Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
The silence never changes
In the city with no name
Would you come down after midnight
Leave the rest of us to shame
Why don't we talk to the dead
When the living's all the same
Why do we crawl like babies
Why don't we light up anyway
Come down Mississippi, tonight
As we all watch under big lights
You grow up fast and lonely
With the lines to mark your face
Bet you never felt so empty
Have you wasted all your days?
We're you born from the seed of disguise?
Do you pray to become undone?
You're the best of all that you know
So uncover me in the big lights
[Chorus: ]
Come down Mississippi tonight
As we all watch under big lights
Why don't you come down Mississippi tonight
As we all watch under big lights
Why don't we talk to the dead
When the living's all the same
Why do we crawl like babies, baby
Why don't we light up anyway
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
Come down, come down , oohh oh
In the city with no name
Would you come down after midnight
Leave the rest of us to shame
Why don't we talk to the dead
When the living's all the same
Why do we crawl like babies
Why don't we light up anyway
Come down Mississippi, tonight
As we all watch under big lights
You grow up fast and lonely
With the lines to mark your face
Bet you never felt so empty
Have you wasted all your days?
We're you born from the seed of disguise?
Do you pray to become undone?
You're the best of all that you know
So uncover me in the big lights
[Chorus: ]
Come down Mississippi tonight
As we all watch under big lights
Why don't you come down Mississippi tonight
As we all watch under big lights
Why don't we talk to the dead
When the living's all the same
Why do we crawl like babies, baby
Why don't we light up anyway
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
Come down, come down , oohh oh
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The lead singer said that this song was written about a girl named Mississippi (a fictional girl) who kind of grew up in a bad place and is trying to break free of that. One of my favorite songs.