> > to mean that > > he isn't wearing his clerical collar, > > The first Joni lyric that really intrigued me was: "He was wearing his > father's tie." Did he actually borrow his biological father's tie that > morning? Or is she referring to the Roman collar, his God as Father > "tie", that priests wear? It could be either I think. > > Wasn't there a discussion a while ago that "The Priest" was about > Leonard Cohen? (That was a surprise to me.)
I think it was Pat 'Sire of Sorrow' who posted about this song and Leonard Cohen. Part of the connection I believe was in the name 'Cohen' which means 'member of the Jewish priestly class descended from Aaron' according to Random House Webster's College Dictionary. There was also some connection to 'his father's tie'. Or maybe that was 'your father's gun' from 'Rainy Night House.' I think if Joni meant the subject of this song to be a Roman Catholic priest she would not have chosen the word 'tie' as opposed to 'collar'. A RC priest's collar bears little or no resemblance to a tie, imo. Cohen's music often combines religion and sexuality. There is a Cohen song on Judy Collins' album 'Wildflowers' called 'Priests' that someone else made mention of in connection to Joni: And who will write love songs for you When I am lord at last? And your body is the little highway shrine That all my priests have passed That all my priests have passed My priests they will put flowers there They will kneel before the glass But they'll wear away your little window, love They will trample on the grass They will trample on the grass And who will shoot the arrows That men will follow through your grace? When I am lord of memories And all your armor has turned to lace And all your armor has turned to lace The simple life of heroes The twisted lives of saints They just confuse the sunny calendar With their red and golden paint With their red and golden paint And all of you have seen the dance That God has kept from me But He has seen me watching you When all your minds were free When all your minds were free And who will write love songs for you When I am lord at last? And your body is the little highway shrine That all my priests have passed That all my priests have passed My priests they will put flowers there They will stand before the glass But they'll wear away your little window, love They will trample on the grass They will trample on the grass So make of that what you will! (And then there's 'Sisters of Mercy' but I won't go into that one now.) Mark E in Seattle
