Dress Rehearsal Rag Lyrics

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About

Genius Annotation

“Songs of Love and Hate” was poorly received by the critics, and did not sell well. The public wanted another Suzanne, but this LP was darker.

This song laments on the isolation (verse 2) and insecurities (verse 1) that accompany fame and often poor critical reception.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Leonard Cohen say about "Dress Rehearsal Rag"?
Genius Answer

In a 1974 interview, Cohen said:

There are some songs which I never sing in public. I’m not trying to be supersensitive or coy about it. Just that particular song I very rarely sing to myself, to friends or any time. I wrote it, I taught it to Judy Collins and she recorded it and I never sang it in public. And maybe I’ve sung it three or four times to myself in that last time. It’s an authentic song. I think it comes out of my own experience but I’m not interested in -I can’t.. somehow- I haven’t been able to release that song from its private area. I recorded it, I was surprised myself that I recorded it. I’m not happy with the recording. I think it has a number of flaws in it as a recording , but I don’t think I could ever do it under the spotlight.

interviewer:

You refer to yourself as a closet suicide

Cohen:

Well I’m that kind of, you know that, er, one speculates about these things in private, I no longer do. That’s a song about suicide and I certainly don’t want to present myself as a potential suicide for any reason what so ever. So that’s it dropped out of my singing landscape, I just don’t think about song like that.

Credits
Produced By
Written By
Recorded At
Columbia Studio A, Nashville
Release Date
March 19, 1971
Dress Rehearsal Rag Is A Cover Of
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