Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On
Leonard Cohen Lyrics
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My father was a dresser of hair
My mother was a girl you could call on
When you called she was always there [Repeat: x5]
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain
You can't melt it down in the rain
You can't melt it down in the rain
I've looked behind all of the faces
That smile you down to you knees
And the lips that say, Come on, taste us
And when you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
Here come's your bride with her veil on
Approach her, you wretch, if you dare
Approach her, you ape with your tail on
Once you have her she'll always be there
Once you have her she'll always be there [Repeat: x4]
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
So I work in that same beauty salon
I'm chained to the old masquerade
The lipstick, the shadow, the silicone
I follow my father's trade
I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain [Repeats]
The lyrics of Leonard Cohen's song Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On are a poignant exploration of desire and the complexities of human relationships. The opening lines of the song reveal the singer's unconventional upbringing, as the son of a hairdresser and a woman who was always available to those in need. The multiple repetitions of these lines underscore the importance of this background to the singer's perspective and the themes of the song.
The titular refrain of the song, "Don't go home with your hard-on", serves as a warning against giving in to lustful impulses that can lead to disappointment and frustration. The imagery of a hard-on that cannot be melted down in the rain highlights the idea that sexual desire can be a powerful and dangerous force that cannot be easily tamed. The singer reflects on the many faces of desire, from the lips that beckon to the bride in her veil, and acknowledges the limitations and frustrations of these desires that can never quite be satisfied.
Ultimately, the singer reveals that he too is trapped in this game of desire, working in the same beauty salon where he was born and following in his father's footsteps. The final repetition of "Don't go home with your hard-on" brings the song full circle, underscoring the cyclical nature of desire and the ways in which it can continue to haunt us throughout our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in a beauty salon
I come from a family of hairstylists
My father was a dresser of hair
My dad worked as a hairdresser
My mother was a girl you could call on
When you called she was always there [Repeat: x5]
My mom was always there to help anyone who needed it
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain
Don't go home with a hard-on because it's impossible to get rid of, even with music or rain
I've looked behind all of the faces
That smile you down to you knees
And the lips that say, Come on, taste us
And when you try to they make you say Please
I've seen through people's facades and know that some people are manipulative and selfish
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
Seriously, don't bring that thing home with you
Here come's your bride with her veil on
Approach her, you wretch, if you dare
Approach her, you ape with your tail on
Once you have her she'll always be there
Once you have her she'll always be there [Repeat: x4]
Once you get married, you're stuck with that person forever
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
Just in case you missed it the first few times, don't bring it home with you
So I work in that same beauty salon
I'm chained to the old masquerade
The lipstick, the shadow, the silicone
I follow my father's trade
I ended up working in the same beauty salon as my family and feel trapped in this world of superficial beauty
Yes I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Just in case you didn't get it the first time, I really do follow in my father's footsteps
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain [Repeats]
Seriously, just don't do it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: LEONARD COHEN, PHIL SPECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ChuckDeFuque
I was born in a beauty salon
My father was a dresser of hair
My mother was a girl you could call on
When you called she was always there [Repeat: x5]
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain
You can't melt it down in the rain
You can't melt it down in the rain
You can't melt it down in the rain
I've looked behind all of the faces
That smile you down to your knees
And the lips that say, Come on, taste us
And when you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
When you try to they make you say Please
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
Here come's your bride with her veil on
Approach her, you wretch, if you dare
Approach her, you ape with your tail on
Once you have her she'll always be there
Once you have her she'll always be there [Repeat: x4]
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
So I work in that same beauty salon
I'm chained to the old masquerade
The lipstick, the shadow, the silicone
I follow my father's trade
I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Yes I follow my father's trade
Ah but don't go home with your hard-on
It will only drive you insane
You can't shake it (or break it) with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain [Repeats]
@vitanuda6919
Phil Spector Is a Genius. Leonard Is unique.
@ammielake
I love this song, the brass rocks!
@dlmiller7873
Too right!
@ammielake
@@dlmiller7873it's the perfect blend of Disco, Rock and Funk.
@tglimm
I love the line "My father was a dresser of hair/ My mother was a girl you could call on"
In other words: His father was a hair dresser and his mother was a call girl.
@davidblackburn3396
The music is New Orleans Second Line meets Bo Diddley meets The Basement Tapes. The brilliantly demented words could only have been conjured up by a Cohen, or a Dylan or very, very few others. Genius. Lightning in a bottle.
@lydiarowe491
Have just seen the movie with Gabriel Byne..so well executed..not dissapointed..takes you to where Leonard passed thru..leaving a beautiful legacy.⭐
@Alacrates
I don't love the album, but this should've been a massive hit
@j.c7719
I love the album more than life itself
@SamHarrisonMusic
Probably everyone already knows this, but Bob Dylan and Alan Ginsberg singing backing vocals... :)