Absolutely love this song. Top shelf Zevon, for sure.
I agree that the song is sprinkled with anger, but the first two lines give you an idea of how to take it:
"I've got a bitter pot of je ne sais quoi" (literally "I don't know what")
"Guess what-I'm stirring it with a monkey's paw" (an object that grants the possessor 3 wishes with severe consequences)
His emotions are bubbling over with confusion while being stirred by an object that's capable of producing both enormous joy and pain.
Also, pay attention to the confessions that are mixed in with the jabs...
"I became
A minor inconvenience"
"I'm the one who always told you you were smart"
"You broke my heart into smithereens"
"But there's nothing I can do or say I haven't done or said"
But the biggest admission and the one that elevates the song to the level of...wait for it...genius is:
"If I could only get my record clean
I'd be a genius"
The previous jabs prove to be slivers of jealousy. He isn't a genius and it's likely that he'll never become one. Therefore, he'll never get her back.
One thing I really like about the writing is how he hits you with something humorous, then immediately counters with something painful and honest. One moment it's praise for Einstein and Sheen's skill with the ladies, the next is the sobering truth where he admits that he's emotionally destroyed.
WZ will always be one of the greats. It really sucks that he's gone.
@nicodemusatrophy I agree about Zevon's own form of genius, but I wonder how much more he had to give. Maybe so much more, or maybe he would have faded into middle-aged bitterness. We'll never know.
@nicodemusatrophy I agree about Zevon's own form of genius, but I wonder how much more he had to give. Maybe so much more, or maybe he would have faded into middle-aged bitterness. We'll never know.
Absolutely love this song. Top shelf Zevon, for sure.
I agree that the song is sprinkled with anger, but the first two lines give you an idea of how to take it:
"I've got a bitter pot of je ne sais quoi" (literally "I don't know what")
"Guess what-I'm stirring it with a monkey's paw" (an object that grants the possessor 3 wishes with severe consequences)
His emotions are bubbling over with confusion while being stirred by an object that's capable of producing both enormous joy and pain.
Also, pay attention to the confessions that are mixed in with the jabs...
"I became A minor inconvenience"
"I'm the one who always told you you were smart"
"You broke my heart into smithereens"
"But there's nothing I can do or say I haven't done or said"
But the biggest admission and the one that elevates the song to the level of...wait for it...genius is:
"If I could only get my record clean I'd be a genius"
The previous jabs prove to be slivers of jealousy. He isn't a genius and it's likely that he'll never become one. Therefore, he'll never get her back.
One thing I really like about the writing is how he hits you with something humorous, then immediately counters with something painful and honest. One moment it's praise for Einstein and Sheen's skill with the ladies, the next is the sobering truth where he admits that he's emotionally destroyed.
WZ will always be one of the greats. It really sucks that he's gone.
God rest his soul. I completely agree. One of the best and too bad more people don't appreciate his talents.
God rest his soul. I completely agree. One of the best and too bad more people don't appreciate his talents.
@nicodemusatrophy I agree about Zevon's own form of genius, but I wonder how much more he had to give. Maybe so much more, or maybe he would have faded into middle-aged bitterness. We'll never know.
@nicodemusatrophy I agree about Zevon's own form of genius, but I wonder how much more he had to give. Maybe so much more, or maybe he would have faded into middle-aged bitterness. We'll never know.