Monday, November 14, 2016

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


(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:


So long, Leonard, your songs will live on.


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