5 Awesome Opening Lines by Warren Zevon

In terms of writing lyrics, Warren Zevon represents one of the true giants of the field. He could leave you laughing with an effortless zinger. Or he could just as easily have you reaching for the hankie with a heartbreaker of a line.

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He also knew how to grab your attention. These five opening lines show how Zevon could hook you right off the bat, and they all set the table for amazing songs.

“Hasten Down The Wind” from ‘Warren Zevon’ (1976)

Opening line: “She tells him she thinks she needs to be free.” “Hasten Down The Wind” stands out as one of the earliest examples of Warren Zevon’s ability to deliver a heart-tugger. That tendency often surprised people, since the sentimental stance of those songs flew in the face of his raucous public image. In this case, the opening line sets up the conundrum quickly. How will the “he” in the song respond to the girl’s revelation? As we find out, he summons enough courage to do the right thing and let her go, as devastating as that might be for him.

“Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner” from ‘Excitable Boy’ (1978)

Opening line: “Roland was a warrior from the land of the Midnight Sun.” Warren Zevon wrote this song with David Lindell. The one-time mercenary regaled the musician with stories from behind the California bar that he owned. But Zevon shaped it into the winning, supernatural narrative we came to know and love. Note how the opening line sets you up for something noble and antiquated. Zevon then contrasts that with the indignity and treacherousness of modern warfare that Roland must endure throughout the song.

“Lawyers, Guns And Money” from ‘Excitable Boy’ (1978)

Opening line: “I went home with a waitress the way I always do.” Warren Zevon’s unforgiving satire of West Coast high life run amok needed an opening that could live up to the rest of the chaos within the song. When you hear that line, you might assume that the guy has a special kind of charisma to keep winning these women over. It’s only as the song progresses that we realize that he probably uses his wealth to get the job done. The line also sets up his recklessness, since we immediately find out he’s been had by a Russian spy.

“Play It All Night Long” from ‘Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School’ (1980)

Opening line: “Grandpa’s p***ed his pants again.” It doesn’t get much bleaker than Warren Zevon’s take on Southern rock. When you hear the crunching rhythm that opens the song, you’re immediately expecting something akin to a gut punch. The opening line certainly delivers on that end. As it turns out, Grandpa’s problems are only the tip of the iceberg for this family. Zevon later sings a quick refrain of “Sweet Home Alabama” and refers to it as “that dead band’s song.” He refuses to let an ounce of sentimentality into this tableau.

“Keep Me In Your Heart” from ‘The Wind’ (2003)

Opening line: “Shadows are fallin’ and I’m runnin’ out of breath.” It’s probably no coincidence that Warren Zevon, here, somewhat mimics the opening line of the Bob Dylan song “Not Dark Yet” (“Shadows are fallin’ and I’ve been here all day.”) The difference? Dylan was singing about a spiritual and emotional crisis of sorts. By contrast, Zevon was referencing his own physical condition as cancer did its damage. The bravery of the opening line sets the tone for the uplifting plea that he makes within the refrains.

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