Quote for the Day

"I am ready to die. I hope it’s not too uncomfortable. That’s about it for me.”

- Leonard Cohen, 

last interview before his death, with David Remnick of the New Yorker magazine

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker

(A lengthy article but worth the read if you are a Leonard Cohen fan).

* * * * * *

I said to son Thomas that I was surprised that the death of Leonard Cohen had not received more attention in the media, given the outpouring when David Bowie died. Thomas’s reply succinctly explained it: “All the attention is on Donald Trump.”

In the interview described above, Cohen said 

“I have no idea what I am doing. It’s hard to describe. As I approach the end of my life, I have even less and less interest in examining what have got to be very superficial evaluations or opinions about the significance of one’s life or one’s work. I was never given to it when I was healthy, and I am less given to it now.”

Accordingly, with only one comment, here are the lyrics of the title song of his last album, You Want It Darker, released 3 weeks before his death:

If you are the dealer, I'm out of the game

If you are the healer, it means I'm broken and lame

If thine is the glory then mine must be the shame

You want it darker

We kill the flame

Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name

Vilified, crucified, in the human frame

A million candles burning for the help that never came

You want it darker

Hineni*, hineni

I'm ready, my lord

There's a lover in the story

But the story's still the same

There's a lullaby for suffering

And a paradox to blame

But it's written in the scriptures

And it's not some idle claim

You want it darker

We kill the flame

They're lining up the prisoners

And the guards are taking aim

I struggled with some demons

They were middle class and tame

I didn't know I had permission to murder and to maim

You want it darker

Hineni, hineni

I'm ready, my lord

Magnified, sanctified, be thy holy name

Vilified, crucified, in the human frame

A million candles burning for the love that never came

You want it darker

We kill the flame

If you are the dealer, let me out of the game

If you are the healer, I'm broken and lame

If thine is the glory, mine must be the shame

You want it darker

Hineni, hineni

Hineni, hineni

I'm ready, my lord

Hineni

Hineni, hineni

Hineni

* Hineni: ”Here I am” in Hebrew

Hear the song by clicking on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0nmHymgM7Y

So long, Leonard, your songs will live on.