"The troubles"

Leonard Cohen's previous album (January 2012)
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Steven
Posts: 2140
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 12:32 am

"The troubles"

Post by Steven »

Hi,

The lyrics of "Show Me The Place" include the words "The troubles." Probably
found words by Leonard Cohen from the words used to refer to the historical Northern
Ireland conflict. Whatever the origin, they work well in the song.
gibjoe
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:10 am

Not impossible but looking at LC's body of work

Post by gibjoe »

if he has a specific political problem in mind it's far likelier he had the Middle East in mind.
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TipperaryAnn
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:42 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: "The troubles"

Post by TipperaryAnn »

His own troubles, surely, of which he had many. Almost everything LC has written is about himself - it's one of his endearingly honest characteristics!

Like Yeats ostensibly writing poems about Irish mythology, yet commenting later :
"But what cared I , who set him on to ride,
I, starved for the bosom of his faery bride?"

In other words, he was only using characters like Oisin and Niamh to write about his own love for Maud Gonne.
Forget your perfect offering -
There is a crack in everything...
Steven
Posts: 2140
Joined: Tue May 03, 2005 12:32 am

Re: "The troubles"

Post by Steven »

Hi,

I don't think he had any political problem in mind with the lyrics of this song. There's an honesty, yes, though
not necessarily in an autobiographical way... an honesty in carrying forth the intent of the song. Like Yeats,
in your example, TipperaryAnn, I'm sure that the material in this song is derivative of real-life experience.
Don't know if it is memoir-like. First-person construction adds to the temptation to consider that it is.
Bushwoman
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:24 pm

Re: "The troubles"

Post by Bushwoman »

Whatever might be the basis, I have found, as always, that this lyric is
quite universal to 'everyman.' Leonard is so appealing to me
in that I wonder how he got in to MY head, and I am sure that
I am not alone there.
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