Lyrics for Werewolves of London as interpreted by Champmathieu

Werewolves of London Lyrics
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's
Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein

Aaoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again

Asoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)

He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor

Aaoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the Werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the Werewolves of London
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
And his hair was perfect

Aaoooooo!
Werewolves of London!
Aaoooooo! (Repeat)
Draw blood...
---
"Werewolves of London" as written by Warren Zevon, Leroy Marinell, Waddy (robert) Wachtel
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., MUSIC & MEDIA INT'L, INC.
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JBustad
07-21-2002

 Rated  0 
I have no idea.......someone tell me, please!

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mikes_konstantine
08-19-2002

 Rated  0 
well, its about the werewolves in london!! : P sorry, i have no idea either.

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aaron1728
09-13-2002

 Rated  +1 
Rescramble "Lee Ho Fook" as "Ho Lee Fook". Also, Zevon was/is a friend of James Taylor: "rip your lungs out JIM... like to meet his TAILOR".

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kenf62
09-27-2002

 Rated  0 
In the live version (on STAND IN THE FIRE), he changes the line to "He'll rip your lungs out Jim, and he's looking for James Taylor!"

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CeeJai
10-15-2002

 Rated  0 
do you think it's possible that there is absolutely NO meaning behind this song at all? that he just got a goofy idea stuck in his head and that this is what came of it. he used his friends in it, that's cool, but i really think that there is nothing to analyze here at all. (that sounded way bitchier than i meant it to.)

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Woodsy2569
03-28-2003

 Rated  0 
I know no ones around to read this but, here I go anyway.
I think the songs about acceptance of what I don't know, but I feel it's a bad acceptance. Such as maybe rape or murder, Zeavon is trying to get us to realize it. Because he sings of how werewolves are acting like everyday folks and seem to be everywhere, and by now they are accepted. Thats why I think it is about forced acceptance, because even though there is rape murder everywhere, we a forced to live with it. And by now it is just a part of the world today and it is very accepted, which is very sad.

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ButtOfMalmsey
04-11-2003

 Rated  +1 
Even the most civilized veneer cannot fully cover up the beast inside. Isn't it obvious?

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CeeJai
05-11-2003

 Rated  0 
I like that idea a lot. I think Zevon uses the same theme of sort of making excuses and apathy in Excitable Boy.

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fireplace
06-23-2003

 Rated  0 
Heh! I love this song. Reminds me of Remus Lupin from Harry Potter. *blush* I love Harry Potter..shush.

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J.J.
04-10-2004

 Rated  0 
Lon Cheney (actual spelling: "Chaney") was a famous silent film actor, he played a bunch of monsters in horror movies. His son, Lon Chaney Jr. followed in his father's footsteps and also appeared in horror films. I suspect they both played werewolves at some time in their careers.

I remember my dad told me about the "meaning" of this song a long time ago. He said it was about foreigners taking over England or something? I forget now... but it makes sense, talking about the Chinese menu, and the American film stars hanging with the Queen...

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Defyence
01-16-2005

 Rated  0 
SongFacts.com says a lot about it. I don't feel like saying it all, but go there if you want the why.

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chrisb1
01-29-2005

 Rated  0 
Warren Zevon's black humour at work again. Possibly drug-fuelled?
This came about 5 years before the classic John Landis movie with a similar name. Art imitating art?

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classicrockgirl
04-17-2005

 Rated  0 
i get the feeling that it was an inside joke with his friends that he made into a song... but i like the rapists-being-accepted theory by Woodsy2569.

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SunKing
05-07-2005

 Rated  0 
Jackson Browne says this song is about gigolos preying on older ladies and ripping htem off... he says the whole song is wrapped up in just one line: "I'd like to meet his tailor".
Lee Ho Fook is a well-known restaurant in London's Chinatown: they have a cover of WZ's greatest hits album in the front window.

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SunKing
05-07-2005

 Rated  0 
Jackson Browne says this song is about gigolos preying on older ladies and ripping htem off... he says the whole song is wrapped up in just one line: "I'd like to meet his tailor".
Lee Ho Fook is a well-known restaurant in London's Chinatown: they have a cover of WZ's greatest hits album in the front window.

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OpinionHead
06-30-2005

 Rated  0 
It's a funny song...and I laugh whenever I hear it.

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music_machine_88
09-17-2005

 Rated  0 
Great song i get a kick out of it everytime

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onafriday
12-16-2005

 Rated  -1 
ha, come on does every song need explanation... i think everyone gets the idea behind this one... long live ZEVON

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jimmer-the-great
12-16-2005

 Rated  0 
Lon Chaney - silent movie actor, famous for his role as "Erik" the tortured opera ghost in "The Phantom of the Opera" 1925

Lon Chaney Jr. - horror movie actor famous as the wolf-man

And yeah this is just a great song, nothing more.

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DonDiego
01-20-2006

 Rated  0 
Although Zevon was a tremendously talented songwriter and there's a lot more to his art than the classics featured on the (aptly-titled) "Genius" compilation, IMHO this song deserves all the attention it has received over the years. It boggles the mind that it's the same age as me! Sheer genius indeed.

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magpi1
01-26-2006

 Rated  0 
Warren used to play in Don Everly's (of the Everly Brothers) backup band and as he told the story, One Day Everly said he wanted a new song "Something the kids will Dig". So as Warren was writing the song, Waddy Wachtel (amazing guitarist and also a member of the band) stuck his head in the door and said "What are you writing?" Warren said "the Werewolves of London" and Waddy goes "you mean like Ahooooo ...Werewolves of London? Hence the Chorus. Killer song. The line about his "hair was perfect" just slays me

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madmartigen
02-15-2006

 Rated  -1 
I can't believe know one else knows this. The entire song is just about the early punk movement in England. ie Sex Pistols. "I saw a werewolf drinking a pinacolada at trader vics, his hair was perfect." The British punks were notorious for their perfectly eccentric hairstyles. Just an incredibly ingenious parallel between the early punk movement of the 70s and 80s to werewolves....brilliant musician, its a shame he isnt still with us.

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madmartigen
02-15-2006

 Rated  0 
to continue...zevon himself was definitely anti-govt and anti-restraint, and did respect and revere the message that the early punks/werewolves were trying to convey, and this is his kind of tribute to a much underappreciated music of the time...awesome

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heyjude55
05-12-2006

 Rated  0 
I dig this song big time, you can just dance to it easily and it can go on forever because the beat is so frivolous. It's awesome, I like the thought about rape and crime/murder but I like the thought about the punk movement in the 70s/80s even more.
Kind of like like 'Who the hell are these werewolves in town.
also the first line: "I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand." always projected to me. great song ok im done now

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zutluvip
05-17-2006

 Rated  0 
I always heard it as a comment on big-city life and how homogenized it can become. If werewolves lived in London, it would happen to them too. Sure, they'd still go around killing people, but they'd also be eating Chinese takeout and keeping up with the latest fashions.

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