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| Regina Spektor – Samson Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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i could be super off on this, but i love to listen to this song as revisionist history -- or for you comic book nerds, the "what if?" story.
as in, what if Delilah was not remembered as a lying whore (the mysogyny of the old testament shot to hell for moment), and really loved him? what if she cut his hair for her own genuine reasons and not for warring men? And what if samson went back to bed instead of falling into his own jingoistic machismo?
the columns would never have to be torn down, and history and the bible would not even remember them because they were people. Not a herculean hero and a bitch, but simply lovers?
I think it is a super sad tune, only because the wars still rage around them, and Delilah still had the chance to end it, but chose love over the lives of thousands (in the case of this song of course, not the bible parable). Regina seems to have read her Milton, eh? |
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| Warren Zevon – Jesus Was a Cross Maker Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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he didn't write the song, but in a long tradition of covers, this one carries a lot of power. his world weary idiom carries so much weight in an intellectual contemplation of sin redemption and humanity vs divinity. there is a very Coleridgian view of redemption, with the sin being the conduit to the ultimate paradise of reconcilliation. i don't know, it is just a great thinking tune. |
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| Warren Zevon – Jesus Was a Cross Maker Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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he didn't write the song, but in a long tradition of covers, this one carries a lot of power. his world weary idiom carries so much weight in an intellectual contemplation of sin redemption and humanity vs divinity. there is a very Coleridgian view of redemption, with the sin being the conduit to the ultimate paradise of reconcilliation. i don't know, it is just a great thinking tune. |
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| Warren Zevon – Desperados Under The Eaves Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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yes, alcoholism, but also an acceptance of the basics of human nature (this hotel will be standing until i pay my bill) and a kind of miltonesque looking forward in listening to the air conditioner hum. his time is running low and he still has a lot to say. |
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| Warren Zevon – Desperados Under The Eaves Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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yes, alcoholism, but also an acceptance of the basics of human nature (this hotel will be standing until i pay my bill) and a kind of miltonesque looking forward in listening to the air conditioner hum. his time is running low and he still has a lot to say. |
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| Warren Zevon – Ain't That Pretty at All Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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a perfect example of a man who has lived and breathed the rock and roll experience. he has burnt himself out on the good times, and he can either die and feel nothing or feel nothing, or suffer through the bad times. It is a credit to Warren that he would rather live life as long as possible, and take the consequences of living, when one can tell that from the beginning of career he has had some morbid understanding and acceptance of death. |
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| Warren Zevon – I Was In The House When The House Burned Down Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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sorry, to continue, consider songs like "Burning Down the House" in which the rock lifestyle is glorified and danced to. This song is like, "Yeah, you think that's swell, think about it. you're likely to be caught in the house you're burning down." which Warren was. because of his rock excesses his life was spent in and out of rehab, and he died at an early age. |
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| Warren Zevon – Splendid Isolation Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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I love this song, because New York is so like that. it is a cultural hub, a place where one can find anything to do and anyone to do it with. Yet every time i pay the 6 bucks for the train ride into the city, i always come out hating people. imagine living there! i'd go into hibernation too. |
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| Warren Zevon – The French Inhaler Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This is the way one would expect Warren the poet to comment on failed Hollywood dreams, and the love that can spark from 2 victims of this disease. I am sure Norman is refering to something, and because i do not know who it is, i am remiss to continue discussing it.
I reccommend reading Evelyn Wagh's The Loved One to get a good idea of where he is coming from. i swear he must have read that prior to writing this song. |
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| Warren Zevon – Veracruz Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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one of WZ's songs that can truly be called sad. Historical fiction usually prompts some of the best tracks from Warren. Its interesting how this can be taken almost 30 years later, with the irresponsibility of American troops in the middle east. When we leave, can we honestly expect that more people will not die? interesting... |
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| Warren Zevon – Werewolves of London Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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well i would normally agree, anm712, but Warren Zevon WAS a poet, and makes a point of letting us know he is in a bunch of his songs, listing his influences as the early Romantic poets and John Milton. I absolutely DO see WZ sitting at the piano contemplating acceptance of horrible things (a bunch of his songs carry this theme) and his own significance, which he carried a very low opinion of. I do think that the whole punk message is a bit far fetched, but other people generally know more about that stuff than me. and i think saying this song is about Jack the Ripper is thinking about it way too superficially. Warren Zevon never wrote a song without something to say, and in that way he certainly IS a poet and his lyrics should be taken that way. saying "it's just great rock" really underappreciates the man's contributions to modern poetic rock, following in the footsteps of Dylan. |
submissions
| Warren Zevon – Sentimental Hygiene Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This song is probably a reference to his getting clean and sober for the recording of this album. He;s probably dying for a beer, "dying for the right to be wrong." it is this desire that leads him to an early death, and he knows this will be the end result, but man does he love it.
check out Neil Young's guitar work here. |
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| Warren Zevon – Searching For A Heart Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This song seems slightly uncharacteristic for WZ, only in the fact that it is a sincere search for love. However, it includes the famous WZ attitude, he wonders if there is actually someone out there who will love him. he takes it further by comparing love to a supernatural force that can not be stopped with traditional methods once it starts, either like a spiritual force like angels, or like a zombie movie. it fits eerily well with more well known songs like "Werewolves of London" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner." |
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| Warren Zevon – Reconsider Me Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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leave it to Warren Zevon to write a pop song that retains the sort of life weary, "i've messed up" feeling he has copywrighted as his own. there's desperate loneliness behind the sincerity of a manly protectiveness. its a "Lean on Me" for the rest of us, equally toned with regret and hopefulness. |
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| Warren Zevon – Prison Grove Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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Warren's obsession with death and broken lives comes full circle in this track off of his last album. In this rare glimpse into WZ's completely serious side, you can really hear his own death. His voice is cracked and sloppy, he is straining to hit every note, and one gets the sense he has lived through everything he sings about. this has that down home blues feel of "My Shit's Fucked Up", only this time it is deathly serious instead of sardonic and wistful (not the traditional kind of wistful, WZ wistful). |
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| Warren Zevon – Poor, Poor Pitiful Me Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This song is similar to others in which he laments the events of a fast and fortuneless life. Although it seems to me he spends more time in self pity than he usually allows himself. normally, he recounts the bad stuff in his life, then laughs it off because he can only blame himself for his situation. Here, WZ allows himself a little time to lick his wounds before he jumps back in there. |
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| Warren Zevon – Play It All Night Long Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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absolutely. i always consider the college bars near Hofstra University, where heavily makeuped, shit faced on watery beer young ladies belt out Sweet Home Alabama three times a night, and scream and yell when it comes on like they weren't expecting it.
i wish i had something intelligent to add about this song, but you guys pretty much covered it. |
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| Warren Zevon – My Shit's Fucked Up Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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i don't think this song is sad at all. but i definitely agree with bradec9 that he thinks he might have done better to go to the doctor now and then. the question is, would he have changed his lifestyle if he'd had the forewarning? i think the answer is a resounding no. this song has only the slightest tinge of regret, and is overlayed with a strong sense of acceptance. warren zevon would never have been satisfied as a health nut, clearly.
sonically this is the song in his catalogue closest to down home blues. like one of his heroes Milton, he strives in this song to be a rejuvenator and a prophet for his chosen genre. he is literally rewriting the rules of the blues. in this song the blues do not have to necessarily reflect guilt, regret, melancholy. instead it can be an outlet for rationally reasoning through a tough situation. the difference between him and Milton is that he does not care whether or not he reaches you to the point of wanting to mimic him, he wants to touch you through empathy, and he succeeds. |
submissions
| Warren Zevon – My Ride's Here Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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i can't believe there is no comment for this track.
i can not say enough about the merits of these lyrics. the kinetics involved are as astoundingly beautiful as they are steeped in research and literature. one of John Milton's assertions was that there is no such thing as a perfect state for any duration of time, the process of freedom is one that must involve constant change in order to be successful (hence why monarchy does not work). It seems Zevon subscribed to this credo, as this song is about perpetually moving, finding onesself, and the irritation involved in remaining static for too long, as evidenced by the changeless Houston sky. There is a kind of static electricity inherent in those clouds, lighting a fire under Zevon and Jim's respective asses, making them drive on. Milton's call to arms in this song and the end result of getting the hell out of Texas is a reflection of that, as is the fantasy that angels will carry them away to a new location, keeping the changes coming.
His reference to the Romantic heroes is not random, as they too must have shared these philosophies, not to mention the fact that Zevon's poetry relies heavily on their influences.
Charlton Heston, as a representation of religion, is static (the ultimate evil) while even Jesus has that dusty trail mentality. I wonder if WZ was trying to assert that religion has been mutated into something more sinister in the modern age, and this song is less about physically moving than about his own struggle with spirituality, his moving on while retaining Christ. but that's just one overanalyzation.
ps. check out Springstein's cover of this song. i am not one of Bruce's biggest fans, but man did he have an accurate reading of this tune. |
submissions
| Warren Zevon – Mutineer Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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gorgeous tune. an expression of love and hope in a life of criminality and decadence. the sentiment that liars are unwelcome among thieves is an interesting one. he prefers to surround himself with people genuinely sympathetic to his cause, no latchers-on need apply. |
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| Warren Zevon – Mr. Bad Example Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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this song, steeped in tongue in cheek hilarity, is a quite astute look at the life he really was living. he may not have a law degree, but he was the king of advantage taking (read: "Lawyers, Guns, and Money") and decadent living.
The song smacks of late eighteenth, early twentieth century literature that featured the modern day American rake galavanting about Europe with a chip on his shoulder and a string of warrants and well satisfied ladies behind him. It speaks to WZ's informedness: this is not some long haired rock and roll goon bragging about his exploits. he is well read and, dare i say it? a philosopher, but a philosopher who asks noone to ascribe to his way of life. he is simply revelling in his own choices, and is so excited about them he expresses it in music. it is almost as if his music is secondary to and an extension of his life, his great talent mixing with his natural form of expression. |
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| Warren Zevon – Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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Included in this song is one of WZ's favorite sentiments: a kind of devil be damned fast life philosophy solidly embroiled in Romantic undertones and mythological significance. There's a sarcasm imbedded in his party hard lyrics that belies an outside looking in sense, an understanding of the path a life of partying leads to. The decadence in this track is simultaneously a revelling acceptance of the good times and an indictment of the life he is choosing to live. |
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| Warren Zevon – Mohammed's Radio Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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no comments? such a beautiful tune.
in it he combines his predilection toward modern politics with a moving understanding of the struggles of the middle and lower classes. Just as in "Johnny Strikes Up the Band" he revels in the power music has to unite a community, despite their apparent hardships.
The Robin Hood-esque nature of MOhammed's Radio in this circumstance reminds me a bit of the Christian Slater flick Pump Up the Volume. A renegade radio show that the authorities disapprove of, and yet it brings an entire community together because of its uplifting if brutal earnestness.
And it speaks volumes about WZ that his powerful friends are so close to him that Stevie Nicks is willing to provide a minor background vocal for an album track. spectacular. |
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| Warren Zevon – Lord Byrons' Luggage Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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all hail WZ's affection for the Romantics. his appreciation of aesthetics and sardonic joie de vivre fits in perfectly with the romantics. if you like this song check out "My Ride's Here", in which he devotes an entire verse to Byron, Shelly, and Keats, not to mention my nemisis Milton. |
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| Warren Zevon – Lawyers, Guns, And Money Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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hearing the real story behind this song is great, but i think there is some global truth in this song. i don't exactly see a diplomat in this song as the commenter above did. it sounded like a twenty something american in cuba, living it up and representing the typical boarish american stereotype, not to mention WZ's typical understanding of a rock and roll lifestyle. his assertion that lawyers guns and money (the staples of american living) and his father will get him out of trouble is a sardonic but probably astute observation.
when i hear this song i think of that american kid who got nailed spray painting cars in china and got caned for it, as america looked on, helpless and enraged. no matter the crime, american politics will never willingly let a citizen be punished for a crime in a foreign country. |
submissions
| Warren Zevon – Keep Me in Your Heart Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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The song is uncharacteristic of WZ i think. i think he knew it was not one of his best songs, per se, but he had to be conscious of the power it would have over his friends and fans. it was like a final gift, a momentary tearing down of his wall of sarcasm, intellect, politics, and rock and roll savvy moments before he died. he lamented his choice to write a pity song, but he did not regret including it on the album, as his friends were many and powerful, his fans were super important, and he had a loving family.
i believe the inclusion of "for a while" rather than just saying "keep me in your heart forever" is very characteristic of him. he was so conscious of his mortality, and the fickleness of memory. he was also conscious of the fact that it was only his doing that brought his death around. it always reminded me of the reluctant laugh in the middle of a good cry a woman would have. its a last favor he asks before a death everyone but himself would consider tragic, and i think we'd be remiss in ignoring his last request. |
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| Warren Zevon – I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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agreed, it definitely expresses a love of the fast life, but what makes this song great are the subtle references to being stretched a little thin. much like his real life, WZ's speaker here is sick, and the medicine is keeping him alive long enough to party some more, and he will continue to party no matter how tired he gets. while he knows his lifestyle is killing him, he regrets nothing and that makes him my hero. |
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| Warren Zevon – I Was In The House When The House Burned Down Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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This is a great track, and i think the best representation in his catalogue of his penchant for lyrics about the aftermath of a sex and drugs rock lifestyle. even his earliest songs reflect the tired manicness of a rock star at the end of a career, cleaning up after himself and anticipating death. you'll not find a better example than this track. |
submissions
| Warren Zevon – Hit Somebody Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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spectacular tune. probably the best narrative piano rock song ever. it is refreshing that when WZ eases up on the death and fatalism he can tell a story with the same tongue in cheek attitude he uses in his more serious tracks. |
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| Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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anm712, i believe that is very astute. my girlfriend likes to recount a moment from college when her class was reading Kafka and the man was transformed into a giant insect, she burst out laughing in class, and everyone looked at her funny. point is, true comedy is subtle.
this song always spoke to me because i believe that there are people who should never be parents. it starts with the excuses made by the parents, and then society. when your child is a shit head, discipline him. when an adult man is a shit head, it may be a result of parenting, but it is not an excuse. but that's only the superficial message in the song. |
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| Warren Zevon – Dirty Life And Times Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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this song is admittedly an aquired taste. In it he takes his American Folk Pop idium to an almost ridiculous faux country level. If one can get past that, the song remains an important centerpiece for the final chapter of WZ's career. In a catalogue of albums recounting his fast lifestyle, and an unabashed recognition of where it would get him, he finally sees death hunting him down for using his life up faster than others. He knows he is to be punished for his transgressions but he feels no remorse. He wants his last cigarette and his last lay so he doesn't have to fear death. It is a very powerful song. |
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| Warren Zevon – Carmelita Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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I have to disagree, i think it is exactly the kind of song warren Zevon would have written. He is the king of the kind of rock and roll that skips past the sex and drugs and goes prematurely to the consequences of a rock and roll lifestyle. it was his fast living that brougt him to a premature death, and i think he knew that he would come to such an end. what makes Warren so spectacular is that you know he would do it all again. his honesty and his lack of hypocracy are probably his most attractive qualities. |
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| Warren Zevon – Accidentally Like A Martyr Lyrics
| 17 years ago
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this is a semi love song that could only have come out the music industry's resident expert in fatalism and anticipation of death. It is desperately lonely without being self indulgent, and disillusioned while retaining a feeling of nostalgia. one of my personal favorites. |
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