He created wonderful characters in his songs; from werewolves, junkies, and psychopaths, to the headless mercenary Roland. And each character was treated with a level of respect that was especially evident in the music that accompanied the words. Who else but Warren would have sung about the "Excitable Boy" with such an understated bouncy tune?
When he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Warren reacted with irony instead of self pity. Would anyone else have the nerve to record "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" when faced with imminent demise?
In the end, he did not reprise "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me". Instead, he left us with a simple but life affirming message. The title of the tribute album recorded shortly after his death in 2003 says it all: "Enjoy Every Sandwich". True words to live by.
No comments:
Post a Comment