Electrolite: I'll sleep when I'm dead

September 15, 2002

I’ll sleep when I’m dead It was 1979. We’d been married just weeks before in our San Francisco back yard. We loaded a drive-away car with our worldly possessions and drove from San Francisco to Seattle. The car was equipped with (1) 8-track tape player and (1 each) 8-track copies of Dolly Parton’s Greatest Hits and Warren Zevon’s Warren Zevon.

It’s about 20 hours by car from San Francisco to Seattle. Guess which tape got played the most.

You know, the sheriff’s got his problems too
And he will surely take them out on you
In walks the village idiot—his face is all aglow
He’s been up all night listening to Mohammed’s Radio
Don’t it make you want to rock and roll
All night long
Mohammed’s Radio
I heard somebody singing sweet and soulful on the radio
Mohammed’s Radio

In some of the most fucked-up news of the week, Warren Zevon has inoperable lung cancer.

I don’t know what to do except play my Warren Zevon records really, really loud.

Send lawyers, guns, and money. The shit has hit the fan. [11:01 PM]

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Comments on I'll sleep when I'm dead:

Bob Webber ::: (view all by) ::: September 16, 2002, 11:29 AM:

For me, Warren Zevon's Warren Zevon always calls to mind a period in my fannish life when I spent a lot of time with Bill Brummer (that Excitable Boy), Pat Mueller, and Grant Schuyler. "Mohammed's Radio," "Mama Couldn't Be Persuaded," "Join Me in L.A.," all parts of the soundtrack from a period of a year or two, along with "Veracruz," "Excitable Boy."

There's a contact link for the musician himself off the Warren Zevon web site for anyone who wants to send their regards or thanks. I might have to think of something better to write than, "Could anyone be more surprised than you that you made it to even this age?"

It's been a treat seeing Zevon fill in on the Letterman program from time to time, still looking very much like himself. Still too young, still far too young.

Tim Kyger ::: (view all by) ::: September 18, 2002, 09:57 AM:

Actually, you got married that afternoon, as I recall (me being the Maid of Honor), and then that evening left for Seattle, not some weeks later. It was a Friday, too, as I recall. (I could be wrong, though.)

And I further recall that youse two also had an 8-track of "Abby Road" in the car (a rental). But that's not important now...

What you also fail to mention is that, at least for me, the summer of IguanaCon II's soundtrack *was* the LP "Excitable Boy." That, and Al Di Meola's "Casino."

Patrick, you may not remember this, but I do clearly -- when you arrived back in Phoenix shortly before the beginning of summer, you brought with you a cassette tape of "Excitable Boy" for me (the obverse was Elvis Costello's "This Year's Model"). I still have that tape. That was my introduction to Zevon, as well as to E.C., and for that I am eternally grateful.

*sigh* Laura Nyro, and now Zevon. Damn it.

Kevin J. Maroney ::: (view all by) ::: September 19, 2002, 06:35 PM:

I have not heard Zevon's most recent album, but his 2000 release Life'll Kill Ya contains what might be my favorite prayer of all time:

Don't let us get sick
Don't let us grow old
Don't let us be stupid, all right?
Just make us be brave
Make us play nice
And let us be together tonight.

I wish that there were something willing to grant him that prayer.