It Seemed The Better Way

News about Leonard Cohen and his work, press, radio & TV programs etc.
John the Shorts
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Joined: Sat Mar 15, 2003 4:22 pm
Location: Wales

Post by John the Shorts »

Saul/Paul only became involved with Christianity after the religion started to flourish (ie after the death of Jesus) when he initially persecuted christians until he was struck blind on the road to damascus, he regained his sight when he became a Christian.

JTS
jurica
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Location: Croatia

Post by jurica »

my mistake. completely.
i was reading something about st. paul in english (internet), and, as they have different names in our bible (in croatia), i've mistaken the two of them.
pavelmax
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Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:10 pm

Re: It Seemed The Better Way meaning

Post by pavelmax »

From small clues in the lyrics I think this song is about a vampire who, being immortal and having lived for millennia, met Jesus Christ two thousand years ago and listened him preach. The vampire saw the truth in Jesus words, he saw the light, but also realized he was forever forbidden from salvation because of his own evil nature. This song is about regret and sorrow of somebody seeing the light but not being able to reach it because of his nature.
mikefromdelft
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Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2018 6:53 pm

Re: It Seemed The Better Way

Post by mikefromdelft »

Came in late..
I thought this song came out in 2016, yet you people discuss this since 2003 ??


Anyway, I wanted to find the answer to the meaning of this song.
After hearing it a couple of times and reading particularly through this thread: i can add something to it:

You are wrong in that it should rely to ONE person at ONE time in history.
In fact the song/feeling relates to ALL christians after christ who are supposed vent out its religion on the basis of their religious status :
Doubt.

the identity is captured by "Lift this glass of blood, Try to save the grace"
This is not your ordinary christian, but the pastor, cardinal, the pope today, until back to the first pope Peter.
Only THEY refer to the cup with wine as Blood of christ.
And ALL of them SHOULD have doubts about "the truths"of Christ. As they ARE humans.
And in their INNER DOUBTS they project their INCOMPETENCE to solve people's miseries..from year 0 till today.
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Maarten
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Re: It Seemed The Better Way

Post by Maarten »

mikefromdelft wrote: Sun Dec 09, 2018 7:05 pm Came in late..
I thought this song came out in 2016, yet you people discuss this since 2003 ??
...
Hi Mike

Leonard Cohen used to send poems and drawings to the webmaster of the main website www.leonardcohenfiles.com which were then posted in the "Blackening Pages" section of the website mentioned above. The poem "It Seemed The Better Way" was added to the Blackening Pages in 2003 (https://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/betterway.html) although copyright on the bottom of the page suggests it was written as early as 2001 (or at least the first drafts originate from that time).

Greetings
Maarten

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Titou19
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Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2021 12:14 am

Re: It Seemed The Better Way

Post by Titou19 »

It seems to me what Saint Peter may have felt like after denying Jesus 3 times..
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