Tuesday, January 27, 2004

"Desperadoes Under the Eaves"

Warren Zevon was the most under-rated songwriter of the last 30 years, bar none. He came across like this scruffy, mumbling street person who picks over the rubbish in the street and stops passers-by to tell them something that they'll remember the next day and think, "You know, he's absolutely right!" He writes angry songs, sad songs, funny songs and each one sticks in your head. This song has my favorite lyric: "And if California slides into the ocean/Like the mystics and statistics say it will/I predict this motel will be standing/Until I pay my bill." Various Beach Boys sing harmony, which can't be bad......

2 comments:

lessthansix said...

"Don't the sun look angry thru the trees? Don't the trees look like crucified thieves..." That's what I consider poetry.

It's unfortunate that they consider Dylan an icon and Zevon will forever be remembered as the guy who did the "werewolf song", if even for that.

Freewayblogger said...

The best music, for me, has always been that that's gotten me through the worst times. Zevon's always been able to do that for me - this song in particular.

Only hitch, and there's always one I guess, is "Gower Avenue". Gower is, and always has been, a street (in Hollywood.)