Torkel writes:
>Now my only problem is, just who is that ape with angel glands...
His libido (?).

Thanks for getting this whole chain moving, Torkel.
>      Then he killed the lights in Lonely Lane
>      and, an ape with angel glands,
>      he raised the final wisps of pain
>      with the music of rubber bands.
I always thought that this was
      Then he killed the lights in a lonely lane
      and an ape with angel glands
      erased the final wisps of pain
      ^^^^^^
      with the music of rubber bands.
which seems to make more sense :-)


This is indeed a song about the interpretation of which one can develop an
intuitive feel, while having a great deal of trouble stating that meaning
explicitly or even justifying it on a line-by-line basis. Does that make
sense?


The lines about the master being "a numberless man in a chair" could have two
interpretations, by the way. Since he had just come back from the war, he
might have shedded his army ID number; hence now numberless. The "chair"
image can also suggest a wheelchair. This is not necessarily incompatible
with the things he did to/for "you" later in the song, sice those are clearly
(perhaps :-) metaphors rather than literal acts.


The other meaning hooks back to LC's Jewish identity, and could refer to
concentration camp inmates' numbers. How this interpretation works overall
is less clear, but it still seems feasible.

>I always thought that this was
>      Then he killed the lights in a lonely lane
>      and an ape with angel glands
>      erased the final wisps of pain
>      ^^^^^^
>      with the music of rubber bands.
>which seems to make more sense :-)
 Right! Now that I listen to the song I hear clearly that it's "erased",
not "he raised". Now my only problem is, just who is that ape with angel
glands...


>This is indeed a song about the interpretation of which one can develop an
>intuitive feel, while having a great deal of trouble stating that meaning
>explicitly or even justifying it on a line-by-line basis. Does that make
>sense?
 Yes, I think this applies to many Cohen songs.

Andy writes
>.. ape with angel glands...


> His libido(?).
Nope. *Our* libido.

  After the 'hippie anthem' of Suzanne we are introduced, without
further ado, to a Cohen Triangle, in 'Master Song'. This is
complicated stuff, and our minds, attuned as they are to 'Baby I love
you' songs, find it tough going to follow its convolutions. Indeed
even now, with a mind sharp as a (cold) razor blade, honed by decades
of profound thought, I can make little of the words to this song.
There is an 'I', there is a 'you', and there is 'your master'. The
master is apparently 'an ape with angel glands', you're a woman
(presumably), and I'm a person. I sent you to the master, but in fact
you were besotted with me, and I didn't fail to point this out to him.
The master and I had long been involved in some obscure way. On the
other hand, your first meeting with your master was more or less
accidental. He took you flying, he gave you a dog, he did strange
things to you. As a result of this, I'm your prisoner. It goes on and
on. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense.


  On the other hand, it's excellent stuff. Now quite possibly somebody
somewhere possesses some kind of coherent reading of this song, but I
find it hard to believe that such a reading could add anything to the
song. As it stands it is not only vaguely and powerfully evocative,
but contains some individual lines that I have found pop up in my mind
every now and then, just because of the interesting and applicable way
in which they stick together in my mind. And the lines stick in my
mind to a large extent because of the very apposite music to which
Cohen set them.


  When we write out the words to this song we find that they fall into
stanzas with the non-trivial rhyme scheme abababab. I can't think of
anybody before Cohen who put words of such intricacy to music in popular
music. Any suggestions?


  Note that the punctuation below could be done in many different ways. Also,
 I wonder about one line: "He was just a numberless man in a chair". Is this
in fact what Cohen sings? And if so, what does "numberless" mean?


      I believe that you heard your master sing
      when I was sick in bed.
      I suppose that he told you everything
      that I keep locked away in my head.
      Your master took you traveling,
      well at least that's what you said.
      And now do you come back to bring
      your prisoner wine and bread?


      You met him at some temple, where
      they take your clothes at the door.
      He was just a numberless man in a chair
      who'd just come back from the war.
      And you wrap up his tired face in your hair
      and he hands you the apple core.
      Then he touches your lips now so suddenly bare
      of all the kisses we put on some time before.


      And he gave you a German Shepherd to walk
      with a collar of leather and nails,
      and he never once made you explain or talk
      about all of the little details,
      such as who had a word and who had a rock,
      and who had you through the mails.
      Now your your love is a secret all over the block,
      and it never stops not even when your master fails.


      And he took you up in his aeroplane,
      which he flew without any hands,
      and you cruised above the ribbons of rain
      that drove the crowd from the stands.
      Then he killed the lights in Lonely Lane
      and, an ape with angel glands,
      he raised the final wisps of pain
      with the music of rubber bands.


      And now I hear your master sing,
      you kneel for him to come.
      His body is a golden string
      that your body is hanging from.
      His body is a golden string,
      my body has grown numb.
      Oh now you hear your master sing,
      your shirt is all undone.


      And will you kneel beside this bed
      that we polished so long ago,
      before your master chose instead
      to make my bed of snow?
      Your eyes are wild and your knuckles are red
      and you're speaking far too low.
      No I can't make out what your master said
      before he made you go.


      Then I think you're playing far too rough
      for a lady who's been to the moon;
      I've lain by this window long enough
      to get used to an empty room.
      And your love is some dust in an old man's cough
      who is tapping his foot to a tune,
      and your thighs are a ruin, you want too much,
      let's say you came back some time too soon.


      I loved your master perfectly
      I taught him all that he knew.
      He was starving in some deep mystery
      like a man who is sure what is true.
      And I sent you to him with my guarantee
      I could teach him something new,
      and I taught him how you would long for me
      no matter what he said no matter what you'd do.


      I believe that you heard your master sing
      while I was sick in bed,
      I'm sure that he told you everything
      I must keep locked away in my head.
      Your master took you traveling,
      well at least that's what you said,
      And now do you come back to bring
      your prisoner wine and bread?

>The Jew's harp is pretty effective in a song with the line
>"erased the final wisps of pain with the music of rubber bands"--it
>almost provides the music of rubber bands.
 I'm not sure I follow you here. Are you saying that there *is* a
Jew's harp in the song?

>  Andy writes:
>  >.. ape with angel glands...
>  His libido(?).
Reference to this verse brought back memories of when I first listened
to the album years ago and why I thought (unlike some people who have
commented) that the Jew's harp was appropriate instrumentation to the
songs. The Jew's harp is pretty effective in a song with the line
"erased the final wisps of pain with the music of rubber bands"--it
almost provides the music of rubber bands.

>  >The Jew's harp is pretty effective in a song with the line
>  >"erased the final wisps of pain with the music of rubber bands"--it
>  >almost provides the music of rubber bands.
>
>   I'm not sure I follow you here. Are you saying that there *is* a
>  Jew's harp in the song?
I thought there was one; is there not? I haven't listened to it for a
while. I do clearly remember tying that line to the sound of the
jew's harp.

>I thought there was one; is there not? I haven't listened to it for a
>while. I do clearly remember tying that line to the sound of the
>jew's harp.
 Well, I don't hear any jew's harp in this song. But your association
between "the music of rubber bands" and a jew's harp is compelling!