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Produced by Waddy Wachtel
Recorded at The Sound Factory, Los Angeles / Dodge City, Glendale
USA release: 15 October 1991
Giant CD 9 22431-2
| CD 1. Finishing Touches
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Finishing TouchesWritten by Warren Zevon
I'm getting tired of you You're getting tired of me And it's the final act Of our little tragedy So don't feign indignation It's a fait accompli You can screw everybody I've ever known But I still won't talk to you on the phone It's a hopeless cause - there's no use crying And I can die, you can die, We can die trying Thanks anyway, no use hangin' around You try to put the finishing touches on me You say it's all my fault Who's keeping score? Some people like to be punished They keep coming back for more But I'm sick & tired And my cock is sore You can screw everybody I've ever known But I still won't talk to you on the phone It's a hopeless cause - there's no use crying And I can die, you can die We can die trying Thanks anyway, no use hangin' around You try to put the finishing touches on me Thanks anyway No use hangin' around You try to put the finishing touches on me Thanks anyway . . . Finishing touches, finishing touches on me Waddy Wachtel guitar, harmony Warren Zevon keyboard Bob Glaub bass Jeff Porcaro drums 2. Suzie Lightning
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Suzie LightningWritten by Warren Zevon
She only sleeps on planes She's tired of going nowhere She's in Yugoslavia Working on a miniseries Suzie Lightning I built a world for her Suzie lightning I need a girl from earth She's in Hungary She sends post cards home Does she think of me? I'm in Hollywood Suzie Lightning Takes no prisoners Suzie Lightning No use crying about it No use trying to hold on She lights up the sky Then she's gone She don't have time for love She don't need me now Can't she see I'm burning up Burning down, burning out Suzie Lightning I built a world for her Suzie Lightning I need a girl from earth Suzie Lightning Waddy Wachtel guitar Warren Zevon keyboard Bob Glaub bass Jeff Porcaro drums Jordan Zevon harmony Warren: Inspired by a Bartók postcard Bob Glaub the bass player sent me from Budapest. Also, Ray Mancini had just filmed a miniseries in Yugoslavia. Otherwise, Suzie's a composite of women who'd recently made me unhappy (and vice versa.). 3. Model Citizen
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Model CitizenWritten by Warren Zevon, Waddy Wachtel & LeRoy Marinell
Don't bring the milk in Leave it on the porch Don't read the papers Don't mow the lawn no more Drive to the market At the break of dawn Watch 'em unload the produce Then ride right back home It's the white man's burden And it weighs a ton I'm a family man Model citizen Torment the mailman Terrorize the maid Try to teach 'em some manners Whip 'em into shape Down in the basement I've got a Craftsman lathe Show it to the children When they misbehave It's the white man's burden And it weighs a ton I'm a family man Model citizen I'm a law-abiding man I'm a good samaritan I pay my taxes when I can Model citizen In the cool of the evening When the sun goes down My wife's playing canasta With everyone in town When I feel the pressure And I need a break Load up the Winnebago Drive it in the lake It's the white man's burden And it weighs a ton I'm a family man Model citizen Waddy Wachtel guitar, harmony Dan Dugmore guitar Warren Zevon keyboard, guitar solos Bob Glaub bass Jeff Porcaro drums Jordan Zevon harmony 4. Angel Dressed In Black
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Angel Dressed In BlackWritten by Warren Zevon, Waddy Wachtel & Julia Mueller
Sitting on the sofa Suckin' a bowl of crack Thinkin' to myself about my Angel dressed in black I know she went out hours ago I hope she's coming back So I wait here patiently for my Angel dressed in black I don't want to go out in the rain I don't want to go out in the rain I don't want to go out in the rain I wish she'd come home right now So we could interact I've got a big surprise for her My angel dressed in black My little angel She's the Queen of Downtown She gets around town My angel dressed in black I'm getting kind of paranoid I'm going off the track I'm starting to hallucinate my Angel dressed in black She might have been arrested She might have been attacked She might be lying dead somewhere My angel dressed in black I don't want to go out in the rain I don't want to go out in the rain I don't want to go out in the rain Sitting on the sofa Suckin' a bowl of crack Thinkin' to myself about my Angel dressed in black My little angel She's the Queen of Downtown She gets around town My angel dressed in black Waddy Wachtel guitar, harmony Warren Zevon keyboard, guitar solo Bob Glaub bass Jeff Porcaro drums Tito Larriva harmony 5. Mr. Bad Example
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Mr. Bad ExampleWritten by Warren Zevon & Jorge Calderón
I started as an alter boy working at the church Learning all my holy moves doing some research Which led me to a cash box labeled "Children's Fund" I'd leave the change and tuck the bills inside my cummerbund I got a part-time job at my father's carpet store Laying tackless stripping and housewives by the score I loaded up their furniture and took it to Spokane Auctioned off every last naugahyde divan I'm very well aquainted with the seven deadly sins I keep a busy schedule trying to fit them in I'm proud to be a glutton, and I don't have time for sloth I'm greedy and I'm angry and I don't care who I cross I'm Mr. Bad Example, intruder in the dirt I like to have a good time and I don't care who gets hurt I'm Mr. Bad Example, take a look at me I'll live to be a hundred and go down in infamy Of course I went to law school and took a law degree And counseled all my clients to plead insanity Then worked in hair replacement swindling the bald Where very few are chosen and fewer still are called Then on to Monte Carlo to play chemin de fer I threw away the fortune I made transplanting hair I put my last few francs down on a prostitute Who took me up to her room to perform the flag salute Whereupon I stole her passport and her wig And headed for the airport and the midnight flight, you dig? And fourteen hours later I was down in Adelaide Looking through the want ads sipping Foster's in the shade I opened up an agency somewhere down the line To hire aboriginals to work the opal mines But I attached their wages and took a whopping cut And whisked away their workman's comp and pauperized the lot I'm Mr. Bad Example, intruder in the dirt I like to have a good time and I don't care who gets hurt I'm Mr. Bad Example, take a look at me I'll live to be a hundred and go down in infamy I bought a first class ticket on Malaysian Air And landed in Sri Lanka none the worse for wear I'm thinking of retiring from all my dirty deals I'll see you in the next life, wake me up for meals Waddy Wachtel guitar Warren Zevon keyboard Jorge Calderón bass Jeff Porcaro & Jim Keltner drums Warren: One evening Jorge and I drank so much Turkish coffee, we were seeing Kirlian auras; we wrote our wordiest song ever. A polka. |
6. Renegade
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RenegadeWritten by Warren Zevon
Some prayers never reach the sky Some wounds never heal They still say someday the South will rise Man, I want to see that deal I don't want to grow old gracefully I don't want to go 'til it's too late I'll I'll be some old man in the road somewhere Kneeling down in the dust by the side of the Interstate I am a renegade I've been a rebel all my days I am a renegade I've been a rebel all my days We were hopelessly outnumbered It was a lost cause all along But when we heard the bugles call We swore we'd stand or fall together right or wrong We ain't seen no reconstruction here Just the scorched earth all around And the high school band played "Dixieland" While they tore our tattered flags and banners down I am a renegade I've been a rebel all my days I am a renegade I've been a rebel all my days Some prayers never reach the sky Some wars never end Some dreams refuse to die Next time I would rather break than bend I am a renegade I've been a rebel all my days I am a renegade I've been a rebel all my days Waddy Wachtel guitar, harmony David Lindley fiddle Warren Zevon keyboard, harmony Bob Glaub bass Jeff Porcaro drums Jordan Zevon and Jorge Calderón harmony 7. Heartache Spoken Here
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Heartache Spoken HereWritten by Warren Zevon
When I was young The sky was filled with stars I watched them burn out one by one I've had my share Of disappointing love affairs And I'm no stranger to disillusionment Little darlin' If you need a helping hand If you need someone You can count on me And I will understand Heartache spoken here I know a thing or two about heartbreak and tears So come on down, we'll talk about it Heartache spoken here Heartache spoken here I know a thing or two about heartbreak and tears So come on down we'll talk about it Heartache spoken here A house of cards A castle made of sand Don't take much to blow away Rows and rows Of broken hearts and broken homes So much sadness, you see it every day Little darlin' If you need a helping hand If you need someone You can count on me And I will understand Heartache spoken here I know a thing or two about heartbreak and tears So come on down, we'll talk about it Heartache spoken here Heartache spoken here I know a thing or two about heartbreak and tears So come on down, we'll talk about it Heartache spoken here I know it hurts so When the one you love don't need you I know the sorrow That a reckless heart can lead to Heartache spoken here I know a thing or two about heartbreak and tears So come on down, we'll talk about it Heartache spoken here Heartache spoken here I know a thing or two about heartbreak and tears So come on down, we'll talk about it Heartache spoken here Heartache spoken here Waddy Wachtel guitar Dan Dugmore pedal steel Warren Zevon keyboard Bob Glaub bass Jeff Porcaro drums Dwight Yoakam harmony 8. Quite Ugly One Morning
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Quite Ugly One MorningWritten by Warren Zevon
Don't the sky look funny Don't it look kinda chewed-on like Don't you feel like running Don't you feel like running from the dawn's early light Quite ugly one morning We all said goodnight It came without a warning Just a flash of light Don't you feel kind of funny Don't you feel kind of funny inside When you feel like laughing And everybody tells you you ought to be crying Quite ugly one morning We all said goodnight It came without a warning But it was quite all right Quite ugly one morning We all said goodnight It came without a warning But it was quite all right From dawn to sundown It's a long, long way And it's a hollow triumph When you make it to the bottom of another day There's a fever rising When the evening comes And when the battle's over There'll be nothing left but the sound of drums Quite ugly one morning We all said goodnight It came without a warning Just a flash of light Quite ugly one morning We all said goodnight It came without a warning But it was quite all right Waddy Wachtel guitar David Lindley lap steel, saz, cumbus Warren Zevon keyboard Jorge Calderón bass Jeff Porcaro drums 9. Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead
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Things To Do In Denver When You're DeadWritten by Warren Zevon, LeRoy Marinell & Waddy Wachtel
I called up my friend LeRoy on the phone I said, Buddy, I'm afraid to be alone 'Cause I got some weird ideas in my head About things to do in Denver when you're dead I was working on a steak the other day And I saw Waddy in the Rattlesnake Cafe Dressed in black, tossing back a shot of rye Finding things to do in Denver when you die You won't need a cab to find a priest Maybe you should find a place to stay Some place where they never change the sheets And you just roll around Denver all day LeRoy says there's something you should know Not everybody has a place to go And home is just a place to hang your head And dream up things to do in Denver when you're dead You won't need a cab to find a priest Maybe you should find a place to stay Some place where they never change the sheets And you just roll around Denver all day You just roll around Denver all day Waddy Wachtel guitar Warren Zevon keyboard Jorge Calderón bass Jim Keltner drums Jordan Zevon harmony Warren: We had two great drummers on this date. Jeff Porcaro and Jim Keltner. Now, Jim wanted Jeff to play with him, but Jeff, who loved Jim's drumming dearly, wanted Keltner on the track by himself. So, Jeff pantomimed the whole song without actually making a sound. We got a lovely Keltner track. As for Jeff, who's gone, there aren't any more where he came from. 10. Searching For A Heart
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Searching For A HeartWritten by Warren Zevon
Darkness in the morning Shadows on the land Certain individuals Aren't sticking with the plan And I'm searching for a heart Searching everyone They say love conquers all You can't start it like a car You can't stop it with a gun Leaving in the evening Traveling at night Staying inconspicuous I'm staying out of sight And I'm searching for a heart Searching everyone They say love conquers all You can't start it like a car You can't stop it with a gun They tell me love requires a little standing in line And I've been waiting for you, lover, for a long, long time I've been pacing the floor I've been watching the door Meanwhile I'll keep searching for a heart Searching high and low for you Trying to track you down Certain individuals Have finally come around And I'm searching for a heart Searching everyone They say love conquers all You can't start it like a car You can't stop it with a gun They tell me love requires a little standing in line And I've been waiting for you, lover, for a long, long time I've been pacing the floor I've been watching the door Meanwhile I'll keep searching for a heart Searching everyone They say love conquers all You can't start it like a car Waddy Wachtel guitar Warren Zevon keyboard Bob Glaub bass Jeff Porcaro drums Michael Lennon, Mark Lennon, Kip Lennon and Jorge Calderón harmony Warren: I wrote this for Love At Large, the aforementioned Alan Rudolph picture. Alan told me he'd use anything I wrote, and he said Neil had written a song for his last movie - "He took the script home and wrote it that night!" "Oh, yeah?" I said, "Did it have a bridge?" Lawrence Kasdan also used the song in Grand Canyon. I liked both films very much. They both stiffed. |
Singles
USA Singles
· Finishing Touches (Edit) promo CD
· Searching For A Heart promo CD
Germany Singles
· Searching For A Heart c/w Finishing Touches 7"
· Searching For A Heart / Suzie Lightning / Finishing Touches CD
· Finishing Touches (Edit) promo CD
· Searching For A Heart promo CD
Germany Singles
· Searching For A Heart c/w Finishing Touches 7"
· Searching For A Heart / Suzie Lightning / Finishing Touches CD
Additional Info
- Legendary guitarist and longtime collaborator Waddy
Wachtel was recuited to produce the album; enlisting session musicians that
appeared on some of Warren's most successful recordings..
- Jorge Calderón and Warren co-wrote the title track while consuming too much Turkish coffee at a Middle Eastern Restaruant. Jorge, who was Warren's greatest collaborator, went on to be the driving force behind The Wind..
- Notable guest musicians include Jordan Zevon, Dan Dugmore, Dwight Yoakam
- In its demo stage, "Finishing Touches" was originally titled "A Hard One To Love."
- Originally Mr. Bad Example was released on vinyl only in Germany. A CD longbox was issued in the U.S. featuring red artwork; this can be seen during Warren's October 29, 1991 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. The album was released again on vinyl 34 years later as part of the box set Piano Fighter: The Giant Years.
- "Searching For A Heart" was written for Alan Rudolph's 1990 film Love At Large. The following year, the track was included in Lawrence Kasdan's film, Grand Canyon; a proper single was released in Germany on 7" and CD. A cassette single and promo CD were made available in the U.S. David Letterman was fond of the song, quoting the lyrics multiple times ahead of Warren performing it live on June 26, 1992. Warren's son, Jordan, performed the track on the Late Show in 2007 to promote the release of Preludes: Rare And Unreleased Recordings .
- "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead" was used as the title of a 1995 Gary Fleder motion picture starring Andy Garcia and Chistopher Lloyd.
- Jorge Calderón and Warren co-wrote the title track while consuming too much Turkish coffee at a Middle Eastern Restaruant. Jorge, who was Warren's greatest collaborator, went on to be the driving force behind The Wind..
- Notable guest musicians include Jordan Zevon, Dan Dugmore, Dwight Yoakam
- In its demo stage, "Finishing Touches" was originally titled "A Hard One To Love."
- Originally Mr. Bad Example was released on vinyl only in Germany. A CD longbox was issued in the U.S. featuring red artwork; this can be seen during Warren's October 29, 1991 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. The album was released again on vinyl 34 years later as part of the box set Piano Fighter: The Giant Years.
- "Searching For A Heart" was written for Alan Rudolph's 1990 film Love At Large. The following year, the track was included in Lawrence Kasdan's film, Grand Canyon; a proper single was released in Germany on 7" and CD. A cassette single and promo CD were made available in the U.S. David Letterman was fond of the song, quoting the lyrics multiple times ahead of Warren performing it live on June 26, 1992. Warren's son, Jordan, performed the track on the Late Show in 2007 to promote the release of Preludes: Rare And Unreleased Recordings .
- "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead" was used as the title of a 1995 Gary Fleder motion picture starring Andy Garcia and Chistopher Lloyd.