i don't think this song is sad at all. but i definitely agree with bradec9 that he thinks he might have done better to go to the doctor now and then. the question is, would he have changed his lifestyle if he'd had the forewarning? i think the answer is a resounding no. this song has only the slightest tinge of regret, and is overlayed with a strong sense of acceptance. warren zevon would never have been satisfied as a health nut, clearly.
sonically this is the song in his catalogue closest to down home blues. like one of his heroes Milton, he strives in this song to be a rejuvenator and a prophet for his chosen genre. he is literally rewriting the rules of the blues. in this song the blues do not have to necessarily reflect guilt, regret, melancholy. instead it can be an outlet for rationally reasoning through a tough situation. the difference between him and Milton is that he does not care whether or not he reaches you to the point of wanting to mimic him, he wants to touch you through empathy, and he succeeds.
i don't think this song is sad at all. but i definitely agree with bradec9 that he thinks he might have done better to go to the doctor now and then. the question is, would he have changed his lifestyle if he'd had the forewarning? i think the answer is a resounding no. this song has only the slightest tinge of regret, and is overlayed with a strong sense of acceptance. warren zevon would never have been satisfied as a health nut, clearly.
sonically this is the song in his catalogue closest to down home blues. like one of his heroes Milton, he strives in this song to be a rejuvenator and a prophet for his chosen genre. he is literally rewriting the rules of the blues. in this song the blues do not have to necessarily reflect guilt, regret, melancholy. instead it can be an outlet for rationally reasoning through a tough situation. the difference between him and Milton is that he does not care whether or not he reaches you to the point of wanting to mimic him, he wants to touch you through empathy, and he succeeds.