RIP Warren Zevon

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's
Going to get himself a big dish of beef chow mein
Werewolves of London
If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
Better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated late last night
Werewolves of London again
Werewolves of London
He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor
Werewolves of London
Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen
Doing the Werewolves of London
I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the Werewolves of London
I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect
Werewolves of London
Draw blood

Singer-songwriter Warren Zevon died yesterday (September 7) after a much-publicized fight with lung cancer. The 56-year-old musician died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles while taking an afternoon nap.

Rather than focussing on the tragedy of Zevon’s death, ChartAttack would prefer to celebrate the musician’s amazing life. Here’s our list of the Top 10 Reasons Why Warren Zevon Was Cool:

1. After discovering that he had inoperable cancer last year, Zevon got to work on own musical epitaph. His final album, The Wind, was released two weeks ago and featured guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Billy Bob Thornton, Jackson Browne and many others. The album included a particularly haunting version of Bob Dylan’s "Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door" and ended with a moving acoustic ballad called "Keep Me In Your Heart."

2. He was good buddies with Hunter S. Thompson since they both loved to party to the extreme in their youth. Once Zevon got all that out of his system he sought out alcoholism treatment and had been sober for nearly 18 years.

3. When Zevon found out that he had cancer, David Letterman did a special show just for him. Letterman asked him how he was dealing with the fact that he was going to die, he simply said that he "would enjoy every sandwich."

4. How many singers got to use R.E.M. as their backing band? The band and Zevon did a record under the name Hindu Love Gods in which they covered Prince's "Rasberry Beret." They were also his backing band on his 1987 album Sentimental Hygiene.

5. Wrote the nastiest song about the South ever (yes, nastier than "Southern Man") with "Play It All Night Long" (from his Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School record in 1980). Opening Line: "Grandpa's ####ed his pants again/He don't give a damn/Brother Billy's got both guns drawn/He ain't been right since Vietnam."

6. Hollywood directors love to steal Zevon titles for their movies. Examples: "Thing To Do In Denver When You’re Dead" and the recent "I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead."

7. He wrote the best song about Elvis Presley and the entrapment of big time fame. "Porcelain Monkey" from Life'll Kill Ya features the chorus "He threw it away for a porcelain monkey/Gave it all up for a figurine/He traded it in for a night in Las Vegas/And his face on velveteen."

8. Zevon was perhaps the only singer-songwriter that got stuck with the burden of one hit tune ("Werewolves Of London") and managed to laugh about it. Zevon appeared on the Larry Sanders show as himself and pleaded with the producer Artie to play anything but "Werewolves." Artie lets him do "The French Inhaler" (from his debut album). However, when he finished, Larry leaned over in true "I don't have a clue" style and asks if Warren would play "that Werewolves In London" song. The look on Zevon's face said it all. Priceless.

9. He was probably the only reason that David Letterman would ever end up singing on a record. Letterman sang back up vocals on Zevon's "Hit Somebody" from his 2001 album My Ride's Here.

10. But best of all, he never took no #### from anyone.

Send Lawyers, Guns and Money cause the **** has hit the fan!!!