Hi Harri. According to Warren's wife, he was actually living in the Hollywood Hawaiin hotel when he wrote this song and he had no real way to pay his bill. He had a friend pull up behind the hotel and he escaped out of the bathroom window. Later when he got famous, he felt guilty about skipping out on his bill and he triend to pay them what he owed. They settled for an autographed copy of the record.
Warren's very personal story of his life of alcoholism. It features background vocals by Beach Boys, Carl Wilson and Billy Hinche, Jackson Brown and J.D. Southern. Beautiful song, with great instrumentation. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Lance. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Zevon is my absolute favorite of all time. His music is pure genius, in my opinion. He has so many fantastic songs. Try a review of "The French Inhaler", or "Indifference of Heaven".
One of my all time heroes. One of his best and ALL TRUE. He can't leave his hellhole of a hotel, as he can't pay his bill. HARRIBEST you will love this.
Warren was very important to me. I fell in love with him from this first album and bought everything else he put out. Saw him live too. One day after having moved to California for my acting career, I was shopping in a DVD store in West L.A.. I looked over into the next aisle and there was Warren Zevon. I did what no suoer coll L.A.lien would do and walked around to him and told him how much his music meant to me.He asked me my name, and I told him. He held out his hand and said "Hi John, I'm Warren Zevon!" We stood and talked for a while and I walked away in a cloud. About 3 months later he appeared on the Letterman Show and announced his cancer diagnosis and that he would be dead within a year. I feel like I provided a bright spot in a dark time for Warren. Great Songwriter and performer.
Such a great song. I think the line about the hotel still standing until he pays his bill is Zevon's dark humor on display. Things are going so badly for him, that even the apocalyptic destruction of California isn't going to relieve him of his debts.
You’re close. What it is about is that everything is about him. The universe and god will still judge him when everything else falls apart. Pair this with the line “ don’t the sun (son) look angry at me” it’s myopic narcissism that comes with the territory of alcoholism. And it’s brilliant songwriting.
@@jonullmann3824 Great observation. I never considered the double of meaning of sun/Son. But the very next line about "crucified theives" reveals that notion of judgment is very much on his mind. Incredible writing!
There really was a Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel. Not where the VIPS stayed before the Oscars. Warren did have serious drug and alcohol problems but he was sober for many years until he got cancer.
Warren was a classically trained piano prodigy as a child thus his orchestration here is pure classical music amid his own despair. Only one with that immense talent can take a mundane hum from an air conditioner and make it a beautiful noise. The motel line is a jab at the Hollywood establishment getting their money for every aspect of the party life even if a catastrophe hits. Having been to that locale many times, the motel sits upon a small hill that looks down the street, Gower, in a mesmerizing way. Feeling like a desperado in tinsel town is never more apparent than in the morning after a drunk. Trees even look like the "crucified thieves" next to Jesus at Calvary which was also a small hill. No doubt feelings of remorse hit Warren on many occasions with this being the masterpiece of his alcoholic despair.
One of the all time greats, and far less known than he should be .. This is one of his finest songs, written about his alcohol addiction problems, which plagued him for much of his career .. There's so many brilliant WZ songs for you to discover, Harri .. And as you appreciate good lyrics, you will love his work .. He is one of the best songwriters ever ! .. Be sure to give "Excitable Boy" a run at some stage.
Warren was a member of the infamous Hollywood Vampires celebrity drinking circle. He finally got sober, and his music after that really rocks. Zevon was a twisted genius!
Oh gawd. Still talking about the rrhof?! It means nothing to belong to such an antiquated institution. If Warren means something to YOU then that's all that really matters. ✌
My take on the line about the motel standing until he pays his bill: He's summing up his luck that even when the oddsmakers for both the physical and the metaphysical worlds predict the whole California coastline will sink into the Pacific Ocean, the crappy little motel he's staying in will somehow survive -- until, of course, he pays off his debt; and even then it might slide into the ocean as well.
I saw Warren live many times. For a few years he lived in Philadelphia with his girl friend, and was playing at local clubs all the time. Also saw him three times on the big tours. There was nobody else like him, a master of lyrics and sarcasm and eccentric characters in his songs. There was so much more to Warren than Excitable Boy and Werewolves Of London. I still miss him.
It's about Warren's growing problems with alcohol and drugs, but also about Los Angeles in the late '60s/'70s (Hollywood, in particular) and what it puts people through who are trying to break into the business. The Hollywood Hawaiian was a cheap, dodgy hotel he was living in in the late '60s during a very lean period of his life, located at Yucca and Gower Streets. During the time Warren was living there, and started writing this song, the hotel was filled with, and surrounded by drunk and drugged-out people sleeping in the hallways and out on the streets. Yet 6 blocks south of there is "Sunset/Gower Studios," a major independent facility for TV and Film started in 1912. Whole lot of success happening there. Hence the line "Look away down Gower Avenue." In other words, "look away from the negatives around you, keep your eyes on the prize." Might as well be the Official Anthem of Hollywood. (It's actually "Gower Street," but "Gower Avenue" scans better, lyrically.) Warren and Randy Newman wrote some of the most devastatingly sardonic songs critical of LA Culture in the '60s/'70s, though they were from very different backgrounds. It's considered one of the best songs written about LA, and having lived there for decades, is a personal favorite of mine. The LA Times ranked it #10 on their list of "Best songs ever written about LA" in the mid 2010s. I was privileged to meet Warren before his passing, and to become good friends with some of the people who were close to him in his final years. Funnily enough, I wrote an (unreleased) ironic paean to LA in the '90s called "Mediocracy" with similar sentiments before I even met the guy. Warren is sorely missed.
My favorite Warron Zevon song! My thought has always been that you won't be presented with your bill until you check out. The longer you stay, the higher your bill will end up. Quite a vicious cycle! Hence the line, "Heaven help the one who leaves" I did a lot of online research on the hotel he stayed at. It has since been torn down. Lot's of now famous music artists stayed there. Fascinating story.
I got to see Warren live in a club in Saratoga NY....great show great performer...this is my favorite song. RIP Watch all his Letterman appearance...they were good friends. Do "Accidentally Like a Martyr" next
You need to see Dawes do this song from the last week of the Letterman show, where Dave describes how on Warrens last appearance on the show knowing he was dying, he gifted Dave a guitar telling him to take good care of it for him - what of the most touching while at the same time saddest moments
A great song from his first mass-market album (1976), before Werewolves (1978). If you have not already, check out Keep Me in Your Heart - the last song on his last album, and the last he ever wrote.
You really should dig further into Zevon’s great catalog. What a songwriter and storyteller he was. He had long and deep associations with so many performers. His personal and professional history is worth digging into. I saw him once at a small benefit show at a club in Minneapolis about a year before he was diagnosed. Just him and an acoustic guitar, and it was great. During a lull between songs, some intoxicated guy in the audience yelled out, “Free Bird!” Zevon didn’t even look up. He turned a couple of tuning keys on his guitar, and softly said, “F*ck you.” And the crowd loved it. It was so much in keeping with his persona. He truly was an original.
Even though I was born in 67, I was big into music when Warren was big in the late 70s and early 80s, I am just now discovering how great an entertainer and song writer he was, David letterman show is where I actually got know about his music
Great song, great request by Lance cuz this is a killer tune. Warren is very much overlooked, he's a great lyricist, able to evoke great imagery and feelings: loneliness, desperation. That line "but except in dreams, you're never really free...." just destroys me when hearing it. Warren, alone at the bar, or just alone in the hotel lobby with his thoughts, and just hearing the air conditioner humming...wow.
This entire album is a masterpiece, largely about the depressing side of LA, the wannabe stars drugging, drinking and sleeping around. The companion piece to this song is The French Inhaler, which is even better.
First, Beeswing and, now, Desperados Under the Eaves. Who’s whispering in your ear? (and don’t let them get away). Unassailable taste so far and a nice vibe to these videos as well.
It's late but PLEASE do Steady Rain or Empty Hearted Town off of the Preludes album. It was released after his death but are old(er) recordings. 100% gotta do a video on at least one of those songs...
Very good interpretation Harri 👍🏻 From Songfacts: This track from Warren Zevon's 1976 eponymous album describes his growing alcoholism. Zevon's ex-wife, Crystal, recalled in the sleevenotes for Preludes: Rare and Unreleased Recordings: "'Desperados Under The Eaves' is a very autobiographical song. During a low period in the late '60s, Warren was living from motel to motel. At one point when he couldn't afford The Tropicana anymore, he checked into the Hollywood Hawaiian. He spent several weeks stepping over the junkies who blocked his doorway and sharing stories with the winos camped out on the corner of Yucca and Gower. Of course, he had no way of paying the bill, so one night his buddy who had been one of the original Beach Boys, David Marks, pulled mother's station wagon into the alley behind the motel and Warren climbed out the bathroom window and left with the bill still unpaid."
Yes, Harri, Zevon Struggled with alcoholism. If you want a part 2, there’s his song “Detox Mansion.” Thankfully, he dig get sober for (I think) the last 20 years of his life. (Except maybe that very last bit where he had a few as he had to shuffle off this mortal coil, so to speak).
Finally a reaction video for the greatest song in the history of music “Desperados Under the Eaves.” Yes this was about Zevon’s alcoholism…that hadn’t been coffee in that empty cup. As far as a part 2 to that song, this song closes his self titled album and “Johnny Strikes up the Band” opens his next album with the line “Dry your eyes my little friend….let me take you by the hand.” Maybe that’s meant to be the conclusion? As far as the line about the motel still standing in spite of all of California sliding into the ocean, I think that was speaking to feeling the weight of that motel bill on his shoulders because he didn’t have the money to pay it. If you’re curious about this man’s story feeling that you’d like to know more about if he conquered his demons, I encourage you to dig deeper. He did remain sober from sometime years after this was recorded until (I think) 17 years later when the stress of his terminal illness kicked him off the wagon. Warren Zevon was a man who when he was told by doctors out of the blue that he had 3 months left to live his response was to start writing songs and working on an album to put out as a way of saying goodbye to everybody. I encourage you to seek out more music by this man. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. I really enjoyed your reaction video. Was truly top notch in that you provided a great video with the song lyrics to see as we listened and I think you presented this in a way that was quite respectful to this artist and his fans who love him dearly! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Warren considered Werewolves a novelty song. Honestly, his discography has dozens of songs better that Werewolves. Heck, there are 4-5 songs far superior to Werewolves on his Excitable Boy record alone. Dig in to his catalog. There are simpley too many GREAT songs to list but you won't be dissapointed with what you find.
Видеоклипы
Hi Harri. According to Warren's wife, he was actually living in the Hollywood Hawaiin hotel when he wrote this song and he had no real way to pay his bill. He had a friend pull up behind the hotel and he escaped out of the bathroom window. Later when he got famous, he felt guilty about skipping out on his bill and he triend to pay them what he owed. They settled for an autographed copy of the record.
His friend was David Marks...one of the original Beach Boys...before AL
Warren's very personal story of his life of alcoholism. It features background vocals by Beach Boys, Carl Wilson and Billy Hinche, Jackson Brown and J.D. Southern. Beautiful song, with great instrumentation. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Lance. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Amazing song, amazing artist. I miss him.
Me too. :(
Careful Harri, once you fall in love with Warren, it don't go away...
Zevon is my absolute favorite of all time. His music is pure genius, in my opinion. He has so many fantastic songs. Try a review of "The French Inhaler", or "Indifference of Heaven".
One of my all time heroes. One of his best and ALL TRUE. He can't leave his hellhole of a hotel, as he can't pay his bill. HARRIBEST you will love this.
Love Warren Zevon.
Warren was very important to me. I fell in love with him from this first album and bought everything else he put out. Saw him live too. One day after having moved to California for my acting career, I was shopping in a DVD store in West L.A.. I looked over into the next aisle and there was Warren Zevon. I did what no suoer coll L.A.lien would do and walked around to him and told him how much his music meant to me.He asked me my name, and I told him. He held out his hand and said "Hi John, I'm Warren Zevon!" We stood and talked for a while and I walked away in a cloud. About 3 months later he appeared on the Letterman Show and announced his cancer diagnosis and that he would be dead within a year. I feel like I provided a bright spot in a dark time for Warren. Great Songwriter and performer.
Thank you for sharing this, he always seems like he didn’t get the deserved recognition, but the people who know him love him.
Tremendous song writer
Such a great song. I think the line about the hotel still standing until he pays his bill is Zevon's dark humor on display. Things are going so badly for him, that even the apocalyptic destruction of California isn't going to relieve him of his debts.
You’re close. What it is about is that everything is about him. The universe and god will still judge him when everything else falls apart. Pair this with the line “ don’t the sun (son) look angry at me” it’s myopic narcissism that comes with the territory of alcoholism. And it’s brilliant songwriting.
@@jonullmann3824 Great observation. I never considered the double of meaning of sun/Son. But the very next line about "crucified theives" reveals that notion of judgment is very much on his mind. Incredible writing!
There really was a Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel. Not where the VIPS stayed before the Oscars. Warren did have serious drug and alcohol problems but he was sober for many years until he got cancer.
"Enjoy every sandwich" - W. Zevon
Warren was a classically trained piano prodigy as a child thus his orchestration here is pure classical music amid his own despair. Only one with that immense talent can take a mundane hum from an air conditioner and make it a beautiful noise. The motel line is a jab at the Hollywood establishment getting their money for every aspect of the party life even if a catastrophe hits. Having been to that locale many times, the motel sits upon a small hill that looks down the street, Gower, in a mesmerizing way. Feeling like a desperado in tinsel town is never more apparent than in the morning after a drunk. Trees even look like the "crucified thieves" next to Jesus at Calvary which was also a small hill. No doubt feelings of remorse hit Warren on many occasions with this being the masterpiece of his alcoholic despair.
One of the all time greats, and far less known than he should be .. This is one of his finest songs, written about his alcohol addiction problems, which plagued him for much of his career .. There's so many brilliant WZ songs for you to discover, Harri .. And as you appreciate good lyrics, you will love his work .. He is one of the best songwriters ever ! .. Be sure to give "Excitable Boy" a run at some stage.
GENIUS, GENIUS, By the time he got straight he was then diagnosed with terminal cancer. I miss him all the time.
Very under rated, under appreciated, one of the all time greatest in my book 😎
Warren was a member of the infamous Hollywood Vampires celebrity drinking circle. He finally got sober, and his music after that really rocks. Zevon was a twisted genius!
Written about himself
Long before he became sober
One of my all-time favorite songs by the great Warren Zevon. His self/titled album his full of gems.
How this man is not in the R&R hall of fame mystifies me.
Biggest snub of all time
Oh gawd. Still talking about the rrhof?! It means nothing to belong to such an antiquated institution.
If Warren means something to YOU then that's all that really matters. ✌
My take on the line about the motel standing until he pays his bill: He's summing up his luck that even when the oddsmakers for both the physical and the metaphysical worlds predict the whole California coastline will sink into the Pacific Ocean, the crappy little motel he's staying in will somehow survive -- until, of course, he pays off his debt; and even then it might slide into the ocean as well.
Spot on !
Remembering the original Excitable Boy!! Well done, Harri.
Brilliant. Warren was a genius. And you are wonderful.
You need to react to his “Keep me in your heart for awhile”. It is a song about when he was dying.
I saw Warren live many times. For a few years he lived in Philadelphia with his girl friend, and was playing at local clubs all the time. Also saw him three times on the big tours. There was nobody else like him, a master of lyrics and sarcasm and eccentric characters in his songs. There was so much more to Warren than Excitable Boy and Werewolves Of London. I still miss him.
It's about Warren's growing problems with alcohol and drugs, but also about Los Angeles in the late '60s/'70s (Hollywood, in particular) and what it puts people through who are trying to break into the business. The Hollywood Hawaiian was a cheap, dodgy hotel he was living in in the late '60s during a very lean period of his life, located at Yucca and Gower Streets. During the time Warren was living there, and started writing this song, the hotel was filled with, and surrounded by drunk and drugged-out people sleeping in the hallways and out on the streets. Yet 6 blocks south of there is "Sunset/Gower Studios," a major independent facility for TV and Film started in 1912. Whole lot of success happening there. Hence the line "Look away down Gower Avenue." In other words, "look away from the negatives around you, keep your eyes on the prize." Might as well be the Official Anthem of Hollywood. (It's actually "Gower Street," but "Gower Avenue" scans better, lyrically.) Warren and Randy Newman wrote some of the most devastatingly sardonic songs critical of LA Culture in the '60s/'70s, though they were from very different backgrounds.
It's considered one of the best songs written about LA, and having lived there for decades, is a personal favorite of mine. The LA Times ranked it #10 on their list of "Best songs ever written about LA" in the mid 2010s. I was privileged to meet Warren before his passing, and to become good friends with some of the people who were close to him in his final years. Funnily enough, I wrote an (unreleased) ironic paean to LA in the '90s called "Mediocracy" with similar sentiments before I even met the guy. Warren is sorely missed.
My favorite. I think he is saying no matter what, he will be held accountable.
I remember the first time I heard the air conditioner humm and it changed my life. This is my favorite song of all time.
Zevon=Genius
My favorite Warron Zevon song! My thought has always been that you won't be presented with your bill until you check out. The longer you stay, the higher your bill will end up. Quite a vicious cycle! Hence the line, "Heaven help the one who leaves" I did a lot of online research on the hotel he stayed at. It has since been torn down. Lot's of now famous music artists stayed there. Fascinating story.
My ex- husband introduced me to Warren's music...still love the music.
I got to see Warren live in a club in Saratoga NY....great show great performer...this is my favorite song. RIP Watch all his Letterman appearance...they were good friends. Do "Accidentally Like a Martyr" next
Such poetic lyrics. He says so much with so few words.
He said he "lived like Jim Morrison and lived 30 more years"--miss you Warren
This is my favorite song of all time.
Please checkout Warren’s “Accidentally Like a Martyr”. I spent a couple decades with Warren’s albums on repeat. He was one of the great originals.
Born in Chicago!!! My home town.
P.S. the RRHOshame doesnt deserve him!
Try Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner miss ya W.Z.
His cover of Knocking On Heavens Door is amazing.
This is a top shelf song,
Lawyers Guns and Money is a good one too.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame does not deserve his genius.
You need to see Dawes do this song from the last week of the Letterman show, where Dave describes how on Warrens last appearance on the show knowing he was dying, he gifted Dave a guitar telling him to take good care of it for him - what of the most touching while at the same time saddest moments
One of my favorite songs of all time! I highly recommend checking out Dawes cover of this on David Letterman. An incredible version.
A great song from his first mass-market album (1976), before Werewolves (1978).
If you have not already, check out Keep Me in Your Heart - the last song on his last album, and the last he ever wrote.
You really should dig further into Zevon’s great catalog. What a songwriter and storyteller he was. He had long and deep associations with so many performers. His personal and professional history is worth digging into.
I saw him once at a small benefit show at a club in Minneapolis about a year before he was diagnosed. Just him and an acoustic guitar, and it was great. During a lull between songs, some intoxicated guy in the audience yelled out, “Free Bird!” Zevon didn’t even look up. He turned a couple of tuning keys on his guitar, and softly said, “F*ck you.” And the crowd loved it. It was so much in keeping with his persona. He truly was an original.
Part 2 could be " Detox Mansion "!
I really miss Warren.
looking far far away down Gower Avenue
Even though I was born in 67, I was big into music when Warren was big in the late 70s and early 80s, I am just now discovering how great an entertainer and song writer he was, David letterman show is where I actually got know about his music
Warren - Mama Couldn't Be Persuaded is a good one
Great song, great request by Lance cuz this is a killer tune. Warren is very much overlooked, he's a great lyricist, able to evoke great imagery and feelings: loneliness, desperation. That line "but except in dreams, you're never really free...." just destroys me when hearing it. Warren, alone at the bar, or just alone in the hotel lobby with his thoughts, and just hearing the air conditioner humming...wow.
This entire album is a masterpiece, largely about the depressing side of LA, the wannabe stars drugging, drinking and sleeping around.
The companion piece to this song is The French Inhaler, which is even better.
Tying a song about the dark side of Hollywood, a la the entertainment industry, with the downfall of Dixie was the most sublime moment of the song.
First, Beeswing and, now, Desperados Under the Eaves. Who’s whispering in your ear? (and don’t let them get away). Unassailable taste so far and a nice vibe to these videos as well.
Hair just wish you would play some his later songs
❤
With your name, surely you'd be requesting "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner" next !😉
His music can get dark💜
He considered this his most personal song. Try Detox Mansion next for a humorous look at rehab.
Zevon was allegedly an alcoholic, and these lyrics are so real, LOL.
It's late but PLEASE do Steady Rain or Empty Hearted Town off of the Preludes album. It was released after his death but are old(er) recordings. 100% gotta do a video on at least one of those songs...
incredibly beautiful song
Painfully so...
Very good interpretation Harri 👍🏻 From Songfacts: This track from Warren Zevon's 1976 eponymous album describes his growing alcoholism. Zevon's ex-wife, Crystal, recalled in the sleevenotes for Preludes: Rare and Unreleased Recordings: "'Desperados Under The Eaves' is a very autobiographical song. During a low period in the late '60s, Warren was living from motel to motel. At one point when he couldn't afford The Tropicana anymore, he checked into the Hollywood Hawaiian. He spent several weeks stepping over the junkies who blocked his doorway and sharing stories with the winos camped out on the corner of Yucca and Gower. Of course, he had no way of paying the bill, so one night his buddy who had been one of the original Beach Boys, David Marks, pulled mother's station wagon into the alley behind the motel and Warren climbed out the bathroom window and left with the bill still unpaid."
Listen to Lawyers, Guns, and Money.
Please do "Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner"
Yes, Harri, Zevon Struggled with alcoholism. If you want a part 2, there’s his song “Detox Mansion.” Thankfully, he dig get sober for (I think) the last 20 years of his life. (Except maybe that very last bit where he had a few as he had to shuffle off this mortal coil, so to speak).
Finally a reaction video for the greatest song in the history of music “Desperados Under the Eaves.” Yes this was about Zevon’s alcoholism…that hadn’t been coffee in that empty cup. As far as a part 2 to that song, this song closes his self titled album and “Johnny Strikes up the Band” opens his next album with the line “Dry your eyes my little friend….let me take you by the hand.” Maybe that’s meant to be the conclusion?
As far as the line about the motel still standing in spite of all of California sliding into the ocean, I think that was speaking to feeling the weight of that motel bill on his shoulders because he didn’t have the money to pay it.
If you’re curious about this man’s story feeling that you’d like to know more about if he conquered his demons, I encourage you to dig deeper. He did remain sober from sometime years after this was recorded until (I think) 17 years later when the stress of his terminal illness kicked him off the wagon. Warren Zevon was a man who when he was told by doctors out of the blue that he had 3 months left to live his response was to start writing songs and working on an album to put out as a way of saying goodbye to everybody. I encourage you to seek out more music by this man. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
I really enjoyed your reaction video. Was truly top notch in that you provided a great video with the song lyrics to see as we listened and I think you presented this in a way that was quite respectful to this artist and his fans who love him dearly! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Play it All Night Long, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner, Ain't That Pretty At All, too many too name.
I am always pleasantly surprised by the consistent level of intelligence and quality of insight you display in your analyses.
Your brain will exploit if you think to hard!!
This is one of my favourite songs of all time. But his original version is better.
He had demons
Warren considered Werewolves a novelty song. Honestly, his discography has dozens of songs better that Werewolves. Heck, there are 4-5 songs far superior to Werewolves on his Excitable Boy record alone. Dig in to his catalog. There are simpley too many GREAT songs to list but you won't be dissapointed with what you find.
Warren Z. and alcohol?
Tremendous song writer