Sing Another Song, Boys
Sing Another Song, Boys - meaning Summary
Weariness of Failed Romance
Cohen's poem presents a weary, cynical scene of lovers and performers trapped in desire and decay. Recurrent images—burning ships, broken moon, pawnshops—suggest failed promises, commodified affection, and a collapsing future. The speaker watches a man and a seductive daughter of a moneylender enact ritualized longing that cannot unite them. The closing refrain, asking to "sing another song," frames the poem as tired repetition and resigned acceptance of loss.
Read Complete AnalysesLet's sing another song, boys, this one has grown old and bitter Ah his fingernails, I see they're broken His ships they're all on fire The moneylender's lovely little daughter Ah, she's eaten, she's eaten with desire She spies him through the glasses From the pawnshops of her wicked father She hails him with a microphone That some poor singer, just like me, had to leave her She tempts him with a clarinet She waves a Nazi dagger She finds him lying in a heap; She wants to be his woman He says, "Yes, I just might go to sleep But kindly leave, leave the future Leave it open." He stands where it is steep Oh I guess he thinks that he's the very first one His hands upon his leather belt now Like it was the wheel of some big ocean liner And she will learn to touch herself so well As all the sails burn down like paper And he has lit the chain Of his famous cigarillo Ah, they'll never, they'll never ever reach the moon At least not the one that we're after; It's floating broken on the open sea, look out there, my friends And it carries no survivor But lets leave these lovers wondering Why they cannot have each other And let's sing another song, boys This one has grown old and bitter
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