gypsy boy — the old nickname, and oh I guess I forgive you …. Well then the repeated ‘Jane came by with a lock of your hair/She said that you gave it to her’ The song is irresolute. <br />

I agree with you Anniepaints. Very well articulated. The hurt and infidelity suggested in this song is definitely not as technicolor as sidebeard suggests. Its a lot more subtle...Cohen and Jane are definitely still a pair it seems...he stops in the middle of the letter when Jane wakes up, suggesting she's in the room, lying in the bed while he's writing his letter. He talks in parts as if a couple referring to an old friend that they mutually care about ("the last time we saw you"), but some kind of uniquely strong bond developed at some point between Jane and "famous blue raincoat" that took her pain away, something that Cohen appreciates in spite of the fact that it "killed" him. But in the same phrase he still refers to him as his brother. The other thing sidebeard left out is that "famous blue raincoat" is gone. Hence, the letter. He left, to "go clear." Cohen wonders if he ever actually did that as he intended. The imagery suggests "raincoat" is somewhere out there in the world living like an ascetic vagabond (Cohen hopes he's keeping a record of living such a life - "living for nothing"). I always feel like this is a letter he can't or won't actually send because he doesn't know the whereabouts of "famous blue raincoat" or whatever became of him, but he regrets any bitterness he's harbored towards the old friend and wishes to express that anyway. He sings, records, and releases on an album the contents of a letter that he has no way of mailing to him wherever he is. I have no basis for that other than that's just the sense I get from the meandering way that he sings it.<br /> <br /> I love all of Cohen's songs and believe him to be one of the most brilliant songwriters to ever live. This one I love particularly because of the mystery it evokes and the tension between people who love one another...how like life. Cohen is a genius.

<br /> There is a background to this song. There are 4 characters here. 2 main, one subject and one unknown.<br /> I'm going to try to explain to the best of my ability what I gathered from the song. It’s a very complex piece with a lot of layers and background and emotion. It wont be possible to go linearly to explain it so I've had to jump back and forth, picking sections from here and there and placing them in context as far as I could build.<br /> <br /> <br /> This letter brings out many aspects of relationships and love between men and women and between men. The pain and conflict between love shared between lovers and the love shared between friends.<br /> <br /> Cohen - the writer writing the letter. A result of a chain of events that has played out over time. Lots of conflicting thoughts, pain, anger, sadness and resignation. <br /> <br /> He's writing the letter in present day - it’s the end of December, it’s a cold night. He cannot sleep because a recent chain of events that haunts him and is causing immense disturbance. Its four in the morning, he decides to write a letter to his friend in an attempt to comfort the storms raging within him.<br /> <br /> He starts with a generic opening to the letter, talking about what life's like right now. He's in New York, its cold, there's music in the streets etc. As he writes further, we'll dissolve into the background behind whatever he writes next.<br /> <br /> FBR (Famous Blue Raincoat) is a good friend, possibly his best friend whom he loves like a brother and has great affection toward. FBR refers to his friend's public identity. He's possibly a good man with high social standing - a celebrity of sorts. He's charming, successful, a brilliant man but has a great emptiness inside of him. Cohen's aware of that. This emptiness probably resulted from an estranged love or his (FBR's)own pursuit for true love. It is possible that FBR was and is still in love with someone else - referred to as "lili marlene". The reference is made in the song in which FBR is said to wait for "lili marlene" at the "train station" repeatedly. It’s a graphical picture Cohen paints here of FBR, looking for something he's missing - a void deep within himself - a love he's lost. He probably has everything yet has nothing to live for because he feels so empty inside, even if he has everything material. He wants to get away from it all so he's (metaphorically speaking) building his house in the desert - away from everything and all the hurt he feels from that estranged relationship. <br /> <br /> Cohen writes - <br /> Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older<br /> Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder<br /> You'd been to the station to meet every train<br /> And you came home without Lili Marlene<br /> <br /> It clearly shows that Cohen sees the pain that FBR is facing, losing his loved one. His "Lili Marlene". Its taken a toll on him.<br /> <br /> FBR in his emptiness, yet his charming self was able to win the heart of Jane - currently Cohen's woman - his wife (probably in an attempt to distract himself from his pain). There is something peculiar about FBR as he's a man and as many men can relate, he was unable to find himself to love - true satisfactory love. He looks for temporary love in sexual exploits but is unable to fill the void in his soul. To FBR, Jane is just a sexual exploit to free him from his own chains of pain and dissatisfaction. Jane, however has fallen in love with FBR. This represents a great loss for Cohen as he loves Jane a lot. FBR however, is not a bad man and Cohen knows that. He's just unable to love Jane back because he already loves someone else. Jane is unaware of this but Cohen knows that is the case as they're such good friends.<br /> <br /> Cohen writes - <br /> And you treated my woman to a flake of your life<br /> And when she came back she was nobody's wife.<br /> <br /> This describes how FBR gave himself to Jane so selfishly. He just gave her a small portion of himself. Jane gave herself completely and now she has no-one to belong to. She's no longer Cohen's wife because of the breach of trust. He cannot accept Jane back and blames FBR for Jane's current fate.<br /> <br /> In a previous section, Cohen writes - <br /> Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair<br /> She said that you gave it to her<br /> That night that you planned to go clear<br /> Did you ever go clear?<br /> <br /> <br /> Initially, Cohen had probably suspected something going on but never had enough evidence to confront Jane about it. As what usually happens, he must have trusted them both so much to put aside his own inner suspicions and give them both the benefit of the doubt. The confrontation finally came when in due course probably discovered the lock of hair in Jane's possession. Cohen, being suspicious of he affair finally decided to ask Jane about it, and put his suspicions to the test. During the confrontation, Jane must have said that FBR had given that to her, trying to validate her custody of it, however Cohen knew the significance behind it. It broke his heart to know that his fears were realized. He felt betrayed and devastated at the time. <br /> <br /> There is a rather intriguing nuance here that probably has not been picked up by many. Cohen mentions "that night that you planned to go clear". This speaks in depth of the kind of relationship he and FBR shared. FBR probably did mention to Cohen of a "lover" he'd been spending time with recently. It is possible that FBR, was burdened by a guilt of betraying his friend and knowing that he was not doing justice to Jane's love for him. He would have mentioned it to Cohen in that he should tell the woman he was fooling around with that he loved someone else and "come clean". Cohen obviously had never expected this love was in fact his own wife. . . . Cohen then reflects and asks the question - did he ever come clean, to which the answer is quite obviously no.<br /> <br /> Today, (a few days or weeks after all this has happened) as Cohen is writing this letter to FBR, he reflects on all that had happened recently. He has his own inner conflict to deal with. This is where is becomes complicated.<br /> <br /> He has a LOT of mixed emotions and thoughts to deal with right now. When he looks back in time he realizes that Jane's happiness was not because of him, but because of FBR. He remembers all the times when Jane was happy and smiling and attributes it to her relationship with FBR and not to himself. It brought a realization of his own inadequacy. Inside, he loves Jane so much he'd rather see her happy, but at the same time losing her to his best friend is immensely painful. He's angry, frustrated, hurt, disappointed, sad and at loss for words to express his inner feelings completely. Instead of venting out his anger, he decides to express his sadness.<br /> <br /> He knows his friend so well and knows that FBR doesn't love Jane back in the same way that she loves him. He knows his friend's emptiness in his soul and feels bad for Jane. There is an unsaid tension in the air and he senses Jane's dissatisfaction in her relationship with FBR as well. Right now Jane's with Cohen but she's sleeping.<br /> <br /> Cohen writes - <br /> Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth<br /> One more thin gypsy thief<br /> Well I see Jane's awake --<br /> <br /> <br /> Here, there's a break in his thought as he's writing the letter. He's talking about FBR waiting in vain for his romantic love. The reference to the rose suggesting the obvious. As he writes "one more thing Gypsy thief", he's interrupted. Jane wakes up. He meant to say more, but his thoughts terminate there for a moment. Enough for him to change the subject, so he writes she's awake.<br /> <br /> Cohen writes - <br /> She sends her regards.<br /> And what can I tell you my brother, my killer<br /> What can I possibly say?<br /> I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you<br /> I'm glad you stood in my way.<br /> <br /> She probably asks him what he's doing up so late but all he sees is a veil. He knows she misses FBR. He is no longer in the physical world, but sees right through to her soul. She has said nothing but he writes, she sends her regards. He goes on to express his feelings but finds himself unable to say anything. There is a lot of pain in his words - "my brother, my killer". Cohen misses his friend terribly but is hurt and blames him to have "killed his spirit. FBR probably disappeared from his life for a while now after this whole incident unfolded. He missed him, and is looking in his heart to forgive him. There's no point losing your best friend over these carnal issues in life.<br /> <br /> Cohen starts the close of his letter by writing - <br /> <br /> If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me<br /> Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.<br /> <br /> Here he means that, if FBR ever comes to see either of them, he should know that he holds nothing against him anymore. He's free to do what he wants with Jane because she doesn't belong to Cohen anymore. The enemy here is referring to the other side of Cohen's personality - the demon he becomes bringing out the possessiveness over his woman - Jane.<br /> <br /> Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes<br /> I thought it was there for good so I never tried.<br /> <br /> Here he talks as he reflects back in time to the smiles he saw on Jane's face despite the troubles in their own relationship, attributing her happiness to her relationship with FBR. "I thought it was there for good so I never tried" means he had his suspicions of the affair, but he saw that Jane was happy and that meant more to him than anything else. That’s really the reason why he never tried to fight about it. Its an extremely sacrificing way of dealing with the whole solution. Cohen is definitely very deeply hurt and is trying hard to gather himself and look at the brighter side of things despite him tremendous loss.<br /> And as he closes, he once again thinks of the time when it all blew up… the time when Jane came back with a lock of his hair. . . <br /> <br /> And Jane came by with a lock of your hair<br /> She said that you gave it to her<br /> That night that you planned to go clear<br /> <br /> -- Sincerely, L. Cohen <br />

I always imagined the song was addressed to a woman, with whom the writer might previously have had a relationship, who then makes friends with Jane and shows her life outside her relationship with the writer. And Jane is changed and no longer fits inside the relationship. The reference to 'brother' I thought of in relation to Baudelaire 'mon semblable, mon frere'- ie this person is like a mirror image in some way of the writer, with all the ambiguity and uncertainty that that implies... anyway the song marks you...