"story of isaac"

General discussion about Leonard Cohen's songs and albums
Nelson Flores
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2022 7:18 pm

Re: "story of isaac"

Post by Nelson Flores »

Whenever I listen to this song from the first time I find in it a dark and morbid meaning. Clearly to me this is a song about the sexual abuse of a child (probably a boy) by his father. There are several indications of this in the lyrics, such as phallic symbols "; "And his axe was made of gold" and "Your hatchets blunt and bloody". One line in particular caught my attention "The lake a lady's mirror", an intuitive impression of a vagina simulacrum? And there are also insinuations of inappropriate touches or movements combined with these symbols; "And he put his hand on mine" or "And my father's hand was trembling/With the beauty of the word." And even the first words of the song insinuates a sexual intetion : "The door it opened slowly/ My father he came in". This is my simplified interpretation of the of this amazing and deep song.
User avatar
LisaLCFan
Posts: 2527
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 9:24 pm
Location: Canada

Re: "story of isaac"

Post by LisaLCFan »

Definitely some dark imagery in this song.
Last edited by LisaLCFan on Sun Feb 06, 2022 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
199Dan
Posts: 272
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:52 pm

Re: "story of isaac"

Post by 199Dan »

I suggest reading "Sarah's Story" written by Galina Vromen .

Better yet listening to Jane Curtin read it on "Selected Shorts" a co-production of Symphony Space and WNYC.

A view from Isaac's mother.
Nelson Flores
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2022 7:18 pm

Re: "story of isaac"

Post by Nelson Flores »

What base? Songs like poems don't have an immanent our essential meaning, all this platonic bullshit about truth, even the author's intention is secondary to the interpretation of the individual, because we always tend to interpret the world from a non-factual reality, a reality that does not exist outside of us, for anyone else. And if music, or any form of art, was tied to a base, it would surely be forgotten easily; generations find a common point of humanity in works of art and understand them much more than the original sin of their creation, and from that comes the eternity of the classics.
199Dan
Posts: 272
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:52 pm

Re: "story of isaac"

Post by 199Dan »

well said
Post Reply

Return to “Leonard Cohen's music”