The Traitor Lyrics

Lyric discussion by bhoover247 

Cover art for The Traitor lyrics by Leonard Cohen

The rose is the womans genitals, the swan would be his. The line "run some wire through the rose and wind the swan" would be the woman asking him to have sex with her. He daily performs his "idle duty" but he doesn't love her. He has become an "enemy of love" for betraying his true love.

i agree with both of you. this is one of my favorite cohen songs. i would also add that the judges like his "mother" know that she is not right for him but he is so lustful that he ignores the warnings though he knows they are right... ultimately making him a traitor in their eyes and to himself.