The song is about falling into an affair. The "odds to beat" are the circumstances stacked against a forbidden relationship. The character's "winning streak" with casual sex is over when he falls for someone unavailable.
"You live your life as if it's real a thousand kisses deep" refers to lives they lead during the daytime that really are a shell of existence compared to the nightlife they share, when they retreat together for sex, a thousand kisses deep. He's "turning tricks" because he's confined to only sex with someone he actually is in love with. When it's just physical, there is nothing to lose but when your heart is in it- and the circumstances are against it, you prostitute yourself becuase it's better to have some of the person than none. He slips into the masterpiece because it began as much less and loses control over the tryst. Whatever he had to do before being with her he ditches for passion. Same can be said for the obligations that someone who is taken/married/unavailable ditches for a night of passion. "Confined to sex, we pressed against the limits of the sea" You can pursue sex for the sake of having it, but the purpose of the act is to procreate. With fornicatioin comes limitation. When your heart is in it, you want things to go further out. Most likely, Leonard Cohen has lived out dozens of scenerios with women; I believe he's covered every ocean when it comes to relationships. "Consenting to be wrecked a thousand kisses deep" means letting the other person decide how much pain to put you through. The guests will still bring her the wedding gift because she's not leaving the one she's with for her lover. I think they "forgot" to say good bye. Maybe they're still forgetting.
@alex1313 Yep, it's all about an affair. But you seem to put too much weight to sex. I think, the song is about falling in love with a person when everything is against it, when you have wife, and kids, and all that. But you meet this "masterpiece" and just fall down, you cannot do a thing about it ("And maybe I had miles to drive and promisses to keep). You are turning tricks - cheat - and getting fixed (drink, maybe), you go down doing despicable things just to have time with this person you love. But you cannot...
@alex1313 Yep, it's all about an affair. But you seem to put too much weight to sex. I think, the song is about falling in love with a person when everything is against it, when you have wife, and kids, and all that. But you meet this "masterpiece" and just fall down, you cannot do a thing about it ("And maybe I had miles to drive and promisses to keep). You are turning tricks - cheat - and getting fixed (drink, maybe), you go down doing despicable things just to have time with this person you love. But you cannot just run from former obligations forever, there is a limit to that ocean. And there comes the time "to bless the remnant fleet" and face invincible defeat. And live your life as if it's real, holding just a fading memory. And you're getting cool about it. "But sometime when the night is slow" - means you cannot fall asleep, because it still hurts and bothers, and you think about what you could have done another way, and get drown in distant memories...
@alex1313 I don't take "odd's to beat" as an affair but simply as a humble aging man still getting the younger the younger girls around to fall for him, and he for them-a thousand kisses deep "odds are there to beat" and the "girls are young".
@alex1313 I don't take "odd's to beat" as an affair but simply as a humble aging man still getting the younger the younger girls around to fall for him, and he for them-a thousand kisses deep "odds are there to beat" and the "girls are young".
The song is about falling into an affair. The "odds to beat" are the circumstances stacked against a forbidden relationship. The character's "winning streak" with casual sex is over when he falls for someone unavailable. "You live your life as if it's real a thousand kisses deep" refers to lives they lead during the daytime that really are a shell of existence compared to the nightlife they share, when they retreat together for sex, a thousand kisses deep. He's "turning tricks" because he's confined to only sex with someone he actually is in love with. When it's just physical, there is nothing to lose but when your heart is in it- and the circumstances are against it, you prostitute yourself becuase it's better to have some of the person than none. He slips into the masterpiece because it began as much less and loses control over the tryst. Whatever he had to do before being with her he ditches for passion. Same can be said for the obligations that someone who is taken/married/unavailable ditches for a night of passion. "Confined to sex, we pressed against the limits of the sea" You can pursue sex for the sake of having it, but the purpose of the act is to procreate. With fornicatioin comes limitation. When your heart is in it, you want things to go further out. Most likely, Leonard Cohen has lived out dozens of scenerios with women; I believe he's covered every ocean when it comes to relationships. "Consenting to be wrecked a thousand kisses deep" means letting the other person decide how much pain to put you through. The guests will still bring her the wedding gift because she's not leaving the one she's with for her lover. I think they "forgot" to say good bye. Maybe they're still forgetting.
@alex1313 Yep, it's all about an affair. But you seem to put too much weight to sex. I think, the song is about falling in love with a person when everything is against it, when you have wife, and kids, and all that. But you meet this "masterpiece" and just fall down, you cannot do a thing about it ("And maybe I had miles to drive and promisses to keep). You are turning tricks - cheat - and getting fixed (drink, maybe), you go down doing despicable things just to have time with this person you love. But you cannot...
@alex1313 Yep, it's all about an affair. But you seem to put too much weight to sex. I think, the song is about falling in love with a person when everything is against it, when you have wife, and kids, and all that. But you meet this "masterpiece" and just fall down, you cannot do a thing about it ("And maybe I had miles to drive and promisses to keep). You are turning tricks - cheat - and getting fixed (drink, maybe), you go down doing despicable things just to have time with this person you love. But you cannot just run from former obligations forever, there is a limit to that ocean. And there comes the time "to bless the remnant fleet" and face invincible defeat. And live your life as if it's real, holding just a fading memory. And you're getting cool about it. "But sometime when the night is slow" - means you cannot fall asleep, because it still hurts and bothers, and you think about what you could have done another way, and get drown in distant memories...
@alex1313 I don't take "odd's to beat" as an affair but simply as a humble aging man still getting the younger the younger girls around to fall for him, and he for them-a thousand kisses deep "odds are there to beat" and the "girls are young".
@alex1313 I don't take "odd's to beat" as an affair but simply as a humble aging man still getting the younger the younger girls around to fall for him, and he for them-a thousand kisses deep "odds are there to beat" and the "girls are young".
@alex1313 I think it's much broader than that.
@alex1313 I think it's much broader than that.