Warren Zevon – The Wind

Zevon Swan Song

On September 7th, Warren Zevon passed away after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer only a year before, cutting short his 34-year career as a singer/songwriter. During the last year of his life, Zevon accepted his fate and did what he loved most – he wrote and recorded the last 11 songs of his career. The result is The Wind, an album that illustrates a man at peace with his life who is ready to face death with a little help from his friends, including guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley and Tom Petty.Zevon opens with “Some days I feel like my shadow’s casting me.” From that point the album flows like a dying man’s life flashing before his eyes. Songs like “Prison Grove” and “El Amor De Mi Vida” and his cover of Bob Dylan’s classic “Knockin’ at Heaven’s Door” tug at the heart with the laments of a man who knows he’s on his way out. But Zevon’s trademark sense of dark humor remains intact throughout, and by halfway through The Wind he offers “We may never get this chance again! / Let’s party for the rest of the night!” The production is invisible, allowing Zevon’s raw voice to fill the room with the energy and inflection of a live performance. Zevon takes his final bow with “Keep Me In Your Heart” where he makes his final peace: “Shadows are falling and I’m running out of breath / Keep me in your heart for awhile / If I leave you it doesn’t mean I love you any less / Keep me in your heart for awhile.”