Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known musicians, including Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young. His best-known compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Johnny Strikes Up The Band," all of which are featured on his third album, Excitable Boy (1978). Other well-known songs written by Zevon have been recorded by other artists, including "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (a top 40 hit by Linda Ronstadt), "Accidentally Like a Martyr," "Mohammed's Radio", "Carmelita", and "Hasten Down the Wind".
Along with his own compositions, Zevon recorded or performed occasional covers, including Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and Leonard Cohen's "First We Take Manhattan". He was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman and the Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman later performed guest vocals on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" with Paul Shaffer and members of the CBS Orchestra.
He was born to a Russian Jewish father and a Mormon mother and soon moved to California. At the age of 12/13, Warren Zevon was a regular visitor to the home of Igor Stravinsky where he, along with Robert Craft, would study music.
He turned to a musical career early, including a stretch as part of a Sonny and Cher-type male/female duo called Lyme and Cybelle, and spent time as a session musician (notably as piano player for the Everly Brothers) and jingle composer. He wrote several songs for his White Whale label-mates the Turtles, though his participation in their recording is unknown. Another early composition ("She Quit Me") was included in the soundtrack for Midnight Cowboy, released in 1969. His first attempt at a solo album, Wanted Dead or Alive (1969), did not fare well, and his second effort, Leaf in the Wind, was scrapped (though release was considered just prior to his death). In the early 70s he toured regularly with the Everly Brothers as keyboard player and band leader/musical coordinator. His dissatisfaction with his career and the opportunities for a song-writer led him to move to Spain briefly, where he played in a small bar owned by a former mercenary. Together, they penned Zevon's classic "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner."
In the mid-70s he moved to Los Angeles, and became associated with the then-burgeoning West coast music scene, including collaborations with Jackson Browne, who would produce and promote Zevon's self-titled major-label debut in 1976, The Eagles, who appeared on that first album, and Linda Ronstadt, who would record several early Zevon songs including a hit version of "Poor Poor Pitiful Me". Zevon's first tour in 1977 included guest appearances in the middle of Jackson Browne concerts.
In 1978 Zevon released his breakthrough album, Excitable Boy, to critical acclaim and popular success. Several tracks from this album received heavy FM airplay and the single release "Werewolves of London", which featured a relatively lighthearted version of Zevon's signature macabre outlook, was a top-ten hit.
For the next 20 years Zevon would continue to record and release albums sporadically and with varying levels of success, while fighting personal demons including an acknowledged battle with alcoholism and drugs. (His fourth album, Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School is dedicated to novelist Ross Macdonald, who crucially assisted Zevon during a particularly difficult episode in 1979.) Apparently success did not treat Zevon well, as evidenced by his movements (living on Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, etc.), well-documented stints in rehab, and withdrawal from the spotlight. After the release of The Envoy in 1982, Zevon effectively quit his career as a full-time occupation, appearing rarely and usually solo, without a band. He also collaborated with several members of R.E.M. to record as the Hindu Love Gods in 1990, though initial collaboration occurred during his "lost period" in 1984.
In 1987 Zevon made a comeback with a modest hit album Sentimental Hygiene, which featured collaborations with Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and members of R.E.M., among others including long-time collaborators Jorge Calderone and Waddy Wachtel. The follow-up album, Transverse City in 1989 also featured guests, including Jerry Garcia and David Gilmour. The tradition of collaborations with more famous musical talents was consistent throughout his career, from the appearance of Jackson Browne and The Eagles on his first album, to Bruce Springsteen on his last.
Zevon toured the US regularly during the 90s, often alone, with minimal accompaniment. He did conduct a tour with Odds, a band from Vancouver, Canada. Many tours started in Colorado to allow Warren an opportunity to visit with his long-time friend, Hunter S. Thompson. Warren was close to several prominent writers who also collaborated on song-writing, including Carl Hiassen. He also served as musical coordinator for an ad-hoc group called the Rock Bottom Remainders, a collection of writers performing rock and roll standards at book fairs and other events. This group included Stephen King, Dave Barry, and other popular writers.
In interviews, Zevon described a lifelong phobia of doctors and seldom received medical assessment. In 2002, after a long period of untreated illness and pain, Zevon was encouraged by his dentist to see a doctor; when he did so he was diagnosed with inoperable mesothelioma (a form of lung cancer associated with exposure to asbestos rather than smoking). He then began recording his final album, The Wind, with guest appearances from close friends including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, David Lindley, Billy Bob Thornton, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and others.
On October 30, 2002, Zevon was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the only guest for the entire hour. Zevon performed several songs and spoke at length about his illness. Zevon was a frequent guest and occasional substitute bandleader on Letterman's television shows since Late Night first aired in 1982. It was this show where Zevon offered his insight on facing death: "enjoy every sandwich."
Zevon previously stated that his illness was expected to be terminal within months after the diagnosis in the Fall of 2002; however he lived to see the birth of twin grandsons in June of 2003 and the release of The Wind on August 28, 2003. When his diagnosis became public, he told the media that he just hoped to live long enough to see the next James Bond movie, a goal he also accomplished. Appropriately, the film was called Die Another Day.
Zevon died at his home in Los Angeles, California, on September 7, 2003. The Wind was certified gold by the RIAA in December of 2003 and Zevon received 5 posthumous Grammy nominations, including Song Of The Year for "Keep Me In Your Heart".
A tribute album titled Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon was released October 19, 2004. His son, Jordan Zevon, did a large part of the work on the album and performed "Studebaker," a previously unreleased composition. A second tribute album, titled Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon (the lyrics "hurry home early" are from the song "Boom Boom Mancini," on Sentimental Hygiene) was released by Wampus Multimedia on July 8, 2005.
On February 14, 2006, VH1 Classic premiered a video from a new compilation, "Reconsider Me: The Love Songs of Warren Zevon." The video, titled "She's Too Good For Me," aired every hour on the hour throughout the day. The video was not well received among many of Zevon's fans, as evidenced by their responses on the official Bulletin Board.
Wanted Dead or Alive
Warren Zevon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm wanted everywhere
I've got to survive
They say I am a violent man
Only trying to do the best I can, dig it
I am wanted dead or alive
Fifteen states I've got to survive
I'm a new kind of man
I've got to survive
Running a long way
I am wanted dead or alive
I'm wanted everywhere
I've got to survive
Now all I'm trying to do
Is find a peaceful place
But they say I have an outlaw face
My Lord, I have an outlaw's face
I have an outlaw's face
They say I have an outlaw's face
My, my, yes, I have an outlaw's face
I have an outlaw's face, I have an outlaw's face
Oh my Lord, I have an outlaw's face
Sweet God Almighty, I have an outlaw's face
The lyrics of Warren Zevon's song Wanted Dead Or Alive explore the theme of a person who lives outside of the law and is constantly on the run. The singer in the song sings about being wanted dead or alive, having an outlaw's face, and wanting to find a peaceful place to live. The lyrics suggest that the singer is not truly a violent man, but is instead someone who has been forced to live a certain way because of his circumstances.
The first verse of the song establishes the singer's status as a wanted man who must survive in order to avoid being caught. The second verse adds to this idea by stating that he must survive in fifteen different states. The repetition of the phrase "I am wanted dead or alive" in both verses emphasizes the singer's desperation and the seriousness of his situation.
The third verse reveals that the singer is not necessarily a violent person, but has been labeled as such because of his outlaw status. He just wants to find a peaceful place to live, but is unable to do so because of his reputation. The repetition of "I have an outlaw's face" serves to drive home this point and emphasizes the singer's frustration with his situation.
Overall, Wanted Dead Or Alive is a song about the struggles and challenges of living outside of society. It is a commentary on the way that those who are labeled as outlaws are often forced to live on the margins, and are constantly under threat of being caught and punished for their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
I am wanted dead or alive
There are people everywhere who are looking for me, with orders to kill me if necessary
I'm wanted everywhere
Everyone, everywhere, is looking for me
I've got to survive
My life is constantly in danger, and I must do everything in my power to stay alive
They say I am a violent man
Rumors have spread about me being a violent person, but I am doing everything I can to survive in this dangerous environment
Only trying to do the best I can, dig it
Despite the fact that I am constantly being hunted and labeled as violent, I am only trying to survive and make the most of what I have
Fifteen states I've got to survive
I am on the run in multiple states, trying to stay ahead of the people who are after me
I'm a new kind of man
I am different from the people who are after me, and I must adapt to this new way of life in order to survive
Running a long way
I am constantly on the move, always running and trying to stay one step ahead of those who want to kill me
Now all I'm trying to do
My only goal at this point is to find a safe, peaceful place to hide and rest
Is find a peaceful place
I am constantly searching for a safe haven where I can be at peace and free from the constant threat of violence and danger
But they say I have an outlaw face
Even if I were to finally find a peaceful place, I would still be judged and labeled as an outlaw based on my appearance and reputation
My Lord, I have an outlaw's face
I am aware of how people perceive me based on my looks and past actions, and it is disheartening
I have an outlaw's face
My appearance matches the stereotype of an outlaw, even if I am not truly deserving of that label
Sweet God Almighty, I have an outlaw's face
It is frustrating and unfair to be judged and hunted based on my looks and reputation rather than who I truly am
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KIM VINCENT FOWLEY, MARTIN CERF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind