Iconic artist Leonard Cohen clarifies his recent "ready to die" comments

PanARMENIAN.Net - Leonard Cohen has clarified his widely-reported comments about feeling "ready to die", NME said.

Discussing his archive of unfinished songs during a recent interview with the New Yorker, the legendary singer-songwriter said: "I don't think I'll be able to finish those songs. Maybe, who knows? And maybe I'll get a second wind, I don't know. But I don't dare attach myself to a spiritual strategy. I don't dare do that."

"I've got some work to do," 82-year-old Cohen continued. "Take care of business. I am ready to die. I hope it's not too uncomfortable. That's about it for me."

However, at a playback event in Los Angeles on October 13, Cohen said he had made these comments hastily. "Uh, I said I was ready to die recently, and I think I was exaggerating," Billboard quotes him as saying. "I've always been into self-dramatisation. I intend to live forever."

At the end of the playback, Cohen added: "Thanks for coming, friends. I really appreciate your standing up when I came into the room. I hope we can do this again. I intend to stick around until 120."

Cohen is preparing to release his 14th album, 'You Want It Darker', on October 21. It will be the iconic artist's third LP in six years, having not released a record for eight years prior to that.

The album's title track was previewed earlier this year on Peaky Blinders and is now available to stream in full online.