Two months ago, Warren Zevon announced to the world that he had been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. “I’m okay with it, but it’ll be a drag if I don’t make it till the next James Bond movie comes out,” said Zevon at the time. Last night he appeared, probably for the final time, as the sole guest on Late Night with David Letterman. Those two have been close friends for years and Zevon has been the main substitute as bandleader when Paul Shaeffer was away.
I just finished watching and this was simple, terrific television. Letterman did his usual opening material, including an amusing Top 10 on “When You’re Too Old to Trick or Treat,” but the bulk of the show was devoted to conversation with Zevon and his performance of three songs. I don’t watch the Late Show much any more, I can only take so much of the host, but I did watch his first post-9/11 show last year and this one and Letterman, to me, is at his best when he’s truly emotionally involved with his guest. He barely restrained the tears last night and last year, sitting there with Dan Rather, he didn’t even try.
To look at him, you wouldn’t think that Warren Zevon will probably die before the year is out. There are no obvious physical cues and his mind and music were as sharp as ever. He still has the long, messy blonde hair and thick beard. And his conversation was witty, not a sign of self-pity, so much so that I was waiting for Letterman to let the tears out just as relief. The last part of the show was performance: “Mutineer”, Genius (the title track of his most recent greatest hits package), and, my favorite, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.
The last song originally came out in 1978 on his third album, Excitable Boy. What an amazing album this was, so literate and emotional, so full of rock and roll. Out of nine songs, I can still sing five of them 24 years later. Besides Roland and the title track, there was Johnny Strikes Up the Band, Lawyers, Guns, and Money, and, Zevon’s biggest hit, Werewolves of London. To me this was the sonic equivalent of a great caper novel, as if Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiaasen had taken up rock and roll piano. Who else was writing rockers about European mercenaries fighting in the Congo?
So now Warren Zevon is dying. Not from drugs and alcohol, of which he admits to more than his share (though these probably contributed), or in a plane crash, but with time to say goodbye. As he said on Letterman, he really understands now just how important it is to appreciate and enjoy every sandwich. Zevon is taking as much time as he can to write and record new material and the sessions are being recorded by VH1 for a special. To no one’s surprise, he’s living his life until the last minute. The LA Times has a very good article that was done last month, at the time Zevon’s illness was announced.
Ironically, his last two releases were titled “Life’ll Kill Ya” and “My Ride’s Here.” WZ, you will be missed but your music will live on.
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