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The Chelsea Hotel Is Closed Until Further Notice

by Emét

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about

I've always been a huge fan of Leonard Cohen, both as a musician and as an artist. He was the first vinyl my ma ever bought back in the day, and I quickly resonated with his strange perspective on life, mortality and morality. One day I happened across a self portrait of Cohen, donning his trademark hat, alongside the caption "one of those days when the hat doesn't help". At this point in my life, I've listened to enough Leonard Cohen to overthink just about everything he penned, so I wanted to explore the idea of small inconveniences and mercies which can crop up throughout an average day.

The Chelsea Hotel Is Closed Until Further Notice covers issues such as one-word texts and broken church bells, but quickly descends into existentialism off the back of spending too much time alone - an issue which I usually fix through talking too much, from what I'm told. The song reaches its peak with the lines "And where's Commander Cohen when you need him? 'Cos I passed the Chelsea Hotel and it's closed". Believe it or not, I really did visit the Chelsea Hotel a few years back - former home of Cohen and the inspiration behind many of his songs including Chelsea Hotel No.2 - and didn't think to check whether it was still an active hotel during my brief travels in New York. Looking back on the scenario felt like an appropriate closer to a song built on the foundations of Mr Cohen's work.

I recorded this track at the beginning of last year in Belfast's Half Bap Studios. It was slap bang in the middle of an eight-day recording session for my debut album Carlin's Farm, and at this point we (producer George Sloan and I) were in a pretty solid flow of work, coffee and more work. However, it took a while for this song to reach its final iteration - the energy was a bit different, and so (as someone who writes all their songs on guitar) it felt right to add some different elements to it.

George is the mastermind behind the piano, as well as the melodica which gives the tune a bit of a bohemian vibe. I really wanted to lean into the notion of 'the artist as a vocation', which is something Cohen discusses quite a bit in his poetry but kinda makes me want to boke as a concept. Overall, the track feels sad and dramatic, but also has a sincerity to the composition which I love. It's sad and camp, which is everything I strive to be at this point as a person.

lyrics

One of those days when the hat doesn’t help,
and the love that you’re feeling for somebody else
is replaced by the sting of a single word text.
Your patience is thin, but sure, what’d you expect

when it’s one of those days and the bell never rings?
You try not to feel but you feel everything
and your thoughts turn to grey, like a varicose vein.
You look for the words but it’s really quite hard to explain.

One of those days when you’re stuck with yourself
and you come face to face with your own mental health,
screaming: “I had a purpose when I was a wean.”
It’s gone for the winter, it’ll come back someday
in the midnight hour and come back to bed,
and I’ll pay in time for the things that I said.
I was a coward and I was afraid.
I was a white-collared, middle-class slave to the wage.

And where’s Commander Cohen when you need him?
I passed the Chelsea Hotel and it’s closed.
I need a dream but I’ll wake up to the fear.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll “go clear”.

Well you asked for the end, now the sky’s fallen through.
There’s a man in the clouds and he’s pointing his finger at you.
But if I bought a hazmat suit...

credits

released February 4, 2022
Vocals: Emmét McGonagle
Guitar: Emmét McGonagle
Producer: George Sloan
Piano/Melodica - George Sloan
Bass guitar: Rónán McQuillan

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Emét Calgary, Alberta

Indie-folk’s travelling troubadour Emét (Emmét McGonagle) is embracing hedonism with their latest single SINISIN - a five- minute epic in following from last year’s debut LP Carlin’s Farm, which ranked in Chordblossom’s top 25 Northern Irish albums of 2022. ... more

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