Famous Blue Raincoat
Encyclopedia
"Famous Blue Raincoat" is a song by Leonard Cohen
. It is the sixth track on his third album, Songs of Love and Hate
, released in 1971.
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 flake 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 lyric contains a reference to the German love song "Lili Marlene."
, which includes the song, he mentions that the famous blue raincoat to which he refers actually belonged to him, and not someone else:
Ron Cornelius played guitar on Songs of Love and Hate
and was Cohen's band leader for several years. He told Songfacts: "We played that song a lot before it ever went to tape. We knew it was going to be big. We could see what the crowd did - you play the Royal Albert Hall
, the crowd goes crazy, and you're really saying something there. If I had to pick a favorite from the album, it would probably be 'Famous Blue Raincoat.'"
state of "Clear
". Cohen was very briefly a member of the Church of Scientology
, which he had heard was a "good place to meet women."
", a song made famous by Leo Sayer
in 1977, is identical to the part of "Famous Blue Raincoat" where the lyrics are as follows: "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." The melody of these lyrics matches the lyrics of "When I Need You" as follows: "(When I) need you, I just close my eyes and I'm with you, and all that I so want to give you, is only a heart beat away."
In a 2006 interview with the Globe and Mail Cohen said:
The same melody can be heard in Elton John's "Little Jeanie" in the lyrics: "Stepped into my life from a bad dream /
Making the life that I had seem / Suddenly shiny and new"
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
. It is the sixth track on his third album, Songs of Love and Hate
Songs of Love and Hate
Songs of Love and Hate is Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen's third album. It was mainly recorded in Columbia Studio A, Nashville, from September 22 to 26, 1970. "Sing Another Song, Boys" was recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 30, 1970. Further recording took place at ...
, released in 1971.
Summary
The song is written in the form of a letter, and tells the story of a love triangleLove triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
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 flake 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 lyric contains a reference to the German love song "Lili Marlene."
History
In the liner notes to 1975's The Best of Leonard CohenThe Best of Leonard Cohen
The Best of Leonard Cohen is a greatest hits album by Leonard Cohen, released in 1975. In some territories, it is also known as Greatest Hits...
, which includes the song, he mentions that the famous blue raincoat to which he refers actually belonged to him, and not someone else:
Ron Cornelius played guitar on Songs of Love and Hate
Songs of Love and Hate
Songs of Love and Hate is Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen's third album. It was mainly recorded in Columbia Studio A, Nashville, from September 22 to 26, 1970. "Sing Another Song, Boys" was recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 30, 1970. Further recording took place at ...
and was Cohen's band leader for several years. He told Songfacts: "We played that song a lot before it ever went to tape. We knew it was going to be big. We could see what the crowd did - you play the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, the crowd goes crazy, and you're really saying something there. If I had to pick a favorite from the album, it would probably be 'Famous Blue Raincoat.'"
Scientology
In the 1999 book, The Complete Guide to the Music of Leonard Cohen, the authors comment that Cohen's question, "Did you ever go clear?", in the song, is a reference to the ScientologyScientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
state of "Clear
Clear (Scientology)
Clear in Dianetics and Scientology is one of two levels a practitioner can achieve on the way to personal salvation. A state of Clear is reached when a person becomes free of the influence of engrams, unwanted emotions or painful traumas not readily available to the conscious mind...
". Cohen was very briefly a member of the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
, which he had heard was a "good place to meet women."
Cover versions (alphabetically)
"Famous Blue Raincoat" has also been recorded by numerous other artists, including:- Ulf LundellUlf LundellUlf Lundell is a Swedish writer, poet, songwriter, composer, musician and artist....
(Swedish cover, "Kom du nånsin iväg" on Sweethearts (1984) - AaRONAaRONAaRON ' is a French pop rock musical duo, consisting of Simon Buret and Olivier Coursier. Their debut album Artificial Animals Riding On Neverland was released in 2007 and made them popular in France and Europe...
on Artificial Animals Riding On Neverland (2007) - Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
on the tribute album Tower of SongTower of SongTower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1995 on A&M Records. It takes its name of a song by Cohen, that has been covered by Marianne Faithfull, Robert Forster, Peter Gabriel, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Martha Wainwright...
(1995) - Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
on the live album Diamonds & Rust in the BullringDiamonds & Rust in the BullringDiamonds & Rust in the Bullring was a Joan Baez album, recorded live in the bullring of Bilbao, Spain. The album featured twelve songs, six of which were performed in English, five in Spanish, and one - "Txoria Txori" - in Basque...
(1989) - John Bergeron on the tribute album In the House of Mystery (2002)
- Kari BremnesKari BremnesKari Bremnes is a Norwegian singer and songwriter.She got an M.A. in language, literature , history and theater studies from the University of Oslo, and worked as a journalist for several years before deciding to dedicate herself to music full time.In 1987 she received the Spellemannprisen for the...
on tribute album Hadde månen en søster: Cohen på norsk (1993), as "Gikk du noen gang fri?" - Katie BuckhavenKatie BuckhavenKatie Buckhaven is a British female singer whose style is an eclectic mix of jazz and folk songs.Buckhaven played support to Ben & Jason and Carina Round on the Acoustic Roadworks tour 2001; she has also played with her band at various venues in London including:*The Spot*The Rock Garden*The...
on the 2005 album Katie Buckhaven. - Lloyd ColeLloyd ColeLloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
on the compilation album Rare on Air, Vol. 2 (1995) - Jared Louche (lead singer of ChemlabChemlabChemlab is a coldwave and industrial rock band formed in Washington D.C., USA, in 1989 by Dylan Thomas More, Joe Frank , and Jared Louche . Influenced by the pioneers of the industrial genre, such as Throbbing Gristle, Chemlab mixed experimental sounds with rock and metal, which they dubbed...
) on his 1999 solo album Covergirl. - Judy CollinsJudy CollinsJudith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
on the live album LivingLiving (Judy Collins album)Living is a 1971 live Judy Collins album, taken from the singer's 1970 concert tour. It peaked at No 64 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts....
(1971) and on the tribute album Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (2004) - Jonathan CoultonJonathan CoultonJonathan Coulton is an American singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans...
on Thing a Week Three (2006) - Luce Dufault on Soir de première (2000)
- Angel Falls (live)
- Karen Jo Fields on In Your Pages (2005)
- FourPlay Electric String QuartetFourPlay Electric String QuartetFourPlay String Quartet is a four-piece rock band from Sydney, Australia, formed in 1995. It should not be confused with a smooth jazz group in the United States also known as Fourplay....
on Fourthcoming (2009) - The Handsome FamilyThe Handsome FamilyThe Handsome Family is an alternative country band, formed in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The band was formed in 1993 by husband-and-wife duo Brett Sparks and Rennie Sparks and drummer Mike Werner, although the band would later revolve around Rennie, who writes the lyrics, and Brett, who writes...
on Leonard Cohen: I'm Your ManLeonard Cohen: I'm Your ManLeonard Cohen: I'm Your Man is a 2005 film by Lian Lunson about the life and career of Leonard Cohen. It is based on a January 2005 tribute show at the Sydney Opera House titled "Came So Far for Beauty", which was produced by Hal Willner...
(OST), (2006) - HaydenHayden (musician)Paul Hayden Desser who records as Hayden, is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Thornhill, Ontario.His early works are a largely eclectic mix of genres from grunge rock to alt country, as demonstrated by his first full album, Everything I Long For, released in 1995. Since then his work has become...
(Paul Hayden Desser), live with only piano accompaniment since at least 1996. - Steve HogarthSteve HogarthSteve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
(live) - Andrew John on The Machine Stops (1972)
- Jorcx on Jorcx Interpreta Cohen (2006, sung in CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
) - Matej Krajnc on Likvidamber (2004) (Slovenian)
- Swan LeeSwan LeeSwan Lee was a Danish band featuring Pernille Rosendahl on vocals. The name was taken from a Syd Barrett song.In 1996 Pernille Rosendahl formed a band with guitarist Jonas Struck, drummer Emil Jorgensen and her boyfriend Tim Christensen. After Christensen left in 1999, the remaining trio continued...
(Danish cover) on the tribute album På danske læber, as Din gamle blå frakke - Sharon Lifshitz (Hebrew cover; Lyrics by Tzruya Lahav) on Kav HaOsher (1993)
- The LikeThe LikeThe Like is an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. The current members are Elizabeth "Z" Berg , Tennessee Thomas , Laena Geronimo , and Annie Monroe...
(live on Indie 103.1 FM, B-side of "June Gloom" single) - Jared Louche and the Aliens on Covergirl
- Laurie MacAllister on The Things I Choose to Do (2005)
- Tom Mega on album Songs & Prayers (1995)
- Marissa NadlerMarissa NadlerMarissa Nadler is an American dream-folk singer-songwriter and fine artist based in Boston.-Early life:Marissa Nadler was exposed to art at a young age through her mother Pamela, an abstract painter, and her older brother Stuart, a guitarist and writer...
on Songs III: Bird on the WaterSongs III: Bird on the WaterSongs III: Bird on the Water is Marissa Nadler's third full-length album, released in March 2007 on Peacefrog Records. It was distributed in the US and Canada in August 2007 by New York City-based Kemado Records...
(2007) - Dax RiggsDax RiggsDax David Riggs , is an American musician from Houma, Louisiana, most well known for formerly fronting the sludge band Acid Bath in the 1990s. Dax has been a part of many projects since then, including Agents of Oblivion and Deadboy & the Elephantmen. In 2007 he began releasing material under his...
(live) - Roman Roczen (PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
cover) - Christina RosenvingeChristina RosenvingeChristina Rosenvinge Hepworth is a Spanish singer and songwriter born to Danish father and English mother.She was a member of the Spanish group Christina y Los Subterráneos, and previously Alex y Cristina, before she started a solo career with help from Lee Ranaldo, the guitarist of Sonic Youth...
(Spanish cover) on the album "Acordes Con Leonard Cohen/According To Leonard Cohen" (2007) - Ruin (Fiat Lux, 1986)
- Damien SaezDamien Saez- Early life :Damien Saez was born in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie, on 1 August 1977, where he lived until the age of 3–4 years before his family moved to Marseille...
on live album God Blesse (2002) - Richard ShindellRichard ShindellRichard Shindell is an American folk songwriter. Shindell grew up in Port Washington, New York. He currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his wife, a university professor, and their children....
on live album Live at The Chandler Music Hall Randolph, Vermont: Archive Series #1 (2008) - Solveig SlettahjellSolveig SlettahjellSolveig Slettahjell, born 2 April 1971, is a Norwegian jazz singer, known for her soulful, seductive voice. Her debut album 'Slow Motion Orchestra' was released in 2003, and contains jazz standards like "All the Way" and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". For her second album, Silver , 'Silver', her band...
on Antologie (2011) - Beth SorrentinoBeth SorrentinoBeth Sorrentino is an American pianist and singer-songwriter from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.-Suddenly, Tammy!:In the early 1990s, Sorrentino, her brother Jay , and high school friend Ken Heitmueller formed the music trio Suddenly, Tammy!...
on Nine Songs, One Story (2006) - Ornella VanoniOrnella VanoniOrnella Vanoni, OMRI is one of the most credited pop singers of Italy. She is known for her sophisticated pop style.-Artistic career:...
on Ricetta di Donna (album) (1980), translated in "La famosa volpe azzurra" (F. De Andrè - S. Bardotti - L. Cohen) - Jennifer WarnesJennifer WarnesJennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
on the tribute album Famous Blue RaincoatFamous Blue Raincoat (album)Famous Blue Raincoat is the sixth album by Jennifer Warnes. It debuted on the Billboard 200 on February 14, 1987 and peaked at No. 72. Originally released by Cypress Records, it was reissued by Private Music after Cypress went out of business....
(1987) - VassilikosVassilikosVassilikos or Vasilikos can refer to:*Vasilikos, Zakynthos, a peninsula on the Greek island of Zakynthos*Vasilikos Power Station on Cyprus*Vassilis Vassilikos, Greek writer and diplomat*Vassilikos, frontman of Greek band Raining Pleasure...
on vintageVintage (album)Vintage is an album by Michael Bolton, released in 2003 .The album has not been a success debuting at a rather low #76 and selling under 250,000 copies in the US.-Track listing:# "The Very Thought of You"...
(2009)
"When I Need You"
The melody of the "hook" line, or chorus of "When I Need YouWhen I Need You
"When I Need You" is a popular song written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded by Hammond on his 1976 album When I Need You. Produced by Richard Perry, Leo Sayer's version made number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in February 1977 after three of his earlier...
", a song made famous by Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer
Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s...
in 1977, is identical to the part of "Famous Blue Raincoat" where the lyrics are as follows: "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." The melody of these lyrics matches the lyrics of "When I Need You" as follows: "(When I) need you, I just close my eyes and I'm with you, and all that I so want to give you, is only a heart beat away."
In a 2006 interview with the Globe and Mail Cohen said:
The same melody can be heard in Elton John's "Little Jeanie" in the lyrics: "Stepped into my life from a bad dream /
Making the life that I had seem / Suddenly shiny and new"
External links
- Famous Blue Raincoat lyrics at Cohen's official website
- Authorised analysis of "Famous Blue Raincoat" definitive analysis of the song.
- Analysis of "Famous Blue Raincoat" full analysis of the song.