John Mellencamp admits that when it is his time to go, he doesn't want to go quickly, saying he wants something more 'long and lingering.'

"I need a long and lingering death to make sure that I have time to have deathbed conversion," he told reporters for their ongoing "Proust Questionnaire" feature, which subjects celebrities to the classic series of questions popularized by novelist Marcel Proust.

Mellencamp also addressed his idea of happiness.

"It's not our God-given right to be happy," he said, but added "if a man can laugh out loud once or twice a day, that would be happiness."

Moving on with the questionnaire, Mellencamp gave the one thing he would change about his family:

"I wish my grandmother and grandfather were still alive, because they were able to keep me grounded,"

Mellencamp's ideal occupation: "I'm doing my favorite occupation.

I work for no one, never have worked for anyone. I haven't had a boss since my father, so I've been very fortunate in the fact that I've been able to live for myself and live the way I have chosen to live."