Samson in New Orleans
Samson in New Orleans - meaning Summary
Mythic Anger in the City
The poem reframes the Samson myth as a modern love story of disillusionment in a city. The speaker confronts a companion who professed devotion to the city’s secrets and freedoms, then watches moral collapse and betrayal. Anger and grief turn toward a destructive, sacrificial impulse—"take this temple down"—as the speaker contemplates ruin as response to failed mercy, love, and faith amid urban decay and personal betrayal.
Read Complete AnalysesYou said that you were with me You said you were my friend Did you really love the city Or did you just pretend? You said you loved her secrets And her freedoms hid away "She was better than America," That's what I heard you say You said, "How could this happen?" You said, "How can this be?" The remnant of dishonor On the bridge of misery? And we who cried for mercy From the bottom of the pit Was our prayer so damn unworthy The sun rejected it? So gather up the killer Get everyone in town Stand me by those pillars Let me take this temple down The king so kind and solemn He wears a bloody crown So stand me by that column Let me take this temple down You said, "How could this happen?" You said, "How can this be? The chains are gone from heaven The storms are wild and free." There's other ways to answer That suddenly is true Me I'm blind with death and anger And that's no place for you There's a woman in the window There's a bed in Tinseltown I'll write you when it's over Let me take this temple down You said you loved her secrets Her freedoms hid away She was better than America That's what I heard her say
I think it is quite likely that "Samson in New Orleans" is Cohen's meditation on the drowning of that city during Hurricane Katrina, the "bridge of misery" being either the unforgettable image of people stranded on the interstate bridges by the flood waters, or those who crossed over the bridge to higher ground, only to be driven back by armed white vigilantes and sheriff's deputies, or perhaps the Danziger Bridge where four young Black men were shot to death by police in the wake of the hurricane. As President Bush's response was delayed, and some Republican lawmakers discussed not rebuilding the city, Cohen probably envisioned this as a corrupt "temple" that should be brought down.