Excitable Boy (1978) – Warren Zevon

Does this song title not make you get all excited? I know it did me. And there’s nothing more excitable than an excitable boy. If you would have asked me how I felt when my brother and I were playing Atari 2600 (River Raid) in our teens, I would have said, ‘I feel like an excitable boy‘! The idea for this song came from a conversation Warren Zevon had with Roy Marinell. Roy commented that Zevon got a little too excited when he played lead guitar. Zevon replied, “Well I’m just an excitable boy.”

Lawyers, Guns and Money from Excitable Boy has already showcased here. Today’s song and Werewolves of London (which will also feature here) are considered macabrely humorous by some critics. You would have to throw Lawyers in there as well, wouldn’t you? The lyrics of Excitable Boy are indeed disturbing but illuminating at the same time. The album ‘Excitable Boy‘ brought Zevon to commercial attention and remains the best-selling album of his career. It was his third studio album and was released in 1978, by Asylum Records. The record reached No. 21 and remained in the American Top 40 for six weeks.

[Verse 1]
Well, he went down to dinner in his Sunday best
“Excitable boy,” they all said
And he rubbed the pot roast all over his chest
“Excitable boy,” they all said
Well, he’s just an excitable boy

[Verse 2]
He took in the 4 A.M. show at the Clark
“Excitable boy,” they all said
And he bit the usherette’s leg in the dark
“Excitable boy,” they all said
Well, he’s just an excitable boy

[Chorus]
(Ooh, ah-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, excitable boy)
(Ooh, ah-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, excitable boy)

[Verse 3]
He took little Suzie to the Junior Prom (Ooh, ah-ooh)
“Excitable boy,” they all said (Ooh-ooh, excitable boy)
And he raped her and killed her, then he took her home (Ooh, ah-ooh)
“Excitable boy,” they all said (Ooh-ooh, excitable boy)
Well, he’s just an excitable boy

[Verse 4]
After ten long years, they let him out of the home
“Excitable boy,” they all said (Ooh-ooh, excitable boy)
And he dug up her grave and built a cage with her bones
“Excitable boy,” they all said (Ooh-ooh, excitable boy)
Well, he’s just an excitable boy

Max from PowerPop recommended this song to me and I really like it. The thing about Zevon which I admire is he just tells it how it is without sugarcoating or caring how he may be perceived. It’s just simplicity in meaning and presentation. I’m in no way well-versed about his music, but he always seemed very transparent and open musically at least from what I have heard. Also, there seems great variation in his music. His songs seem so distinct from the other. The music (not the words!) in Excitable Boy sounds like something I might expect to hear on an early 1980’s Springsteen record.

Zevon had early music industry successes as a session musician, jingle composer, songwriter, touring musician, musical coordinator, and bandleader. In 1975, Zevon toured regularly with the Everly Brothers as keyboard player, band leader, and musical coordinator. Also, in this same year he returned to Los Angeles, where he roomed with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac). Despite all of that, Zevon struggled to break through in his solo career until his music was performed by Linda Ronstadt in 1976. There he collaborated with Jackson Browne, who produced and promoted Zevon’s self-titled major-label debut in 1976.

Reference:
1. Excitable Boy – Wikipedia
2. Warren Zevon – Wikipedia

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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand