Song: 195: Today I posted Dress Rehearsal Rag by Leonard Cohen on the playlist. My first time through this one, listening to the Judy Collins version, I felt it was probably the most depressing song I had ever heard, until it got close to the end, when the stand-in stunt man makes his appearance, which relieved the oppressive darkness of the previous five minutes. I might not have cared to hear it again, if all the song had to offer was that hopelessness, but I also felt something very compelling in those dark phrases that drew me back again and again. Hearing the songwriter's version added another layer to the darkness, as Cohen makes himself the subject of it, rather than the you of the J.C. cover. I wouldn't recommend listening to this song if you're at a point where you need something uplifting, but if you find yourself in a place where your gravity fails and negativity won't pull you through, then maybe this song can bring you back down to earth. You have to love the cover of the album that contains this track, Songs of Love and Hate, for the wording on the back: They locked up a man / Who wanted to rule the world / The fools / They locked up the wrong man. On the front, L.C. has a smile that conveys the idea that quite possibly he is a man who wants to rule the world, and on this song, he finds himself falling far short of that goal, not even getting out of bed until some time in the afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment