Question 1

True or false: Zevon's song 'Excitable Boy' is about a serial killer who dances at prom.

Accepted Answer

False. The song's protagonist bites a girl's shoulder at the prom and later beats a friend to death; there is no dancing at the prom nor serial killing.

Question 2

True or false: Zevon's only top 40 hit was 'Werewolves of London'.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite a cult following, 'Werewolves of London' (1978) was his sole top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Question 3

True or false: Linda Ronstadt's 1977 cover of Warren Zevon's 'Poor Poor Pitiful Me' became a hit, reaching number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Accepted Answer

True. Ronstadt's version of the song, originally written and performed by Zevon, charted at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977.

Question 4

True or false: Zevon's final album was recorded entirely in one take with no overdubs.

Accepted Answer

False. His final album 'The Wind' (2003) was recorded over months while he battled cancer, with multiple takes and guest musicians.

Question 5

True or false: Zevon was a professional wrestler before becoming a musician.

Accepted Answer

False. He was a musician first. This myth likely stems from his tough-guy persona and song 'Lawyers, Guns and Money'.

Question 6

True or false: Warren Zevon studied composition with Igor Stravinsky as a teenager.

Accepted Answer

True. Zevon briefly took composition lessons from the renowned composer Stravinsky during his teenage years, a well-documented but little-known fact.

Question 7

True or false: Bruce Springsteen wrote 'Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner' for Zevon.

Accepted Answer

False. Zevon co-wrote it with David Lindell. Springsteen contributed to other Zevon songs but not this one.

Question 8

True or false: Zevon once worked as a jingle writer for a toothpaste commercial.

Accepted Answer

True. Before fame, he wrote jingles, including one for Crest toothpaste, a quirky side hustle from his early days.

Warren Zevon Trivia Questions