Cohen is so awesome. When sudden tragic loss happens, awhile later, the grief can feel "buried" and the person obscure. It seems so long ago; it just feels that way, but in reality it wasn't. Clearly Nancy had some kind of major psychiatric disorder, bi-polar, schizophrenia or Borderline personality disorder or severe depression, something that caused her to be hospitalized in a time with little compassion and horrific care for persons experiencing mental illness. Numbly staring at the late show, through eyes deemed semi precious, contemplating suicide. Her father did not support her, or many even abused her (makes sense because he too killed himself). The mental space Nancy was in, was spiritual yet disconnected and she was utterly alone, with no one who could meet here there. Promiscuity and pleasure seeking are a sign of mania, so I'm going with bi-polar. Cohen and his group were all depressed, which made them feel "not strong" and unable to help her (maybe doing drugs like heroin too--see "The Butcher" from the same album). Nancy captured the mood and collective feeling of the time and circumstances they were in, lost, disconnected, abandoned maybe. They try their best to help her, tell her she is beautiful, but her illness is too much. Finally after her baby is taken from her, in a deeply depressive episode, no one to talk to or help her (meet her in the House of Mystery), she takes her own life. But there is still a gift she brought to Cohen, validation for the deep despair and numbness that depression brings. In his own depression he sees her everywhere, in everything. And she's happy that you've come.
I
And now you look around you,
see her everywhere,
many use her body,
many comb her hair.
In the hollow of the night
when you are cold and numb
you hear her talking freely then,
she's happy that you've come,
she's happy that you've come.
Cohen is so awesome. When sudden tragic loss happens, awhile later, the grief can feel "buried" and the person obscure. It seems so long ago; it just feels that way, but in reality it wasn't. Clearly Nancy had some kind of major psychiatric disorder, bi-polar, schizophrenia or Borderline personality disorder or severe depression, something that caused her to be hospitalized in a time with little compassion and horrific care for persons experiencing mental illness. Numbly staring at the late show, through eyes deemed semi precious, contemplating suicide. Her father did not support her, or many even abused her (makes sense because he too killed himself). The mental space Nancy was in, was spiritual yet disconnected and she was utterly alone, with no one who could meet here there. Promiscuity and pleasure seeking are a sign of mania, so I'm going with bi-polar. Cohen and his group were all depressed, which made them feel "not strong" and unable to help her (maybe doing drugs like heroin too--see "The Butcher" from the same album). Nancy captured the mood and collective feeling of the time and circumstances they were in, lost, disconnected, abandoned maybe. They try their best to help her, tell her she is beautiful, but her illness is too much. Finally after her baby is taken from her, in a deeply depressive episode, no one to talk to or help her (meet her in the House of Mystery), she takes her own life. But there is still a gift she brought to Cohen, validation for the deep despair and numbness that depression brings. In his own depression he sees her everywhere, in everything. And she's happy that you've come.
I
And now you look around you, see her everywhere, many use her body, many comb her hair. In the hollow of the night when you are cold and numb you hear her talking freely then, she's happy that you've come, she's happy that you've come.