The Traitor - Martha Wainwright - Leonard Cohen - I'am Your Man

[claudek22]

I love Martha in this song. She owns it

[writerman242]

no words to say what it is felt when listening to this voice singing this song. no words

[Nukem120]

I awoke one Morning. This Documentary was on. All of the Artists, Martha, Rufus, Teddy, And Bono Brought the amazing words of Mr Cohen to me in a time that I really Needed Them.

[subonad]

She does not perform the song but becomes the song. By doing so she is no longer just a mere performer or a presenter of someone else's art. This is true artistry.

[MegaLiam84]

The like button-2 people missed it by a fraction!

[TobyMoraitis]

Sent shivers down my spine. I am actually supposed to write an essay on the traitor character of a book and I am writing while listening to this song. I spent an hour last night crying over the lyrics referring to the Mother... So moving. Just to think that I never had a decent relationship with my own mother...Just amazing...A song can change your life...

[patrickm62nov]

Now the great affair is over and whoever would have guessed

It would leave us all so vacant and so deeply unimpressed.

The greater act, the braver act is to leave.

The real mandate was never to stay.

[MegaLiam84]

"I could not move to warn all the younger soldiers that they had been deserted from above".............shivers.

[parklanefenn]

These comments a re uncommonly intelligent and sincere.

[InnocenceExperience]

@parklanefenn Sincerity is so important. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

[marjannan]

Mooi, mooi, mooi, ontroerend mooi !!!!!

[patrickcorliss]

Despite reading all the comments I still have no idea what's the meaning of this song. But I love that Martha Wainwright expresses the lyrics, as written, so well.

[HollaAna]

@patrickcorliss I'm not sure I'll figure it out; that's the beauty of it.

[coolcohen100]

The original is more beutifull

[isaysee]

The FEAR OF DEATH MASCARAIDING AS THE LUST FOR LIFE CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTOM . PLEASE CALL ME THE NEXT TIME THE DREAMERS RIDE AGAINST THE MEN OF ACTION . I'M SURE WE WILL LOSE AGAIN---- BUT CALL ME AND I WILL COME - and I"LL BRING MY FRIEND FERNANDO.

[isaysee]

@isaysee ---- correction = " MASQUERADING" -

[MsMelinette]

thank you Martha

[NinnaAndreasen]

I am always in tears by this cover. Martha is fantastic.

[STAB1L]

Such a beautiful woman!

[KJPRAR1]

one can analyse all one desires... the best description is leonard's own, within the beautiful program that produced this recording...

[vineset55]

Dude, this song is about necrophilia.....Edgar Allen Poe never had it so good...

[bakerseller]

A "masculine" song??? CRAZY WORLD!

Martha is pure beauty & Leonard a true poet.

[CanyonOasis]

It is a masculine song. The perspective of the song is definitely a male character. For example 'I lingered on her thigh a fatal moment'. 'I kiss her open mouth and praise her beauty' .

[bakerseller]

Is it necessary to be a man for loving a woman? I also think that in Leonard's song, he talks in mouth of a man, but... definitely, it's not a masculine song, love and music are far over the human constructions... and she, Martha, does a wonderful rendition of The Traitor.

[CanyonOasis]

I thought the same thing as I said it but take for instance.

And long ago she said "I must be leaving,

Ah but keep my body here to lie upon

You can move it up and down and when I'm sleeping

Run some wire through that Rose and wind the Swan"

That is definitely a man and a woman having sex.

So I disagree with you that this song is not masculine. But I agree with you that Martha does a wonderful rendition. The performance is incredible and transcends this entire debate.

[mints00]

@CanyonOasis It's assumed that it's about a heterosexual couple.... consider it being about a child & mother or a homosexual couple

[CanyonOasis]

ok that is all well and good. But the idea of M/F song is thus.

He is a traitor because he has betrayed himself. Having sex with this woman is a service. This woman does not love him "And long ago she said I must be leaving" and he "praises her beauty". The woman and him have no real interaction. He has sex with her every day "Ah but keep my body here to lie upon". And the metaphor of having sex is " I can move it up and down", "Run some wire through that rose and wind the Swan"

[Eagleray99]

I've heard this lady singing quite badly at times, but this is really very good. It's a bit strange singing what is a masculine song, but it works fine.

[uumbuju]

It is an Ode to Joy - voice, music and passion intertwined.

[Lagusaya2]

Listened so many times...still get the chills

[BirdLivesInMe]

I've always been blown away by this performance. The soundtrack has a different version which I don't feel is nearly as good. What Martha does with her voice is pure soul.

[customjimmy]

Beautiful

[parisianna87]

the most amazing song for her!

leonard-the closest thing to god.

I used to listen to this, i used to float down stream, till i was safe

[nycjosh2000]

Brilliantly expressive cover by this talented artist of a great Cohen poem. The poem captures a struggle often touched upon by Cohen's poems/songs: the quest for the ideal of love versus living with the reality of the love or relationship in which one finds oneself.

[wrongwayup]

When I heard this rendition the first time I really was like 'holy crap!', and I that's what I said again now I watched / listened to it again!

[heroness]

Thankyou for this.. Leonard is THE MAN~

And Martha..sings this like an Angel~

[desertgrrrl76]

adore her voice so much, but struggle to watcher her sing live.

[maxschiraisapunk]

chilling