“Werewolves of London,” “Lawyers, Guns and Money,” “Hasten Down the Wind,” “Mohammed’s Radio,” “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Carmelita,” “Reconsider Me,” “Desperado Under the Eaves,” “Keep Me In Your Heart,” “Boom Boom Mancini,” “Mutineer,” and “Accidentally Like a Martyr” are among the dozens of songs written by Warren Zevon, the idiosyncratic singer-songwriter who sadly died from mesothelioma cancer on this date 20 years ago.
In the two decades since his death at age 56, Zevon’s songs have been covered by countless admirers, from the amateur just learning to play to the seasoned professional performing in front of crowds around the world. Zevon, who as a teen briefly studied with Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, wrote complex songs that are both timeless and stamped with his signature comingling of the sacred and profane.
Among those admirers of Zevon’s songwriting is one of the most revered songwriters to approach the craft, Nobel Prize in Literature recipient Bob Dylan. In 2009, Dylan was interviewed by music critic and MTV producer Bill Flanagan about a variety of topics, including which songwriters Dylan admired.
“Who are some of your favorite songwriters?” Flanagan pointedly asked. Dylan responded by listing off six of his contemporaries, only one of whom is still alive. Along with Zevon, Dylan listed Gordon Lightfoot, Guy Clark and John Prine, who have all passed away since the 2009 interview, as well as Jimmy Buffett who died last week. Also named was acclaimed songwriter Randy Newman, who will turn 80 in November.
Dylan appeared on Zevon’s 1987 album, Sentimental Hygiene, playing harmonica on the song “The Factory.” Zevon recorded a gut-wrenching cover of Dylan’s classic “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” for Zevon’s final album, 2002’s The Wind which was recorded after his cancer diagnosis and released just weeks before his death.
Steve Gorman, who played drums on Zevon’s “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” cover, said Zevon got the idea to record the song after learning Dylan had played several of Zevon’s songs during a run of shows in 2002, not long after Zevon went public with his cancer diagnosis. Gorman told journalist Steven Hyden what he recalled Zevon saying when heard about Dylan covering his songs.
“People had to tell me because I couldn’t recognize them,” Zevon reportedly said. “Nothing tells a man he’s about to die like when Bob Dylan starts doing your music.”
In the 2009 interview, Flanagan further pressed Dylan about Zevon, resulting in this exchange:
Flanagan: Did you know Zevon?
Dylan: Not very well.
Flanagan: What did you like about him?
Dylan: “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” “Boom Boom Mancini.” Down hard stuff. “Join me in L.A.” sort of straddles the line between heartfelt and primeval. His musical patterns are all over the place, probably because he’s classically trained.
There might be three separate songs within a Zevon song, but they’re all effortlessly connected. Zevon was a musician’s musician, a tortured one. “Desperado Under the Eaves.” It’s all in there.
The Zevon songs Dylan chose to cover in 2002 included “Lawyers, Guns and Money,” “Boom Boom Mancini,” “Accidentally Like A Martyr” and “Mutineer.” Watch and listen to Dylan covering Zevon below:
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Mutineer
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Accidentally Like A Martyr
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Lawyers, Guns and Money
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Boom Boom Mancini
