Simply put Cohen in unprecendented in terms of pure songwriting. A literal, rather than figurative muscial poet - his album "Songs of Love and Hate" is Cohen at this darkest. For shear rawness, and honesty this is my favourite Cohen song.
I've been listening to this album a lot recently - at Dress Rehersal Rags is my favourite cut. Its an incredibly dark and scathing songs, where Cohen uses he lyrical prowess to attack himself. Indeed as Cohen states in this incredible live redition he only sings its "were the landscape can support the dispair he projects into it"
As an expression of dispair, lyrically and soncially its unpredented. Cohen wraps up the feeling of depression, guilt and self loathing by asking himself first "where are you golden boy wheres your famous golden touch" and observing "a funeral in the mirror which is stopping at your face"
This only seems to emanspiate his feelings of depression and he harasses himself - "yes its comes to this, and wasn't it a long way down." Nothing is free from is scorne even his own artistic work - where using the metaphor of razors and shaving cream he describes his lathered face as making appear as "santa clause, whos got a gift, for anyone who gives him applause" and ponders the opportunity to "get a job". Hope is now lost "Once there was a path and a girl with chestnut hair".
The final verse is most telling after Cohens - carthsis of guilt, depression and despair - it seems like the narrator never in facts carries out his fanciul attempt to use the razor. Rather "and then the cameras pan, the stand in stunt man, the dress rehersal rag" where Cohen expresses guilt at his own thinking and self pity. A masterpiece of song writing and an incredible skilled and subtle expression of a very dark experince - or what Winston Churchill would call "his black dog"
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