The characters he created seemed like they could all be stand-ins for him. These attributes are part of what makes Zevon so appealing, but also what kept him out of the mainstream. His second biggest hit was entitled “Lawyers, Guns, And Money,” for Christ’s sake. His logo was a skull in aviator shades smoking cigarettes. In many ways he was the rock n’ roll version of Hunter S. Yet, Warren said and did things that do not lend themselves to mainstream success. Browne performed with Zevon in 1976 and produced his “breakthrough” album Excitable Boy. Springsteen, as usual, was really on to something when he hinted at Zevon being the evil version of Jackson Browne. He also had a genius turn on two episodes of HBO’s much-less celebrated Dream On as well. There was a classic episode of The Larry Sanders Show where Warren discussed the burden of always having to play it on television. Even though the lyrics contain all of his characteristic black comedy, the song was more of a millstone around his neck than anything.
The longevity of “Werewolves Of London” doesn’t seem to have done Zevon many favors, either. As usual, the Boss hit the nail on the head. He was intimating that Zevon was represented the dark side of the singer-songwriter persona of the 1970s. The closest Warren has come was when Springsteen mentioned him as Cain to Jackson Browne’s Abel when he inducted Browne in 2004. But Zevon’s absence from even the ballot is the most egregious omission of all. Had Cheap Trick not just been inducted this year, I might have considered authoring a similar piece about them. Fortunately, that injustice was rectified two years later. In 2004, I took to the pages of Glide to plea for a re-examination of Lynyrd Skynrd. Yet somehow Warren William Zevon has never even sniffed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Somehow, as Zevon shared with the New York Times in 2003, he became “the travel agent for death.” His own final album, “The Wind,” included collaborations with many of the same artists and the VH-1 documentary “Keep Me In Your Heart” chronicled its creation. When asked by Letterman what lessons he’d pass on as he looked death in the face, he simply responded “enjoy every sandwich.” That became the title of an excellent tribute album to be released after his death. But after refusing treatment, Warren was able to end his life as he lived it-on his own terms. When he sat down with Letterman for an episode of The Late Show in which he was the only guest, Zevon admitted that he had intentionally avoided doctors for years. It was cruelly ironic that a guy who sang so often about moral frailty, physical illness and mortality had to publicly take that walk towards what Stephen King called in The Dark Tower “The Clearing At The End Of The Path.” Then again, maybe his fate was pretty fitting. Not even fucking nominated! But, while Buffett has maximized (and monetized) his niche beyond his wildest dreams, Zevon was only afforded a victory lap after his lung cancer was detected in 2002. His audience could be the biggest cult this side of Parrotheads and much like Jimmy Buffett (also a Zevon confidante), Warren has never even been nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thompson, Stephen King, David Letterman (he filled in on more than one occasion as bandleader when Paul Shaffer was away), Carl Hiaasen, Jackson Browne, Judd Apatow, and Bruce Springsteen all possess Zevon’s outlaw iconoclasm. To quote one of his many underrated later songs, their shit was also fucked up. But his crusaders, supporters, fans, and nut jobs (present company included), are all of a similar vein.
His music is admittedly an acquired taste for most. If you mention the name Warren Zevon to someone, they usually give you a look that indicates that they have no idea whatsoever who he is or that they know him as the “Werewolves Of London” guy. “I like to have a good time, and I don’t care who gets hurt.”-“Mr.