Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen is a letter to a fictional man who had an affair with the narrators wife or lover. The track is noted for its poetic and melancholic lyrics and complex plot, delving into themes of betrayal, regret, and forgiveness. The song echoes Cohens personal experiences and his ability to convey deep human emotions through his songwriting.
Key: Am
Introduction:
Am
F
Dm7
Em7
Am
F
Dm7
Em7
Am
F
It's four in the morning, the end of December
Dm7
Em7
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
Em7
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
Am
G
You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record
C
G
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
G
Am
Bm
G
She said that you gave it to her that night that you planned to go clear
F
Em7
Did you ever go clear?
Am
F
Ah, the last time we saw you, you looked so much older
Dm7
Em7
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
Am
F
You'd been to the station to meet every train
Dm7
Em7
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
Bm
G
One more thin gypsy thief, well, I see Jane's awake
F
Em7
She sends her regards
Am
F
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer?
Dm7
Em7
What can I possibly say?
Am
F
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
Dm7
Em7
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
Bm
G
I thought it was there for good, so I never tried
C
G
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
G
Am
Bm
G
She said that you gave it to her that night that you planned to go clear