Desperados Under the Eaves

Warren Zevon wrote much of the soundtrack to my life. Through humour, commentary, honest self reflection and beautiful melodies, he demonstrated what great song writing is all about.

Here are the lyrics to one of the best songs I think he ever wrote, the music starts out with a signature riff that Mr. Zevon used in several songs.

Desperados Under the Eaves

I was sitting in the Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel
I was staring in my empty coffee cup
I was thinking that the gypsy wasn't lyin'
All the salty margaritas in Los Angeles
I'm gonna drink 'em up

And if California slides into the ocean
Like the mystics and statistics say it will
I predict this motel will be standing until I pay my bill

Don't the sun look angry through the trees
Don't the trees look like crucified thieves
Don't you feel like Desperados under the eaves
Heaven help the one who leaves

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
Don't the sun look angry at me

I was sitting in the Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel
I was listening to the air conditioner hum
It went mmmmmm..
........................... Look
away..........................................
(Look away down Gower Avenue, Look away....)

Suffering Jukebox

If you are one of my two regular readers, you will know that this is not my typical blog post. Usually, my posts try to offer some kind of honest opinion on what I do or some lame update of what I'm doing.

I guess, when it comes down to it, I find this type of abstract creative expression inspiring and drives me to push my own work to be the best that it can be and look at things differently.

So, without further adieu, from one of my favourite bands, The Silver Jews, a song written by David Berman, called Suffering Jukebox:

Cranes on the downtown skyline is a sight to see for some;
It ought to make a few reputations in the cult of number one;
While these seconds turn these minutes into hours of the day;
All these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away.

Well I guess all that mad misery must make it seem to true to you;
But money lights your world up, you're trapped what can you do?
You got Tennessee tendencies and chemical dependencies;
You make the same old jokes and malaprops on cue.

Suffering jukebox, such a sad machine;
Your all filled up with what other people need;
Hardship, damnation and guilt;
Make you wonder why you were even built.

Suffering jukebox in a happy town;
You're over in the corner breaking down;
They always seem to keep you way down low;
The people in this town don't want to know.

In the end, we're all just suffering jukeboxes - we've all got lots to sing about, but in this self-absorbed, busy world, we're ignored. This sense of frustration is beautifully illustrated in words as are most of what Mr. Berman writes.

I listen to this song and am in awe at how cleverly crafted each and every line is. My favourite line is, "All these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away."