The New Yorker streams "Going Home" and prints the lyric

[tomsakic]

Do they intend to completely ruin it for us? Seriously, if we get to listen to the entire album before January 31st, there's no fun in waiting!

Agree. I am stopping after Darkness, that was the last for me before the whole original CD is in my hands.

[jerry]

Musically not up to the standard of the other 2 based on a couple of initial listenings.

You can say that again. It's way too similar to the song Because Of. Not very substantial at all.

[peter danielsen]

This song really grows on you. I had the same feeling when I first listened to "new Skin", I thought WTF, but now I find it beautiful and offers lot of dignity. Leonard Cohen could written lots of line, you know just to show up, in stead he puts only the words down needed, to begin the ending of the play
Peter

[david birkett]

Yes, a close relative of 'Because of', but different enough in content and style, and - in my own opinion (de gustibus etc) - charming and attractive. I like all three of the songs previewed so far, which bodes well for the rest. A very erudite friend of mine just posted thusly on Facebook:

Juvenal? Maybe via Wyatt's Mine Own John Poynz?

[david birkett]

Actually - musically - it reminds me of 'Light as the Breeze'.

[JudasPriest]

It does grow on you but I would make the following observations:

1. As someone else said, an odd choice of opener. Not sure if it was Uncut or Word who described it as the "perfect" opening track but I just don't get where they are coming from. It feels like a signing off statement or perhaps a hidden bonus track after the album has drawn to an official close.

2. The music feels more clumsy than charming. Such a pity that it harks back to the too familiar synth approach. Darkness sounds so much fuller and authentic musically. I just hope the review in Word is accurate-they suggest that overall the album has a fuller feel to it than more recent efforts. We shall see.

3. As Jerry says, the lyrics echo Because Of.

4. Despite all of the above, the track is growing on me and I will reserve full judgement until I digest the album in full

[mutti]

I couldn't help myself and listened and love it! right from the start.
I love the lazy bastard in a suit and it feels like home to hear his voice...
aren't we lucky...so many new songs.
Thank you Leonard!
Leslie

[jerry]

I'm still excited about hearing the enitre album. But after hearing Going Home I'm a little less excited. The first track on the first album in 7 years should be stronger. Old Ideas so far sounds to me like Dear Heather Part 2. We've heard 3 songs so far. I'm waiting to hear a killer song and I haven't yet. Darkness is excellent but we've had Darkness floating around for a few years. It already seems like an old song. I have to be honest here.

[peter danielsen]

I dont see the recemblance between Because of and going home.
Because of is a song about causes for women to love Leonard, namely he spoke of their mystery
Going home has one voice (the ego, the self of cohen, the lazy bastard in a suit) saying that the he would rather write an easy song about forgivness and love, but the other voice (God? or the consience) wants him to do what he is told, namely that there is sin in the world and really no easy solutionen
Peter

[LisaLCFan]

I love this track! What a tremendous privilege for Leonard Cohen to share this inner conversation with us, in such a charming and delightful way. And, what a wonderful assortment of new songs: thus far, we have a profoundly beautiful ballad, a sultry rockin' blues tune, and now this half-sung/half-recited poem set to music! Awesome! I can hardly wait to hear the rest of the album!

[littledarkone]

I must say I'm surprised at the somewhat lukewarm reaction that 'Going Home' has produced on this board. I find the song a perfect opening track that establishes that strange liminal space constitutive of all of Leonard's records from the 80's onward that's not quite acoustic sounding and not quite electronic and cold either; it's a kind of synthetic rendering of an organism-environment where he dwells in-between the flesh and spirit realms--a sound-scape that is 'real but it ain't exactly there.' The flattened, two-dimensional sonority of the keyboard and the drum machine is his tried-and-true modus operandi that acts as a surface filter through which the heavy, holy weight of his voice can penetrate, withdrawing to make way for the chorus of female back-up singers (angels) that sprinkle down onto the song like hints of sunlight through a copse of winter trees. The song has a beat that you can snap your fingers to, it breathes and bends between the verses during the leitmotif of the haunting sequence of the synth, not to mention, the self-mocking reflexive lyrics which contain all the irony and sentimentality of a song like 'Tower of Song' with the rhyme and scansion of 'I'm Your Man.' 'Going Home' seems to me to be the ideal prelude to an album of a 77 year-old poet who has been called to live a little longer 'in his suit' while he 'tries to say a little more' as he makes his way home. Leonard is back baby.

[Jonnie Falafel]

Are you sure he's a brief elaboration of a "tube"? Isn't it tune? Weird and wonderful.

[Stamatina]

I guess, Stamatina means pre-release appearances of three songs (plus amazon snippets of all songs, plus the fact that we have listened to live version of Lullaby & read Amen)...

Indeed that's what I meant. Besides, the release date is in two weeks (and even less for some!), why can't they let us boil in our excitement in peace?

Like Tom, I decided not to listen to this new song until the CD arrives at my door and I hope I will not yield to the temptation earlier than that. But even so, it does kind of annoy me to see so many songs streamed online. Along with Lullaby and Crazy To Love You, it's like half of the mystery of the album has vanished. As I said before, no fun in that.

Jarkko, I hope that was the last song we heard before the release. Please confirm?

[dreamermusic]

Are you sure he's a brief elaboration of a "tube"? Isn't it tune? Weird and wonderful.

I think you're right, it must be 'tune', though the New Yorker has published 'tube'.

Another interpretation of the song could be a dialogue between Leonard Cohen and Leonard Cohen's conscience, but in this case the explanation of "Going home", being 'home' Heaven and the SUIT / COSTUME metaphor loses their sense. I don't know for sure.

[Cate]

damn!!!!! I Love this ... LOVE THIS!!!! just finished my first listen and my first reaction is WOW. I love the spoken word, I love the sounds, I love the humour, I love his voice, I love the instrumentals. I purposely didn't read the lyrics yet - though I saw them posted above (thank you dreamermusic) I'm going to have another listen and then check out the lyrics and then go back to pretending that I'm working.

I feel like a teenager - I can't wait for the record.