Werewolves of London
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| "Werewolves of London" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by Warren Zevon | ||
| from the album Excitable Boy | ||
| B-side(s) | "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" | |
| Released | 1978 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Recorded | 1978 | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 3:27 | |
| Label | Asylum Records | |
| Writer(s) | LeRoy Marinell, Robert "Waddy" Wachtel, Warren Zevon | |
| Producer(s) | Jackson Browne, Waddy Wachtel | |
| Chart positions | ||
|
||
| Warren Zevon singles chronology | ||
| "Hasten down the Wind (Warren Zevon version)" (1977) |
"Werewolves of London" (1978) |
"Lawyers, Guns and Money" (1978) |
"Werewolves of London" is a song composed by LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, and Warren Zevon and performed by Zevon. Included on Zevon's album Excitable Boy, it featured accompaniment by bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. It was memorable for its humorous and macabre lyrics, and the refrain featuring a howling "a-ooo!!"
It reached No. 21 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1978, Zevon's highest-ranking single, and remained on the chart for 12 weeks. Though it was not a No. 1 single, the song had great cultural impact. The Grateful Dead covered the song multiple times in concert shortly after the original was released. The song was also featured in the 1986 film The Color of Money. Additionally, there was a Canadian baseball team named after the song, The London (Ontario) Werewolves, from 1999 to 2000. There is a band called Werewolves of London, presumably named after the song. In 2003, they released a CD that included a cover of the song.
It was mentioned by David Naughton and Griffin Dunne on the DVD commentary for An American Werewolf in London that there is no clear reason why John Landis did not incorporate this song into the soundtrack for the film. Although it may be due to the fact that the title of the song does not have the word "moon" in it, which all of the songs on the film do. ("Blue Moon", "Bad Moon Rising" and "Moondance").
In April 2004, a poll of listeners to the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2 selected the first verse as number one in a competition for "The Greatest Opening Song Line." [1] That opening line is:
| “ | I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain |
” |
Another famous, and similar, lyric from the song comes a bit later:
| “ | I saw a werewolf drinking a Piña Colada at Trader Vic's
And his hair was perfect. |
” |
The song also references horror actors Lon Chaney and Lon Chaney, Jr., and in some versions Jack Nicholson[citation needed] is the one drinking the Piña Colada at Trader Vic's. Warren Zevon also did a version of the song called "Werewolves of Bryn Mawr.
[edit] Covers
- In 2002, British alternative band, Doves, reinterpreted the song as a b-side titled Hit The Ground Running.
- Since 2005, the rock band The Golden Ticket have made the song a highlight of their live show.
- In 2006, indie rock band Magnolia Electric Co. covered the song.
- In 2006, Jimmy Buffett covered this song on the soundtrack for the movie Hoot. Although only a small portion of the song appeared in the movie, the entire song is on the soundtrack album. He has also performed it in concert a few times.
- On 17th September 2006, Australian Idol finalist Bobby Flynn covered the song during the 2nd Finals Week (Rock) segment of the competition.
- Adam Sandler performed the song on the David Letterman show, singing and playing guitar. He also recorded the song for the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon.
The Grateful Dead covered this song a number of times, often on Halloween.
[edit] In Popular Culture
- Author Kelley Armstrong created a character in her book Bitten that she attributes directly to this last line.
- It is the at-bat song for Seattle Mariners left fielder Raúl Ibáñez.
- Fleetwood Mac's rhythm section, John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums) play on the song.
[edit] See also
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
