Lawyers, Guns & Money

The Zoo Crew is spinning "Lawyers, Guns & Money" by Warren Zevon from his 1978 album Excitable Boy, and Zoo Freaks, you’re in for some wild trivia! Zevon shared a colorful story about the song’s origin during a 1994 BBC performance, claiming he wrote it late one night in Kauai, Hawaii, on wet cocktail napkins after a day of "improbable and grotesque mischief." Another tale, recounted on Genius, places Zevon in Cuba with his manager in a taxi. The driver made a sudden stop to rescue his kidnapped sister, leading to a chase by kidnappers. From the backseat, Zevon’s manager quipped, “Call my Dad and tell him to send some lawyers,” to which Zevon added, “Yeah, and some guns and money.” Whether these stories are true or embellished, they capture Zevon’s knack for blending chaos and humor.

The song’s creation also involved key collaborators. Songfacts notes that the soaring guitar work is by Waddy Wachtel, who co-produced Excitable Boy and was a frequent Zevon collaborator. The bassist, Kenny Edwards, previously played with Linda Ronstadt, who also sang harmony on the album’s title track. Fans on Reddit have praised the song’s biting humor, with one user sharing how their father loved the line “The shit has hit the fan,” often singing it when drunk. Posts on X highlight the song’s enduring appeal, with users like @GenTXer2 calling Excitable Boy a quirky, macabre masterpiece.

Warren Zevon’s journey to rock stardom was anything but conventional. Born in Chicago in 1947, he grew up in a turbulent household—his father was a bookie and minor gangster. As a teenager, Zevon studied classical music under Igor Stravinsky’s associate Robert Craft, showing early musical promise. By the 1960s, he was writing songs for The Everly Brothers and working as a session musician, even penning jingles. His first album, Wanted: Dead or Alive (1969), flopped, but Zevon persisted, moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. There, he connected with the West Coast music scene, collaborating with Jackson Browne, who produced his 1976 self-titled album, and Linda Ronstadt, who covered his songs like “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.” The 1978 release of Excitable Boy, featuring “Lawyers, Guns & Money,” catapulted him to fame, peaking at #8 on the Billboard 200.

Zevon’s official website, warrenzevon.com, offers updates on vinyl reissues and tributes like Shooter Jennings’ live album celebrating Zevon’s work. Fans can connect on social media via the official Warren Zevon Facebook page, which shares archival photos and music news, or follow @warrenzevonmusic on Instagram for visual throwbacks. On X, @WarrenZevonHQ posts about Zevon’s legacy, including recent podcast features. For deeper fan engagement, the Warren Zevon Wiki on Fandom is a treasure trove of fan-curated info, with 141 articles and fan art. The Warren Zevon Fan Group on Facebook is another hub where fans share memories, lyrics, and rare recordings, keeping Zevon’s spirit alive.