Werewolves of London
Jackson Browne & Warren Zevon Lyrics
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Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Aaoooooo
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Aaoooooo
You hear him howling around your kitchen door
You better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Aaoooooo
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Aaoooooo
He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
You better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Aaoooooo
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Aaoooooo
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
Draw blood
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
The lyrics of "Werewolves of London" by Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon describe a scene in SoHo, London, where the singer spots a werewolf walking on the street with a Chinese restaurant menu in his hand. The werewolf is in search of a specific eatery named Lee Ho Fook's to get a plate of beef chow mein, emphasizing the idea of the mythical creature's human-like attributes and how they crave food like anyone else. The main chorus features the famous howling sound that identifies werewolves, giving a sense of fear and mystery to the song.
The verse continues with a warning to listener, saying to be afraid, as the creature may lurk near their door and come in. The music video matches this with visuals of the werewolf lurking near a woman's apartment door. The singer then talks about another anecdote, describing the werewolf as a dangerous Kent resident with a history of violence that has now been seen in Mayfair, making him all the more a creature to be feared. The song ends with a silly humorous line about seeing a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's while looking fashionably perfect.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
I witnessed a creature that was part man, part wolf, holding a takeout food menu from a Chinese restaurant.
Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain
The werewolf was strolling in SoHo, a neighborhood in New York City, while rain fell from the sky.
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
The werewolf was on a mission to find a specific restaurant called Lee Ho Fook's.
Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein
The werewolf had an appetite for Asian cuisine, specifically a large serving of beef chow mein.
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Aaoooooo
This is the song's catchy refrain, which serves to remind us of the song's title.
You hear him howling around your kitchen door
You better not let him in
If you hear the werewolf howling outside of your house, it's best not to open the door for him.
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
Unfortunately, the werewolves have once again attacked and harmed an elderly woman.
He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
You better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor
This verse is warning us about the werewolf, who is a dangerous individual, who has been causing chaos in various locations in England. Despite his violent tendencies, the singer is still curious about how good his tailor is.
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
The singer saw two famous actors, Lon Chaney and his son Lon Chaney Jr., walking with the Queen, all of them performing the werewolf dance from the song's chorus.
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
And his hair was perfect
The singer encountered another werewolf, this time sipping on a tropical drink in a bar. Interestingly, this werewolf had impeccable hair despite his beastly nature.
Aaoooooo
Werewolves of London
Draw blood
This version of the song's refrain shifts slightly, with the final line serving as an ominous warning that the werewolves are a serious threat and capable of causing harm to people.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, MUSIC & MEDIA INT'L, INC., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Warren Zevon, Leroy P. Marinell, Robert T. Wachtel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andyinoregon
In 1978 my wife and I got to see Waddy Wachtel and Dan Dugmore in Linda Ronstadt's band at the U. of Toledo. Linda was the singer who introduced us to the songs of Warren Zevon. Ten years later we got to see Warren performing as a trio with bassist Timothy B. Schmit and guitarist Dan Dugmore in an intimate S.E. Portland, Oregon club. We felt so lucky to be sitting just spitting distance from three of our musical heroes.
@eventtrading
A superb rendition. End of story!
@WAGinWNY
Excitable Boy = one of the best LPs ever.
@lingeringlead
Crazy thing about Warren is his 1976 self titled album is even better than EB
@katherinea.rodgers8366
Oh yes!
@tompeterson4975
Cool, Jackson, Waddy Wachtel and Warren. Awesome!
@briano.1503
No doubt, what a great photo!
Almost sounds like a demo
of Werewolves. I love it!
@rh-bd6wv
Great photo.
@thomasdecarlo8543
Phenomenal …. When times, music & friends were so damn good …
@hirampriggott1689
David Lindley had a big part of this as well, He did slide guitar in Running on Empty as well as Werewolves.