Warren Zevon famous quotes

We buy books because we believe we're buying the time to read them.
-- Warren Zevon

#Believe #Book #Buying

But there's a thin line between songwriting and arranging. ... Recording at home enables one to eliminate the demo stage, and the presentation stage in the studio, too. ... And I think it's safe to say that the single very impressive figure to me was Merle Haggard. ... Dylan can do no wrong. ... Glenn Gould was my hero. Glenn Gould was my idol. I loved him. ... I loved Hendrix. I mean, really, really loved him. As if he were one of the great classical composers. And he was. That's how I saw him.
-- Warren Zevon

#Hero #Home #Mean

I wrote my songs despite the fact that I was a drunk, not because of it
-- Warren Zevon

#Song #Drunk #Facts

Little old lady got mutilated late last night, werewolves of London, again.
-- Warren Zevon

#Night #Evil #Littles

There's nothing romantic, nothing grand, nothing heroic, nothing brave, nothing like that about drinking. It's a real coward's death.
-- Warren Zevon

#Real #Drinking #Alcohol

I mean, I haven't been completely lacking in some enjoyment of Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly. But I just didn't pay attention to that period of music, obviously.
-- Warren Zevon

#Mean #Hollies #Attention

I saw a Werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
-- Warren Zevon

#Hands #Chinese #Saws

I got to be Jim Morrison a lot longer than he did.
-- Warren Zevon

When I was young, times were hard. When I got older it was worse.
-- Warren Zevon

#Young

And if California slides into the ocean, as the mystics and statistics say it will, I predict this hotel will be standing until I've paid my bill.
-- Warren Zevon

#Future #Ocean #California

Yeah, I don't like, um, I'm not interested in rock 'n' roll piano. I find it a little grating.
-- Warren Zevon

#Piano #Rocks #Littles

I lay my head on the railroad track, waitin' on the Double E. But the train don't run by here no more, poor, poor, pitiful me.
-- Warren Zevon

#Running #Track #Low Self Esteem

If you won't leave me, I'll find someone who will.
-- Warren Zevon

#Low Self Esteem #Leaving Me

I'd like to go back to Paris someday and visit the Lourve museum, get a good running start, and hurl myself at the wall.
-- Warren Zevon

#Running #Art #Wall

Here's a story that I really want to tell about Bo Diddley at the OK corral.
-- Warren Zevon

#Musical #Want #Stories

Send lawyers, guns, and money. Dad, get me out of this.
-- Warren Zevon

#Family #Dad #Gun

All I can say is what I've always said: If you break your leg, stop thinking about dancing and start decorating the cast.
-- Warren Zevon

#Life #Thinking #Dancing

To me, the message of my songs, of all songs, is "enjoy life." My message as a person who evidently doens't have much more planned is the same. It's the only message I ever thought art had any business having.
-- Warren Zevon

#Song #Art #Enjoy Life

Regrets are so far from reality.
-- Warren Zevon

#Regret #Reality

I don't learn so good, no matter how good the teacher is.
-- Warren Zevon

#Teacher #Matter

Glenn Gould was my hero. Glenn Gould was my idol. I loved him.
-- Warren Zevon

#Hero #Idols #My Hero

I have no guitar technique.
-- Warren Zevon

#Guitar #Technique

I loved Hendrix. I mean, really, really loved him. As if he were one of the great classical composers. And he was. That's how I saw him.
-- Warren Zevon

#Mean #Saws #Hendrix

And I think it's safe to say that the single very impressive figure to me was Merle Haggard.
-- Warren Zevon

#Thinking #Safe #Figures

Enjoy every sandwich.
-- Warren Zevon

#Life #Sandwiches #Enjoy

I'll sleep when I'm dead.
-- Warren Zevon

#Witty #Humorous #Sleep

My father was a boxer, though. So, I have a particular interest in Ray Mancini, I think.
-- Warren Zevon

#Father #Thinking #Boxers

I might have made a tactical error not going to a physician for 20 years. It was one of those phobias that didn't pay off.
-- Warren Zevon

#Years #Errors #Might

We made mad love shadow love random love and abandoned love. Accidentally like a martyr. The hurt gets worse, and the heart gets harder.
-- Warren Zevon

#Hurt #Heart #Mad

don't let us get sick, don't let us get old, don't let us get stupid, alright? just make us be brave, and make us play nice, and let us be together tonight.
-- Warren Zevon

#Stupid #Nice #Play

I've been to Paris. And it ain't that pretty at all.
-- Warren Zevon

#Fun #Paris

Everywhere I go, I have my little Steinberger, and I like it very well.
-- Warren Zevon

#Littles #Wells

But there's a thin line between songwriting and arranging.
-- Warren Zevon

#Lines #Songwriting

But I can't say that I didn't like John Hammond's performances often better than the originals.
-- Warren Zevon

#Performances

You put more value on every minute...You know I always kinda thought I did that. I really always enjoyed myself. But it's more valuable now. You're reminded to enjoy every sandwich and every minute.
-- Warren Zevon

#Sandwiches #Minutes #Enjoy

They say love conquers all You can't start it like a car You can't stop it with a gun.
-- Warren Zevon

#Gun #Car #Love Conquers All

You can dream the American Dream But you sleep with the lights on And wake up with a scream
-- Warren Zevon

#Dream #Sleep #Light

I like wherever I am. That's my big secret.
-- Warren Zevon

#Change #Growth #Secret

Duncan Aldrich has been my partner in most recording projects, and touring projects, for the past decade.
-- Warren Zevon

#Past #Duncan #Partners

I'm very well acquainted with the seven deadly sins, I keep a busy schedule trying to fit them in.
-- Warren Zevon

#Evil #Trying #Schedules

Can't you just imagine digging up the King, begging him to sing about those heavenly mansions Jesus mentioned.
-- Warren Zevon

#Jesus #Kings #Digging

I'm drinking here break motor oil and Bombay gin, I'll sleep when I'm dead.
-- Warren Zevon

#Drinking #Sleep #Oil

It's hard to find a girl with a heart of gold, when you're living in a four letter world.
-- Warren Zevon

#Girl #Heart #Reality

I went to law school and took a law degree, and counseled all my clients to plead insanity.
-- Warren Zevon

#School #Order #Law

The hurt gets worse as the heart grows harder.
-- Warren Zevon

#Hurt #Heart #Adages

Excitable boy, they all said, he killed and raped her and brought her home.
-- Warren Zevon

#Home #Boys #Insanity

You're suppose to sit on your ***** and nod at stupid things.
-- Warren Zevon

#Stupid #Work #Ass

It just sort of happened. I wrote like what I'd always read and what was in the movies... I'm sure popular music is supposed to be like this.
-- Warren Zevon

#Music Is #Popular Music

Sickness, doctors, that scares me, not violence -- helplessness. That's why I turn to violent stories.
-- Warren Zevon

#Doctors #Scare #Stories

My memory is not even what most peoples is, much less what it oughta be for a discussion like this.
-- Warren Zevon

#Memories #Discussion

I don't get depressed and I don't get bored
-- Warren Zevon

#Bored

Maybe you simply criticized someone you hardly knew. You ruined part of their life. For them, part of your life, too.
-- Warren Zevon

#Rejection #Ruined

Your face looked like something Death brought with him in his suitcase.
-- Warren Zevon

#Friendship #Suitcases #Faces

I'm not a big jazz fan.
-- Warren Zevon

#Fans #Jazz #Bigs

People write because it seems like it'll be an easier job than carpet laying, that they might meet more girls. And they write because the world strikes them as being a marvelous place, and they want to keep bringing that to everybody's attention. You know ~ a scary place, a menacing place, an exciting place because it's scary and menacing. But mainly, kind of glorious.
-- Warren Zevon

#Girl #Jobs #Writing

The primary one being, like I said, I don't like rock 'n' roll piano.
-- Warren Zevon

#Piano #Rocks #Rock N Roll

That's my only active wish. I think if I sang like Don Henley, this would be a lot more agreeable business.
-- Warren Zevon

#Business #Thinking #Wish

I missed jazz, kind of. And by the time I came to it in life, it was too intimidating to enjoy thoroughly.
-- Warren Zevon

#Life #Jazz #Kind

Well, I don't think it ever did, but in the early '60s I got interested in folk music.
-- Warren Zevon

#Music #Thinking #Wells

Dylan doesn't have to make Blonde On Blonde every time.
-- Warren Zevon

#Time #Blonde #Dylan

I write songs about things that I'm simultaneously trying not to think about.
-- Warren Zevon

#Song #Writing #Thinking

I don't like piano solos.
-- Warren Zevon

#Piano #Solo

I had a good guitar, and I was a young, young kid.
-- Warren Zevon

#Kids #Guitar #Young

I played a lot of real normal, straight sessions.
-- Warren Zevon

#Real #Normal

I wish I sang better.
-- Warren Zevon

#Wish

You had to go to a different part of town from where I was to get Muddy Waters singles. I had him on singles.
-- Warren Zevon

#Water #Towns #Different

Well, I was interested in playing the piano from as early as I can remember.
-- Warren Zevon

#Piano #Remember #Wells

Recording at home enables one to eliminate the demo stage, and the presentation stage in the studio, too.
-- Warren Zevon

#Home #Stage #Demos

Piano is like drudgery.
-- Warren Zevon

#Piano

My first album is like a terrible John Hammond album, with drums.
-- Warren Zevon

#Firsts #Albums #Terrible

Mutineer is the first album of mine without a demo stage.
-- Warren Zevon

#Firsts #Albums #Stage

LeRoy says there's something you should know, not everybody has a place to go. And home is just a place to hang your head, and dream of things to do in Denver when you're dead.
-- Warren Zevon

#Dream #Travel #Home