Famous Blue Raincoat (5:06)
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“Famous Blue Raincoat” is one of Leonard Cohen’s better-known songs. It appears on his third album, Songs of Love and Hate, released 1971.
The song is written in the form of a letter, and tells the story of a three-sided affair between the speaker, a woman named Jane, and the addressed person, who is identified only briefly as, “my brother, my killer.” Implied in the song is that Jane was either engaged to or married to the speaker, but after the events, “And you treated my woman to a flick of your life, and when she came back she was nobody’s wife.”
Later in the song, the speaker admits that he is partially grateful for the affair, because Jane had been troubled, and the affair alleviated it when he hadn’t been able to.
The song is written in the form of a letter, and tells the story of a three-sided affair between the speaker, a woman named Jane, and the addressed person, who is identified only briefly as, “my brother, my killer.” Implied in the song is that Jane was either engaged to or married to the speaker, but after the events, “And you treated my woman to a flick of your life, and when she came back she was nobody’s wife.”
Later in the song, the speaker admits that he is partially grateful for the affair, because Jane had been troubled, and the affair alleviated it when he hadn’t been able to.
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North of San francisco, I was on a shoot, and took out my point and shoot canon and grabbed a few moments.
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Albums featuring this track
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Greatest Hits
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Songs of Love and Hate
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Shouts
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Senefera wrote:
"And you treated my woman to a flake of your life / And when she came back she was nobody's wife. / Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth / One more thin gypsy thief / Well I see Jane's awake -- / She sends her regards. / And what can I tell you my brother, my killer / What can I possibly say? / I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you / I'm glad you stood in my way. / If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me / Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free. / Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes / I thought it was there for good so I never tried." Brilliant.
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stundenhotel wrote:
one of my favourite songs of all time.
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applet57 wrote:
Hoooowl!!!!
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theteenagequeen wrote:
sincerely, l. cohen i don't know why i find that so brilliant, i just do.
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therealme27 wrote:
It's so adorable and ...heart-piercing. "and thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes: I thought it was there for good, so i never tried"
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da4cu4 wrote:
Wonderful song.
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merithewitch wrote:
favorite song from leonard cohen... sad song :'(
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JayIan wrote:
tough one.
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JayIan wrote:
ithought it was there for good...
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JayIan wrote:
my brother...my killer...
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ppifpafpuff wrote:
I'm glad you stood in my way...
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motorpsychoman wrote:
New York is cold...
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Hobbes55 wrote:
Haunting from the very start, "It's four in the morning, the end of december..."
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msjennyjuniper wrote:
Been to the station to meet every train.
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DJDump wrote:
Nice. Hmmm, now where did I leave that length of rope?...nope, can't find it - it'll have to be the hot bath and razorblade.
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ghschilder wrote:
een van mijn faforieten
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Gitarrenmeister wrote:
beyond words.....
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carinaclysmic wrote:
best lyricist EVER!
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FrogTheWarrior wrote:
Probably my favorite Cohen song, with Avalanche somewhere close to the top. Brings back memories of rainy days with my older brother's record player.
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tissantelowski wrote:
...I like the girl singing in the background :-) (and of course cohens voice too) wonderful song!
Leonard Cohen
Famous Blue Raincoat
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