Meaning of The Law?

General discussion about Leonard Cohen's songs and albums
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enomis
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Meaning of The Law?

Post by enomis »

Is there anyone who could be kind enough to give me some insight into what "The Law" is about? I'm fairly new to Leonard's music and the lyrics to this song really caught me, although I'm not sure what it means. For example, what does the arm and the hand represent?
enomis
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by enomis »

No one? :neutral:
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LisaLCFan
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by LisaLCFan »

When it comes to analysing the "meaning" of poetry (and, Leonard Cohen's lyrics are definitely poetry), it can be very difficult to say what anything really means. There could be more than one meaning to any given phrase, too. And so, in many cases, if somebody asks, "What is the meaning of this lyric?" the best answer may be, "Your guess is as good as mine!"

However, here's a guess as to one possible meaning of the arm and the hand in this song: perhaps the "arm" and "hand" represent different types of rules, enforcements, etc, very much like a "law", or an extension of a law, or perhaps an unofficial "law" (a set of rules of some sort), which is imposed by some type of authority, or by a person over another person, etc.. So, Leonard may be suggesting that there are all sorts of "rules" that are imposed upon him, from different sources, be it legal, religious, interpersonal, and he may, or may not, have violated any or all of them (he is being vague and even contradictory as to his guilt in other parts of the song).

Since Leonard's lyrics often conflate spirituality and sexuality, I think it also may be fair to suggest that the "law, arm, hand" (i.e. rules) to which he refers are from those two realms (religious and interpersonal), rather than referring to something strictly legal.

Of course, I could be wrong. Cheers!
enomis
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by enomis »

In an interview from 1985 he said "I always felt this was a "post-guilt" song. There is an age of guilt, and we are in the age after. Guilt is too inflamed an emotion, even for us today" and "I think we are now in some era where we attend the consequences of our deeds and, whether we admit our guilt or not, we have to assume it, even when the process of feeling guilty has been discredited..."

What does he mean by "the age of guilt" and "post-guilt"?
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LisaLCFan
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by LisaLCFan »

You're welcome.

One could analyse Mr. Cohen's words forever. All the best with that,

L
Magy
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by Magy »

Does anyone have the text and possibly the title of the collection of the source poem of the additional verses of the song "The Law" that Leonard Cohen sang in 1976 at the Montreux Festival?
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B4real
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by B4real »

Magy, I would be glad to help but as far as I know "The Law" wasn't sung at the Montreux Jazz Festival on 25 June 1976.
See here - https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/leonard- ... 0895c.html
"The Law" wasn't officially released until 1985 on the Various Positions album.
There is another song LC wrote with the same title as the official song on the album but it has different lyrics.
It was released also in 1985 and written for a musical called Night Magic with music by Lewis Furey.

Maybe I've mis-read what you're wanting :)
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
Magy
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by Magy »

Yes, of course it was not in 1976 but in 1985. But thanks for the indication of the song in the musical.
In this video Leonard Cohen sings an unpublished verse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a2JtLuXS94
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B4real
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by B4real »

Ah, Magy,
I knew Leonard played Montreux a few times and I should have realised you meant 1985!

As far as I know, it’s not from any collection nor is it a source poem. It’s a live alternate verse that Leonard has repeated on several occasions in concert in 1985. The other places I know are Hannover, Dublin, Warsaw, Vienna and on TV in France. He sometimes sings the verses in reverse order too and has also substituted/added another verse.

You might like to know that there is yet another alternative verse he has used as well at some of those concerts and as kismet would have it ;-) I’ve recently posted part of it 2 days ago in the link below as one of my favourites – https://www.leonardcohenforum.com/viewt ... 51#p377477

Hope this info is more helpful!
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
Magy
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Re: Meaning of The Law?

Post by Magy »

Merci beaucoup!

I have found the additional verse on this page: https://web.archive.org/web/20170201164 ... ogues.com/


Vienna 07/03/85
Additional stanza

Now the solitudes vary
They go from nothing to loud
If you're buying lonely
Pick the one with the crowd
You can get solitary
But it is never your brain.

Hanover 13/03/85 later in Warsaw (see below)
additional verses

You can blame it on nature
Or you can blame it on God
You can say it's a creature
Just stepping out of the mud
But I ain't here cause a fossil
Has been found in the sand
There's a Law, there's an Arm, there's a Hand
There's a Law, there's an Arm, there's a Hand

Well I've done lots of time boys
Now I know why
You can turn on a dime
But on a dollar you die
This will never make sense
To the fat of the land
Ah but, there's a Law, there's an Arm, there's a Hand
There's a Law, there's an Arm, there's a Hand
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