I, too, believe this song may have been written before he knew he'd been dealt the Ace of Spades (not sure why, but I've been reading a lot about Mr. Zevon lately -- older info, not recent -- and that's my sense of things).
Regardless, it was indeed a tactical error to avoid the doctor, but many folks in the prime of life do that.
As for a doctor's visit changing his lifestyle, that's somewhat ironic, as his death was not related to his "life of wretched excess" (my words), and I believe an earlier visit to a doctor might not have done a whole lot of good in his case.
As I recall, Warren's cancer was caused by exposure to airborne particles of asbestos insulation when, as a child, he would play in the attic above his folk's carpet store. It kind of goes underground, and then comes back to bite you later.
An acquaintence of mine died a few years back from this really weird (and rare) form of Asbestosis of the stomache.
As he was making his long journey to pass under "Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate" (Jackson's words, not mine), he was racking his brain trying to figure out how he contracted THAT. I mean, how does someone end up EATING asbestos?
Then he remembered that, some 40 years earlier, the summer after he graduated high school, he'd had a job for 3 months, unloading train cars.
What he was unloading was sheets of asbestos, 4' by 8' by 1/16", and the sheets would kind of stick together so you couldn't get a purchase on them. His solution was to lick his fingertips in between sheets (at the time, people didn't know the stuff could be deadly), and the rest, like he himself, is history.
Side note: Asbestos isn't deadly unless it becomes airborne, as in tearing out old ceiling tiles, insulation, or floor tiles. Not sure how to identify, if in doubt, don't fool around - consult an expert. But I CAN tell you that if the home is older, and the floor tiles look like Linoleum or VCT but they are LESS THAN one foot square (typically 8 or 9 inches square), then they are ALMOST CERTAINLY made of/with asbestos. Especially if they're in the basement, over a concrete subfloor.
Not to worry, though ... if no demolition is needed, simply cover them with another layer of flooring; something that doesn't require nailing (no hardwood), such as VCT (Vinyl Composite Tile, as seen in a school hallway near YOU), or sheet vinyl (as seen in your bathroom and kitchen, unless you have Ceramic tile liek me).
I suggest a consultation with a Licensed (!) Contractor before proceeding - it should be free (mine are).
Not that all that is really about the song (unless it is), but if it keeps someone else from pushing up the daisys prematurely, I'm glad. Rock on!
I, too, believe this song may have been written before he knew he'd been dealt the Ace of Spades (not sure why, but I've been reading a lot about Mr. Zevon lately -- older info, not recent -- and that's my sense of things).
Regardless, it was indeed a tactical error to avoid the doctor, but many folks in the prime of life do that.
As for a doctor's visit changing his lifestyle, that's somewhat ironic, as his death was not related to his "life of wretched excess" (my words), and I believe an earlier visit to a doctor might not have done a whole lot of good in his case.
As I recall, Warren's cancer was caused by exposure to airborne particles of asbestos insulation when, as a child, he would play in the attic above his folk's carpet store. It kind of goes underground, and then comes back to bite you later.
An acquaintence of mine died a few years back from this really weird (and rare) form of Asbestosis of the stomache.
As he was making his long journey to pass under "Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate" (Jackson's words, not mine), he was racking his brain trying to figure out how he contracted THAT. I mean, how does someone end up EATING asbestos?
Then he remembered that, some 40 years earlier, the summer after he graduated high school, he'd had a job for 3 months, unloading train cars.
What he was unloading was sheets of asbestos, 4' by 8' by 1/16", and the sheets would kind of stick together so you couldn't get a purchase on them. His solution was to lick his fingertips in between sheets (at the time, people didn't know the stuff could be deadly), and the rest, like he himself, is history.
Side note: Asbestos isn't deadly unless it becomes airborne, as in tearing out old ceiling tiles, insulation, or floor tiles. Not sure how to identify, if in doubt, don't fool around - consult an expert. But I CAN tell you that if the home is older, and the floor tiles look like Linoleum or VCT but they are LESS THAN one foot square (typically 8 or 9 inches square), then they are ALMOST CERTAINLY made of/with asbestos. Especially if they're in the basement, over a concrete subfloor.
Not to worry, though ... if no demolition is needed, simply cover them with another layer of flooring; something that doesn't require nailing (no hardwood), such as VCT (Vinyl Composite Tile, as seen in a school hallway near YOU), or sheet vinyl (as seen in your bathroom and kitchen, unless you have Ceramic tile liek me).
I suggest a consultation with a Licensed (!) Contractor before proceeding - it should be free (mine are).
Not that all that is really about the song (unless it is), but if it keeps someone else from pushing up the daisys prematurely, I'm glad. Rock on!