Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On

Leonard Cohen · Complete Studio Albums Collection [2011]

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



When you called she was always there

When you called she was always there

When you called she was always there

When you called she was always there



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 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

Once you have her she'll always be there

Once you have her she'll always be there

Once you have her she'll always be there



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...



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

Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On

Leonard Cohen's "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On" stands as a searing exploration of male anxiety and the fragility of intimacy within his later catalog. Recorded for the 2011 compilation, this track exemplifies Cohen's signature blend of poetic melancholy and raw vulnerability, often delivered with a distinctive, gravelly vocal delivery that underscores the song's themes of emotional vulnerability. The recording captures the artist's transition into his final years, reflecting on the complexities of desire and the fear of rejection. As part of his broader body of work, the song remains a poignant commentary on the human condition, utilizing sparse instrumentation to highlight the lyrical depth characteristic of Cohen's mature period.