Triumph and Disaster

Recently i communicate a lot about love and partnership. My favorite poets on that issue are Leonard Cohen from the male and Marianne Faithfull from the female perspective. I started this “Triumph and Disaster” blog in April 2007 with Cohens poem/song “If it be your will…“. Here is another Cohen favorite of mine “Famous blue raincoat…“. A letter written by L.C. to an unnamed rival, that is the setting of this great love song.
I had quoted Max Frischs Stiller before in this blog: “…die Tapferkeit, ohne Vorwurf denken zu können, dass der Partner vielleicht glücklicher wird ohne uns…” (”… the bravery, to imagine without reproach our partner might be more contented without us…”).
It is exactly this -even in hindsight- difficult thought that Cohen expresses in the lines “…I´m glad, that you stood in my way” (…) thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes. I thought it was there for good so I never tried…”. Here is the song:

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Leonard Cohen aus männlicher und Marianne Faithfull aus weiblicher Perspektive sind meine Dichterexperten zum Thema Liebe und Partnerschaft. Mit “If it be your will…“von Cohen hatte ich “Triumph and Disaster” im April 2007 begonnen. Cohens Gedicht/Song “Famous blue raincoat…“, knüpft an einen Gedanken an, der hier schon einmal im Zitat aus Max Frischs Stiller angeklungen ist: “…die Tapferkeit, ohne Vorwurf denken zu können, dass der Partner vielleicht glücklicher wird ohne uns…“. Hier bei Cohen lauten die entsprechenden Zeilen: “…I´m glad, that you stood in my way” und “thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes I thought it was there for good so I never tried…”. L.C. hat fürwahr ein ungewöhnliches Sujet für diese Liebeslied gewählt: Brief an den Rivalen, zwei Männer unter sich:

Leonard Cohen: Famous blue raincoat…

It’s four in the morning, the end of December
I’m writing you now just to see if you’re better
New York is cold, but I like where I’m living
There’s music on Clinton Street all through the evening.
I hear that you’re building your little house deep in the desert
You’re living for nothing now, I hope you’re keeping some kind of record.

Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?

Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You’d been to the station to meet every train
And you came home without Lili Marlene

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.

And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear –

Sincerely, L. Cohen

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