Someone just put this song up on FB, and I think it's lovely.

It also seems to me that both the words and the tune are influenced by (or derived from) Stephen Foster's Old Black Joe.

Here's a link. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/23/leonard-cohen-show-me-the-place_n_1110210.html. Give it a listen and see what you think.
Blessings,
Barbara