Iggy Pop Has Covered Leonard Cohen’s ‘You Want It Darker’

Iggy Pop has shared his take on Leonard Cohen’s ‘You Want It Darker’.

The performance appears on a new tribute album to the Bard, assembled by Larry Klein. The 12 track affair sauces the work of Leonard Cohen, containing artists such as Peter Gabriel, Sarah McLachlan, Luciana Souza, Mavis Staples, and David Gray.

Out shortly, the album is a true passion project for the producer. “Leonard Cohen had been a friend since 1982 or so, and in the last 15 years of his life, he became a close friend,” says Klein. “He was possibly the wisest and funniest friend that I had, and someone that I enjoyed, immensely, in every way.”

“After he passed away, I found myself frequently covering his songs with other artists that I was working with. One reason, of course, is that the songs are so good, but the other reason was that it helped keep him in theair around me.”

Iggy Pop has opted to perform ‘You Want It Darker’, a late period Leonard Cohen classic. The title track of his 2016 studio album – the last work he completed in his lifetime – Iggy growls his way through the performance, a vocal that is all feeling and resonance.

A remarkable moment, there’s much more than novelty to Iggy’s appearance here – it’s heartfelt and true.

Tune in now.

Photo Credit: Ross Halfin