Question 1

True or false: Zevon's song 'Excitable Boy' is about a serial killer who dances at prom.

Accepted Answer

False. It's actually about a disturbed man who kills his date and keeps her body—no dancing. The prom is just a minor detail.

Question 2

True or false: Zevon's only top 40 hit was 'Werewolves of London'.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite a cult following, 'Werewolves of London' (1978) was his sole top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Question 3

True or false: Zevon wrote 'Poor Poor Pitiful Me' for Linda Ronstadt, who made it a hit.

Accepted Answer

True. He wrote the song, and Ronstadt's 1977 cover reached number 31 on the charts, boosting his career.

Question 4

True or false: Zevon's final album was recorded entirely in one take with no overdubs.

Accepted Answer

False. His final album 'The Wind' (2003) was recorded over months while he battled cancer, with multiple takes and guest musicians.

Question 5

True or false: Zevon was a professional wrestler before becoming a musician.

Accepted Answer

False. He was a musician first. This myth likely stems from his tough-guy persona and song 'Lawyers, Guns and Money'.

Question 6

True or false: Warren Zevon was a classically trained pianist who studied under Igor Stravinsky.

Accepted Answer

True. Zevon studied composition with Stravinsky as a teenager, a little-known but true fact from his early musical education.

Question 7

True or false: Bruce Springsteen wrote 'Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner' for Zevon.

Accepted Answer

False. Zevon co-wrote it with David Lindell. Springsteen contributed to other Zevon songs but not this one.

Question 8

True or false: Zevon once worked as a jingle writer for a toothpaste commercial.

Accepted Answer

True. Before fame, he wrote jingles, including one for Crest toothpaste, a quirky side hustle from his early days.

Warren Zevon Trivia Questions