The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame finally got around to honoring Warren Zevon, letting him in through the side door labeled Musical Influence, and then honoring him some more by having the Killers, a band fronted by a guy who looks like Zeppo Osmond, play “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” I can hear Zevon snorting in his grave.
The induction speech was given by David Letterman, who told the story of Zevon’s final appearance on his show – the night of the famous “enjoy every sandwich” interview. In his dressing room after the show, Zevon gave his guitar to Letterman, who gave it to the Killers’ guitarist for their performance.
Letterman told the same story years ago when a different band, Dawes, appeared on “Late Night” and performed a song Dave didn’t have the nerve to request during Zevon’s final appearances. This would have been a more fitting tribute.
Most fans consider the song Zevon’s masterpiece. Lyrically it’s among his finest work, as he turns his mordant eye on his own tortured existence with characteristic humor and less common pathos and Christian imagery. Musically it’s a complex suite of melodies that resolves into the elegiac hum of the air conditioner, with harmonies by Carl Wilson. It’s iconic enought that Zevon fan Bob Dylan gave it a shout out in the Wolfman Jack section of “Murder Most Foul.”
