What a beautiful song. For some reason, The Future never got as popular as other Cohen albums, but I would argue that it might be his best. And, the title track is a masterpiece. Of course, the line you quote is followed by the chorus, which for all you non-Cohen fans is: "When they said, 'Repent,' I wonder what they meant." I've always taken this to mean something along the lines of, "How do we know when we're acting like sinners, and anyway what business is it of yours?" The beginning of the song is about desire for dark pleasures. "It's lonely here. There's no one left to torture," and, "Give me crack and anal sex," he continues. So much of the song sounds angry to me. But, as you quote, "Love's the only engine of survival." Its a juxtaposition that I don't quite get other than to surmise that he is trying to say that love is what grants one salvation, despite what one's immediate desires may be.