The Butcher

I feel this song is about God and Jesus, at least at some level.

Or just the relantionship between father and son.

As cliche as this sounds, the needle stanza sounds awfully like heroin usage to me.

The Butcher seems to me to be the way the subject views God.

Maybe this is about religion, though not necessarily about God. I think this song is more about the idea of erasing the lines between black and white; that separate good/evil. Perhaps the protagonist in this song initially prides himself as somewhat of a saint--someone who is virtuous, self-righteous, exemplary--in other words, a hero. He tries to rectify wrongs by calling out an action he perceives as evil being done to someone he sees as helpless and innocent (like a butcher slaughtering a lamb). Then he comes to acknowledge that this evil is very much inherent, perhaps at times even necessary-- but is inevitably a part of himself. He learns that he can gain what he wants (maybe selfishly) from performing tasks that weigh heavy on his conscience and soul. Lyrics such as "Listen to me child/I am what I am/and you/you are my only son" make me think that at some point, the protagonist decides he needs to accept the ugliness within himself because it is a trait he feels he must keep or cannot let go of--much like an only son would carry on a last name.

"Blood upon my body and ice upon my soul Lead on my son, it is your world"

the last stanza make me think the bigger picture he is trying to convey is a commentary on misogyny.

I came upon a butcher, He was slaughtering a lamb, I accused him there With his tortured lamb.

(The lamb, or Jesus, was the ultimate, and perfect, sacrifice. Jesus accuses the butcher, or God, of sacrificing his only son as atonement for the sins of his people)

He said, Listen to me, child, I am what I am and you, you are my only son

(because God is ultimate he is also unknowable, he "is what he is.")

Well, I found a silver needle, I put it into my arm. It did some good, Did some harm

(it's hard not to this part as a literal end of emotional pain through heroin. As has been pointed out, heroin especially is a false descent into the pre-anxious state of innocence or "Eden.")

But the nights were cold And it almost kept me warm, How come the night is long?

(the cold night of depression is only barely improved by using Heroin. Why does depression have to last so long?)

I saw some flowers growing up Where that lamb fell down Was I supposed to praise my Lord, Make some kind of joyful sound?

(the sacrifice of the lamb, and hence the atonement of sin, brings new life, a rebirth, or flowers growing up. But this is a bitter pill, as salvation came from murdering God's only son)

He said, Listen, listen to me now, I go round and round And you, you are my only child.

(keep the faith, people will always need self-transcendence, you are still my only child)

Do not leave me now, Do not leave me now, I'm broken down From a recent fall.

(I might be reaching here, but by Cohen's time God had been proven a fiction, or narrative, by science and philosophy. He is saying don't give up on me, you still need me. Have a different relationship with me if you need to).

Blood upon my body And ice upon my soul, Lead on, my son, it is your world.

(a bleeding body and frozen soul indicates severe clinical depression; and yet, carry on, there is hope, you can still change)