"But then I knew it was bad when the doctor came in with the CAT scan in his hand, closed the door and gave me a glass of water and said, 'I need to tell you something.' "
When Zevon turned to a sober life, he made a public announcement that he did not want to die by drink, which he described as a coward's death. That was a time before the celebrity mea culpa was fashionable, but Zevon's proclamation then is similar to his new announcement, via press release on Thursday, about his health. Zevon explained during Wednesday's interview that he took that approach to define as much as possible the terms of his own life and death.
And what are the terms of the moment? Family and music, he says, as well as watching lots of Steve McQueen movies and shoveling down eggs and bacon. "That's what I eat. Every meal. It's fantastic."
Zevon was married twice but is now single. His adult children, Jordan and Ariel, are in Southern California now, and the singer said he hopes to pack his days with them and maybe even make it out for a fishing trip, one of his beloved pursuits. Next week, though, Zevon plans to be in the recording studio. Long known as a methodical, less-than-prolific artist, Zevon is now in a different gear.
"I've been working frantically," he said. "But you know, imminent doom lowers the bar a bit."
If the trips to the studio are too taxing, Zevon has at his disposal an elaborate nest of recording gear set up within feet of his bed. "That's thanks to Danny Goldberg," he said, a nod to the chief of Zevon's label, Artemis Records. "He is the absolute best."
Zevon declined to offer any hints about the new songs, but he said fans should not anticipate material of moist eyes or long, distant stares. "You needn't look for a great deal more of piety. I have a little mischief in mind."
Imagine Celine Dion reacting this way.
UPDATE
Jim Henley has some fine words and an excellent roundup:
- A famous Zevon profile in a c. 1980 Rolling Stone issue led me to read the Lew Archer novels of Ross MacDonald. Lucky the young man at loose ends who stumbles upon these books, in so many of which a young man at loose ends tries to figure out how to live like a decent human being. MacDonald was my gateway to the wondrous world of the American mystery. Zevon also led me to the better sort of spy novel - I remember showing up for a concert at the Bayou in Georgetown with a copy of Ross Thomas' classic, Chinaman's Chance - hoping, of course, that Zevon would notice and make me his pal - didn't happen. Hey, the Bayou never started concerts on time! You had to entertain yourself before the show somehow. (At that one, a fan yelled out a request for "Carmelita," the Mexicali-flavored lament of a junkie novelist. Zevon's response: "I would rather stick things in my eye.")
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Phil Freeman
This is, indeed, terrible news. Warren Zevon is the Raymond Chandler of songwriting. That's about the highest compliment I can pay. I mean, who's gonna fill those shoes?
2 - Paul A'Barge
Clicked on the Nancy Nall link. No mention of Mr Zevon. Clicked on some of her archives. No mention of Mr Zevon.
3 - Eric Olsen
Nancy passed the information on to me - she'll have something on WZ tonight.
4 - Nance
Sorry, Paul. I'm not a blogger in the updated-all-day mold. Just one diary entry at the end of the day, which I'm working on, which will be Zevon-heavy tonight, I suspect.
5 - Slattery
Zevon collaborated a while back with Carl Hiaasen in the Floridian author's latest foray into the world of bizarre criminality --- BASKET CASE.
Zevon and Hiaasen penned a song together, Basket Case, an MP3 which is available at Hiaasen's web site..
6 - Hazy Dave
Well I went to the doctor,
I said "I'm feeling kinda rough."
"Let me break it to you, son
Your shit's fucked up."
I said, "My shit's fucked up?
Well, I don't see how."
He said, The shit that used to work
Don't work now."
...As a man of a certain age, I've been relating strongly to these lyrics from Life'll Kill Ya in recent months. Very sorry to hear of Warren's prognosis.
7 - PJ Conley
"But then I knew it was bad when the doctor came in with the CAT scan in his hand, closed the door and gave me a glass of water and said, 'I need to tell you something.' "
WZ captures this event perfectly in his song My Shit's Fucked Up (on Life’ll Kill Ya). Having been diagnosed with cancer as well at one point, this is an incredibly poignant song which many miss because of the profanity of it.
-pjc
8 - Christopher McCallum
Devastated to hear the news about the wolf man. Hope he and Jackson touch ground and put a few tunes down real soon.
9 - Stevie Z
Damn. It was listening to Warren Zevon that I realized what indeed a truly GREAT song was, and he greatly influences my songwriting to this day. He reminded me that 3 or 4 chords is all you need, as long as you have something worthwhile to say. I have been hoping that he would put out an album soon, and I hope that his remaining days are as fulfilling to him as they can be. Thanks, Mr. Zevon, for giving me some great stuff to hook onto.
Stevie Z
10 - Kevin Lee
I had the whole crew at work singing the phrase
monkey wash donkey rinse for weeks. Thev're still trying to figure it out.My life's a better
place due to your slick absurdities.My buddy
turned me on to "Learning to Flinch " while I
was doing an anchor watch over the Andrea Doria
in '95 and I've been tuned in since. THANKS
11 - bobG
Music has always held such an important place in my life. When all else fails, i listen to good music, and things somehow seem better.
Warren was "the guy" who wrote much of that good music, and helped me over some rough times in my life...
Wish there was someway i could return the favor...
12 - bobG
Music has always held such an important place in my life. When all else fails, i listen to good music, and things somehow seem better.
Warren was "the guy" who wrote much of that good music, and helped me over some rough times in my life...
Wish there was someway i could return the favor...
13 - Conley
Zevon is great to have around.
14 - Rob
Did anyone see David Letterman on 10/30/02? Warren was the only guest, talked about his music, his cancer, and sang Mutineer, genius, and Roland the Headless Thompson gunner. He was ironic and sad and hilarious. Great show.
15 - K. Schultz
I discovered Warren Zevon around 1978, and he has since been my favorite artist (At 52, I'm still rockin'!). No... more than that, but there really aren't any proper words of appreciation.
I've been to every performance of his that I could manage, and was never disappointed. To say that I am a fan is... well, my black German Shepherd's name is "Zevon", and my KaZaA username is "exciteableboy". When I heard the news of his terminal illness it were as if one of my closest friends had just received the death sentence... devastating!
His dark humor and views on life somewhat parallel my own, which, perhaps is the connection I feel so acutely. But then, if he were to read this, I know that he might also twitch a lip in half a smile and think that MY shit was fucked up, and that I should get on with it and enjoy every bite of my sandwich before the Grim Reaper catches up with ME.
I will miss his presence dearly, and will mourn the absence of all the music that he would have given us. Yet, I will celebrate his life and all that he has been able to give us. Farewell to a friend. Know that your fans hold a genuine love for you.
16 - MarkD
Amen, Brother K.Schultz!
WZ will be sadly missed. So grateful to have discovered his music. Can't help but smile every time I hear a tune.
Thank you, WarrenZ.
17 - ellen
having lost a loved one to mesothelioma a few years ago, music was a great solace, and i blasted Zevon all the time. his lyrics and music helped ease the pain and sorrow. how ironic to lose him now to the same insidious disease. his master of language and the human condition was the best. his appearance on Letterman was pure "class and courage".
18 - ELLEN
would appreciate it so very much if someone has a tape of Warren's 10/30/02 appearance on the Letterman show (mine did not come out, and if I were as talented as WZ, I'd write a lyric about that). Thanks!
19 - John
Warren is the best. Let's continue the work to get him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Also, I'd like to see a tribute album with some of his friends covering his songs -- albeit most will be unable match the virtuosity of the originals, it would be good to hear.
20 - K L Chee
I have all of WZ's records/CDs. He gave me over 20 years of fantastic/great music. Thanks Warren.
21 - John Stodder
Just FYI, mesothelioma, which I learned from Rolling Stone is the cancer Warren has, does not result from smoking, drinking or partying like a rock star. It is an environmental cancer generally caused by exposure to asbestos (although there are other theories, such as exposure to SV-40, a simian virus that showed up in early polio vaccines that US, UK and Canadian kids of Zevon's generation got). I had a family member die of this disease at age 46. It is a horrible cancer, which can be palliated but there's no cure. I only say this because the overall tone of media coverage is that Warren accepts that his lifestyle led to this outcome. If it did, it's because he worked somewhere and was exposed to asbestos, or some other environmental contaminant, and not because he stayed too long at the fair.
22 - John Stodder
Just FYI, mesothelioma, which I learned from Rolling Stone is the cancer Warren has, does not result from smoking, drinking or partying like a rock star. It is an environmental cancer generally caused by exposure to asbestos (although there are other theories, such as exposure to SV-40, a simian virus that showed up in early polio vaccines that US, UK and Canadian kids of Zevon's generation got). I had a family member die of this disease at age 46. It is a horrible cancer, which can be palliated but there's no cure. I only say this because the overall tone of media coverage is that Warren accepts that his lifestyle led to this outcome. If it did, it's because he worked somewhere and was exposed to asbestos, or some other environmental contaminant, and not because he stayed too long at the fair.
23 - John Stodder
Just FYI, mesothelioma, which I learned from Rolling Stone is the cancer Warren has, does not result from smoking, drinking or partying like a rock star. It is an environmental cancer generally caused by exposure to asbestos (although there are other theories, such as exposure to SV-40, a simian virus that showed up in early polio vaccines that US, UK and Canadian kids of Zevon's generation got). I had a family member die of this disease at age 46. It is a horrible cancer, which can be palliated but there's no cure. I only say this because the overall tone of media coverage is that Warren accepts that his lifestyle led to this outcome. If it did, it's because he worked somewhere and was exposed to asbestos, or some other environmental contaminant, and not because he stayed too long at the fair.
24 - John Stodder
Just FYI, mesothelioma, which I learned from Rolling Stone is the cancer Warren has, does not result from smoking, drinking or partying like a rock star. It is an environmental cancer generally caused by exposure to asbestos (although there are other theories, such as exposure to SV-40, a simian virus that showed up in early polio vaccines that US, UK and Canadian kids of Zevon's generation got). I had a family member die of this disease at age 46. It is a horrible cancer, which can be palliated but there's no cure. I only say this because the overall tone of media coverage is that Warren accepts that his lifestyle led to this outcome. If it did, it's because he worked somewhere and was exposed to asbestos, or some other environmental contaminant, and not because he stayed too long at the fair.
25 - Betty Brevig
To Warren...your songs have given me many years of pure enjoyment & delight. Your music and spirit will live on in my heart always. I wish you an eternity of peace, music and love...& I hope that you know how much you are respected. I saw you perform only once (live in Virginia Beach)and it was nothing less than remarkable. You will be missed in more ways than you will ever know. My heart aches for you & your family. You're the BEST...the world is a much cooler place because you've been in it. All my love to you & yours.