Days after singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature for his prolific career in the music industry — causing quite a bit of brouhaha in the aftermath — his friend and contemporary Leonard Cohen had a few eloquent words to say about Dylan’s monumental achievement. “I will comment on his receiving the Nobel Prize, which to me is like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain,†Cohen said during a moderated interview in Los Angeles on Thursday night, according to Billboard. “I think that Bob Dylan knows this more than all of us: you don’t write the songs anyhow. So if you’re lucky, you can keep the vehicle healthy and responsive over the years. If you’re lucky, your own intentions have very little to do with this. You can keep the body as well-oiled and receptive as possible, but whether you’re actually going to be able to go for the long haul is really not your own choice.â€
Cohen also acknowledged his recent life-spanning New Yorker profile, in which he proclaimed he’s “ready to die†and will likely never tour again. Reflecting on those words, Cohen now thinks he was “exaggerating†when he said he was ready to meet his maker. “I’ve always been into self-dramatization. I intend to live forever,†he explained, before later adding, “I hope we can do this again. I intend to stick around until 120.†His newest (and 14th) studio album, You Want It Darker, will be released next week.