Q Questionnaire - Leonard Cohen
What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the
morning?
Put on my black robes.
What was the first gig you went to?
Josh White in Ruby Foo's, a Chinese restaurant in Montreal, 1949.
Josh White was a black blues singer, once associated with the leftist folk
song movement in New York City but allegedly turned federal witness in
the investigation of communistic folk singers and lost a lot of
credibility. Still played a great guitar. He knew how to bend a string.
Which song do you wish you had written?
"If It Be Your Will." And I wrote it.
When did you last cry and why?
I cried yesterday in Stockholm. In a hotel room. The situation seemed
to invite my tears.
What is your most treasured material possession?
My body.
Who was the last person you slept with?
My Zen master. In a hotel room in New York City. He was very gentle with
me.
What do you think of Bob Dylan?
The premier songwriter of our generation. Still and always. He happens
to be resting. He deserves a rest but have no fear, he will be back with
much information and data about repose in the '90s.
What is the best advice you've ever received?
It went like this: "The older you get, the lonelier you become and the
deeper the love you need." It's something I can validate.
What characteristics do you think you have inherited from your
parents?
Anxiety and panic.
What is the biggest myth about fame?
That it's worthless.
What are you like when you are drunk?
More liquor. Although I've never been a big drinker - I have always
sought out other highs - I've recently developed a close
acquaintanceship with red wine, especially Chateau Latour 1982, one of
the finest vintages since Caesar planted the vine. Unfortunately it is
about 200 bucks a bottle.
Who would you have play you in a film?
Rebecca De Mornay.
Pick five words that describe yourself.
Oh, The Seven Deadly Sins.
Is there one piece of criticism that sticks in your mind?
The only criticism that has stuck in my mind is that somebody once said
to me that I had a cruel streak. Maybe that is too honest for this
article. But that stayed with me, the possibility that I enjoyed and
took pleasure in the discomfort of another's distress.
Do you believe in God?
I must.
What is your greatest fear?
That I have a cruel streak.
What is your most unpleasant characteristic?
I really don't think I have a cruel streak.
What ambitions do you still have to fulfill?
I would like to liberate all beings from their suffering. And I would
like to sever every poisonous desire at its root.
Are you afraid of failure?
I used to be until I failed.
What do you never leave home without?
My 12-inch dick.
Who is your best male friend and your best female friend?
My 12-inch dick.
Who would you most like to meet?
A better man than me. And I've met him.
What music would you have played at your funeral?
The Grand Tour by George Jones. He's showing somebody round this empty
house and he's saying here's the nursery, she left me without mercy.
When you look in the mirror do you like what you see?
It depends who's standing behind me.
Do you have anything to declare?
The solemn testimony of that unbroken faith which binds the generations
one to another, I hereby bestow upon you the ancient priestly
benediction: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord be
gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and
grant you the gift of peace.
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