“Famous Blue Raincoat” is a dark song, that was included in “Songs of Love and Hate”, the third studio album by Leonard Cohen. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album was released on March 19, 1971, through Columbia Records. The song is written in the form of a letter, and the lyric tells the story of a love triangle between the speaker (Leonard Cohen) , a woman named Jane, and the male addressee.
FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT
Leonard Cohen
(Intro)
| Am | F | Dm7 | E7 |
| Am | F | Dm7 | E7 |
(Verse 1)
| Am | F | |
| It’s | four in the morning, the | end of December |
| Dm7 | E7 | |
| I’m | writing you now just to | see if you’re better |
| Am | F |
| New York is cold, but I | like where I’m living |
| Dm7 | E7 | |
| There’s | music on Clinton Street | all through the evening |
| Am | Bm | Am | Bm |
| I hear that you’re | building your little | house deep in the | desert |
| Am | G |
| You’re living for | nothing now |
| Am | G | |
| I hope you’re | keeping some kind of | record |
| C | G | |
| Yes, and | Jane came by with a lock of your | hair |
| Am | |
| She said that you gave it to | her |
| Bm | G | |
| That night that you planned to go | clear |
| F | E7 |
| Did you ever go | clear? |
(Verse 2)
| Am | F | |
| Ah, the | last time we saw you, you | looked so much older |
| Dm7 | E7 | |
| Your | famous blue raincoat was | torn at the shoulder |
| Am | F | |
| You’d | been to the station to | meet every train |
| Dm7 | E7 | |
| And | you came home without | Lili Marlene |
| Am | Bm | Am | Bm | |
| And you | treated my | woman to a | flake of your | life |
| Am | G | Am | G |
| And when she came | back, | she was nobody’s | wife |
| C | G | |
| Well, I | see you there with the rose in your | teeth |
| Am | |
| One more thin gypsy | thief |
| Bm | G | |
| Well, I see Jane’s | awake |
| F | E7 |
| She sends her re- | gards |
(Verse 3)
| Am | F | |
| And | what can I tell you my | brother, my killer? |
| Dm7 | E7 |
| What can I possibly | say? |
| Am | F | |
| I | guess that I miss you, I | guess I forgive you |
| Dm7 | E7 | |
| I’m | glad you stood in my | way |
| Am | Bm | Am | Bm |
| If you ever come | by here, | for Jane or for | me |
| Am | G | Am | G |
| Well, your enemy is | sleeping, | and his woman is | free |
| C | G | |
| Yes, and | thanks for the trouble you | took from her eyes |
| Am | G | |
| I thought it was | there for good so I never | tried |
| C | G | |
| And | Jane came by with a lock of your | hair |
| Am | |
| She said that you gave it to | her |
| Bm | G | |
| That night that you planned to go | clear |
| F | E |
| Sincerely, L. | Cohen |
(Outro)
| Am | F | Dm7 | E7 |
Leonard Cohen (1934-2016), was a legendary poet, musician and artist with a unique style, “dark” sound, and a baritone raw voice singing his beautiful lyrics. A lot of articles have been written around the world, saying good bye to this great artist this year. They were summarised nicely in this article by Montreal Gazette (the featured image comes from this article as well).
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