Warren Zevon Quotes

We love to buy books because we believe we're buying the time to read them. [Inside Out (VH1)]

Enjoy every sandwich.

I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect.

I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Send lawyers, guns and money; the shit has hit the fan.

Life'll kill ya

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

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.

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.

The days slide by Should have done, should have done, we all sigh...

If you don't like it, Eat me.

You used to be the best to make life be real to me, and I hope that you're still out there and you're like you used to be

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

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

Cachet — isn’t that like panache, but sitting down?

Still waking up in the mornings with shaking hands And I'm trying to find a girl who understands me But except in dreams you're never really free

Enjoy every sandwich

Disorder in the house The doors are coming off the hinges The earth will open and swallow up the real estate I just got my paycheck I'm gonna paint the whole town grey Whether it's a night in Paris or a Fresno matinee It's the home of the brave and the land of the free Where the less you know the better off you'll be

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

We buy books because we believe we are buying the time to read them.

I was born to rock the boat. Some may sink, but we may float.

It used to seem to me that my life ran on too fast, and I had to take it slowly just to make the good parts last But when you're born to run it's so hard to just slow down, so don't be surprised to see me back in that bright part of town

CRYSTAL ZEVON: On our first night in our new apartment, we decided to celebrate with Warren’s favorite meal at home. I made pot roast cooked in cognac-based onion soup. Warren got dressed up in his one white dress shirt and when he tasted the pot roast, he grabbed a fistful, jumped up on the countertop, ripped off the buttons to his shirt and proceeded to rub the meat all over his chest. A couple nights later, we went to Roy Marniell’s place and had another pot roast dinner and “Excitable Boy” was born.

My 1979 Top 40 In no particular order, this is the forty-track rotation I listened to when I was researching, prepping and writing 1979. They were all released in the late 1970s, though not all in 1979 itself. But then, like Allie, we all listen to tunes from our past . . . I hope it gets you in the mood for reading! ‘Picture This’ – Blondie ‘Lovely Day’ – Bill Withers ‘Automatic Lover’ – Dee D. Jackson ‘Brass in Pocket’ – The Pretenders ‘It’s a Heartache’ – Bonnie Tyler ‘Wild West Hero’ – Electric Light Orchestra ‘Because the Night’ – Patti Smith ‘Into the Valley’ – The Skids ‘YMCA’ – Village People ‘Like Clockwork’ – Boomtown Rats ‘Stayin’ Alive’ – Bee Gees ‘Uptown Top Ranking’ – Althea & Donna ‘No More Heroes’ – The Stranglers ‘Take a Chance on Me’ – Abba ‘Werewolves of London’ – Warren Zevon ‘Psycho Killer’ – Talking Heads ‘Kiss You All Over’ – Exile ‘Top of the Pops’ – Rezillos ‘Heroes’ – David Bowie ‘Don’t Hang Up’ – 10cc ‘English Civil War’ – The Clash ‘2-4-6-8-Motorway’ – Tom Robinson Band ‘Rebel Rebel’ – David Bowie ‘Glad to be Gay’ – Tom Robinson Band

Send lawyers, guns and money, the shit has hit the fan.

Enjoy every sandwich.

It don't matter if I get a little tired I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Not all of Warren’s dinner parties ended in fisticuffs.

Our job isn’t to turn our bulb down to make the person next to us more comfortable. Our job is to turn our bulb up and give the next person permission to do the same. Warren did that.

It’s alright. It’s okay if it’s about your ego. Sometimes it’s got to be about your ego. Just know that it is.

Anyway, Lindsey and all his friends—Warren Zevon, right?—are in a circle. They smoked hash for a month, and I don’t smoke because of my voice. And when you don’t smoke there’s something that makes you really dislike other people smoking. I’d come in every day and have to step over these bodies. Me, I’ve just been cleaning. I’m tired. And I’m pickin’ up their legs and cleaning under them and emptying out the ashtrays.

and personal anecdotes, is uproariously reflective of

We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.

An old man told his grandson, “My boy, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all. The first one is Evil. He is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego. The second is Good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.” The boy thought about this for a moment, then asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?” The old man replied, “The one you feed.” —TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY AMERICAN FOLK TALE

Gratitude is often considered an element of spirit or purpose. But what are we expected to be grateful for? Innovation calls for financial gains, promotions, and possessions to stoke the fires of gratitude. But kaizen invites us to be grateful for health, for our next breath, for the moments with a friend or colleague. When famous songwriter Warren Zevon was suffering from terminal cancer, David Letterman asked him what wisdom he gleaned from his illness. Zevon’s answer was pure kaizen: “Enjoy every sandwich.” Some quotes on service and gratitude to begin your exploration of kaizen: “I long to accomplish a great and noble task but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” —Helen Keller “We have to learn to live happily in the present moment, to touch the peace and joy that are available now.” —Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist Zen master “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” —Albert Einstein “I would rather have it said, ‘He lived usefully’ than ‘He died rich.’ ” —Benjamin Franklin