Warren Zevon was an incredibly big part of my life, even though I never even got to see him in concert.
I first heard him just shortly after Excitable Boy was released. I was amazed. I bought that album, and Warren Zevon, and even Wanted: Dead or Alive. I went through some fairly lonely years when I moved from home and went to college, and I played those albums so much I wore them out and had to buy new ones. I think I went through 2 or 3 copies of each one. Each release of a Warren Zevon album was a BIG deal to me. I bought “Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School” on album, as well as “Sentimental Hygiene”. Played those out as well. Then the CD’s came along, and I still have them all. I must have moved 10 times in those years, and the first thing packed with each move was my Zevon collection.
I met my wife because of Warren Zevon. I was chatting with a bunch of friends one day, and mentioned Zevon. My future wife was in earshot, and she perked up and said, “You like Warren Zevon??” And it was like we were immediately old friends. We were engaged in three weeks, married in six months, and it’s now 13 years and counting. I don’t know what it is about Zevon fans, but I’ve never met one I didn’t like. Perhaps we all see the world through the same Zevonesque filter or something.
I’ll miss him a lot, and the saddest part is that we will never get to hear his take on retirement, becoming old, becoming a grandfather, a patriarch. I’m sure he could have taught us just as much about that part of life as he did about being young and middle aged.
I guess we’ll just have to muddle along without him. But the journey will be a little more empty without him walking along with us, giving us all all little kick in the ass when we get too maudlin or self-pitying.