After experiencing pain and shortness of breath for some time, people encouraged him to finally see a physician to address what would later be recognized as mesothelioma symptoms. Shortly before his mesothelioma diagnosis, Zevon began feeling dizzy and developed a chronic cough. Zevon was known to have a phobia of doctors, causing him to forgo regular appointments much of his life. But as he was back on the upswing with his music, his health began to deteriorate. In the early 2000s, Zevon continued to see success with his following album and continued appearances as a bandleader on Late Night with David Letterman. It wasn’t until 2000 that critics said Zevon had his next comeback with his album Life’ll Kill Ya.
During the 1980s and 90s, he changed record labels and recorded solo albums and collaborations, with varying levels of success. After a stint in rehab, Zevon threw himself back into new albums. His next couple albums didn’t see the same level of popularity or acclaim, and hardships in his personal life and relationships led him to heavy drug and alcohol use. Perhaps Zevon’s biggest success came just two years later with his album Excitable Boy, which received both commercial success and critical acclaim.įollowing another successful album, Zevon saw some setbacks in his career. Though just a modest commercial success, the album today is considered a masterpiece. In the mid-1970s, he worked with Nicks and many other contributors on his debut self-titled album, which dropped in 1976. After some traveling and trying to get his career off the ground, Zevon found himself living with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, famed members of Fleetwood Mac. After leaving high school to begin his career, he started by composing jingles and songs for several artists before having the opportunity to tour with the Everly Brothers in the 1970s. Throughout his career, Zevon saw many successes with his music and just as many flubs. But his career was cut short at just 56 years old when childhood exposure to asbestos caught up with him. Songs like “Werewolves of London” and “Keep Me in Your Heart,” his well-known album Excitable Boy, in addition to his many contributions to other musical greats, cemented his place in musical history. Over the years, he was signed and dropped by multiple labels and produced many albums, both as a solo artist and in collaborative efforts. But still he yearns for something more: “He never lost a fight on his icy patrol/ But deep inside, Buddy dreamed of a goal.” It all comes down to the final game of his career: as Buddy squares off with a Finnish player from the opposing team, “Thirty seconds left, the puck took a roll/ And suddenly Buddy had a shot on goal.Warren Zevon began a decades-long career in music when he left high school at 16 years old and moved to New York City to become a folk singer.
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The chorus lays out his dilemma: “There were Swedes to the left of him, Russians to the right/ A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight/ Brains over brawn that might work for you/ But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do?”īuddy’s career progresses, full of “blood on the ice” and many minutes in the penalty box. “There’s always room on our team for a goon,” a scout tells him. Ironically, Buddy’s only way to reach the big-time is to embrace his pugnacious side. But he does prove useful on the ice: “Buddy’s real talent was beating people up.” The song tells the story of Buddy, a would-be hockey star who, unfortunately, isn’t able to master the glamorous aspects of the game. Nor could Albom have imagined who would end up helping Zevon with the song: most of David Letterman’s Late Show band, including Paul Shaffer on organ, with Dave himself belting out the refrain of “Hit somebody!” throughout the proceedings. “He said, ‘You know, I’d like to do a sports song that nobody has done before.’ And I said, ‘Hockey’ And he said, ‘What?’ And I said, ‘I can’t think of a single hockey song.’ And he said, ‘Great! You should write me one!’” Albom began the process and the two later got together to complete it, with Albom never thinking the song would end up on Zevon’s 2002 album My Ride’s Here. “This song came about when my friend Warren Zevon and I were talking one day,” Albom writes.
On his website, Albom explains the origins of the song. And, in the case of “Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song)”, sportswriter Mitch Albom helped Zevon on this wonder of tragicomic storytelling.
Thompson), even mercenaries (David Lindell). We’re talking novelists (Carl Hiassen), gonzo journalists (Hunter S. But it’s doubtful that anyone has ever cultivated a list of co-writers as eclectic as the late, great Warren Zevon. Just about every songwriter worth their salt has collaborated with other writers during their career.
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