He wrote some truly great songs, and looked at the world in a kind of twisted, bemused way that was sort of a combination of loving the world and life, being po'd at it, and being in pain and sadness from it.
One of my favorite Zevon songs is "The Ballad of Bill Lee". It's a super simple tune. A piano and harmonica tribute to Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee, who refused to think, play or talk by the "rules".
Check out these lyrics:
You're supposed to sit on your ass
And nod at stupid things;
Man, that's hard to do.
But if you don't, they'll screw you.
And if you do they'll screw you too.
When I'm standing in the middle of that diamond all alone
I always play to win when it comes to skin and bone
But sometimes I say things I shouldn't, like....
Sometimes I say things I shouldn't, like....
Speak up... you'll be criticized if you do or if you don't, so might as well speak up and take action. Regrets in life are almost always over what you didn't do than what you did do.
Play to win... everyone's "standing in the middle of that diamond all alone". Throw your heart over the bar. What's a little skin and bone?
Have a sense of irony... being a player in the game means you're gonna make errors. Sometimes you'll say things (or do things) you shouldn't. That's part of being human. Have a sense of irony about it, and keep moving.
And don't just automatically do what you're "supposed to".
R.I.P. Warren!
No comments:
Post a Comment