# Werewolves of London **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2001, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/werewolves-of-london/70876 "2001-07-01T21:27:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doughboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Doughboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughboy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/werewolves-of-london/70876/1 "2001-07-01T21:27:29Z")
I’m talking about that great old song by Warren Zevon. What or who are the werewolves? It sounds like the werewolves are a symbol for something, but I haven’t been able to find anything about it online. Or is it just an awesome slightly silly song? ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/werewolves-of-london/70876/2 "2001-07-01T22:14:01Z")
My vote is for the silly song explanation. In recollecting the lyrics, I can’t think of any that don’t just sound riciculous (as in intentionally ridiculous). ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/werewolves-of-london/70876/3 "2001-07-01T22:29:05Z")
From a fan website, [http://members.tripod.com/~Zevonaticism:](http://members.tripod.com/~Zevonaticism:) > [@](#): > > Tell me something of his music: What’s the history of Werewolves of London? > > I’ve seen the story twice, but basically it goes like this: Waddy Wachtel, LeRoy Marinell and Mr Zevon were playing around at LeRoy’s home and Phil Everly requested a song. A dance song. Mr Marinell and Mr Zevon came up with a few lines and Mr Wachtel walked in, asked “What are you guys doing?” One of them responded, “We’re doing the Werewolves of London.” Mr Wachtel shot back, “You mean, Ah-WHOO! Those werewolves of London?” The song wrote itself, with Mr Wachtel contributing the first verse. “Werewolf of London” was a 1935 movie: [http://us.imdb.com/Title?0027194](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0027194) Nothing terribly deep apparently. Whether conciously or not, we’ll assume Zevon & friends took the phrase from the movie. The movie “An American Werewolf in London” was released in 1981, 3 years after the Zevon song. The Brian Stableford novel a decade later. I saw an interview with Zevon once in which he said that he wished people wouldn’t talk about that song so much. He doesn’t seem to like the idea that it’s what he’s going to be best remembered for, when he’s done stuff he considers far more significant. On the other hand, the same sort of black-humoresque material informs the other Zevon songs that spring to mind: Roland the Thompson Gunner Lawyers, Guns and Money It’s the schtick he seems to do best. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/werewolves-of-london/70876/4 "2001-07-01T23:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > The movie “An American Werewolf in London” was released in 1981, 3 years after the Zevon song. > \*\* Well, as the question seems to have been answered and I’m not likely to get too many opportunities; Anyone else remember [Jenny Agutter](http://www.shillpages.com/actress/aguttj15.jpg) in a nurses uniform ? Matron ! The smelling salts, please… (If viewing, it’s probably best to ignore the circa 1970’s National Health Service curtains. One assumes thet were chosen to ensure short hospital stays.) ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/werewolves-of-london/70876/5 "2001-07-02T03:43:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > [B Well, as the question seems to have been answered and I’m not likely to get too many opportunities; Anyone else remember [Jenny Agutter]([http://www.shillpages.com/actress/aguttj15.jpg](http://www.shillpages.com/actress/aguttj15.jpg)) in a nurses uniform ? > \*\* Hell yeah, dude. That werewolf sure had a hot bitch.