Warren Zevon was a complicated guy. Most people know him for a song about a hairy monster eating beef chow mein, but he was actually a classically trained pianist who could play Stravinsky as easily as he could play a three-chord rock riff. If you look closely at the werewolves of london lyrics, you start to realize it wasn't just a silly Halloween novelty hit. It was a sharp, biting satire of the wealthy "posers" hanging out in London’s Soho district during the late 70s. Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle it became a hit at all.
Music history is full of weird accidents. This one started with a title suggested by Phil Everly—yes, that Phil Everly—who had seen the 1935 film Werewolf of London. He told Zevon he should write a song with that title. Zevon, being Zevon, didn't write a horror story. He wrote a travelogue of a monster with better fashion sense than most of us.
The Story Behind those Strange Lyrics
The song was written in about fifteen minutes. Zevon was with LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel, just messing around. They wanted something light. But because it’s Zevon, "light" still meant including a line about a werewolf mutilating an old lady. That’s just how his brain worked. You’ve got this juxtaposition of a jaunty, bouncy piano riff—played by the legendary Mick Fleetwood and John McVie of Fleetwood Mac—against lyrics that are surprisingly dark if you actually pay attention to them.
Take the opening. "I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand." It’s a great image. It’s funny. But then he’s walking through the streets of Soho in the rain. At the time, Soho was the epicenter of a certain kind of nightlife. By placing a werewolf there, Zevon is basically saying the "monsters" in the clubs weren't that different from the ones in the movies. They were looking for "a place called Lee Ho Fooks," which, by the way, was a real restaurant on Gerrard Street. It wasn't some made-up name. It was a high-end Cantonese spot known for its late-night crowd.
People often miss the class commentary tucked inside. The werewolf isn't some bedraggled creature from a 1940s flick. He's got "perfect hair." He’s looking for a "big dish of beef chow mein." He’s a consumer. He’s a dandy. This is a monster that cares about his appearance. When Zevon sings "Better stay away from him / He'll rip your lungs out, Jim," he’s using a very specific name. Jim. It sounds like a casual warning to a friend at a bar. It makes the violence feel weirdly intimate and casual, which is way scarier than a generic scream.
Lon Chaney, James Taylor, and the Weird References
The second verse is where things get truly bizarre and very Zevon-esque. He references Lon Chaney and Lon Chaney Jr. walking with the Queen. This is a nod to the legacy of horror cinema, but it’s also a jab at British high society. He’s imagining these icons of horror being welcomed into the inner circles of the elite.
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Then comes the line that confuses everyone: "I saw James Taylor walking toward the Queen / Doing the Werewolves of London."
For years, fans wondered if Zevon had beef with James Taylor. Not really. It was more about Taylor’s "sweet and sensitive" singer-songwriter image. Zevon was the "wild man" of the LA scene. Seeing the quintessential polite folk-rocker doing a monster strut was Zevon’s idea of a hilarious visual gag. It was a way of mocking the whole music industry machine. It’s a tiny detail, but it changes how you hear the song. It’s a meta-commentary on fame.
The Anatomy of the Howl
You can't talk about these lyrics without the "Ahooooo!" part. It’s the hook. It’s the thing that gets everyone at the karaoke bar screaming. But listen to the studio recording. It’s not just one guy howling. It’s a layered, meticulously produced sound. Waddy Wachtel, the guitarist who co-wrote it, has talked about how they spent ages trying to get the right "vibe" for those howls. They wanted them to sound menacing but also like a party you weren't invited to.
- The Piano: The main riff is a circular progression (G-C-D).
- The Tempo: It’s steady, almost like a march, which makes the lyrics pop.
- The Tone: Deadpan. Zevon never "winks" at the camera. He sings it like he’s reporting the nightly news.
Why We Still Care in 2026
The werewolves of london lyrics have outlived most of the other hits from 1978 because they don't take themselves too seriously, yet they are incredibly well-crafted. Most novelty songs die off because they’re annoying. This isn’t annoying. It’s groovy. It’s got a rhythm section that could hold up a house.
There’s also the Kid Rock factor. In 2008, Kid Rock sampled the beat and the chord progression for "All Summer Long." Suddenly, a whole new generation was hearing the ghost of Zevon’s piano. While some purists hated it, it kept the original alive. It proved that the "bones" of the song—the literal structure—were indestructible.
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But Kid Rock’s version lacks the teeth. It doesn't have the line about "little old lady got mutilated late last night." It doesn't have the cynicism. Zevon’s lyrics are a time capsule of a specific moment in London and LA culture when everything felt a little bit dangerous and a little bit fake.
Technical Mastery in Simple Words
Zevon was a master of the "short story" song. He didn't need ten minutes to build a world. He did it with specific nouns.
- Mayfair: Mentioning this specific London neighborhood immediately signals wealth and prestige.
- Trader Vic's: A famous tiki bar. It’s a very specific kind of kitsch that the werewolf frequents.
- Tailor: The werewolf’s tailor is "great." This implies the monster has money. He’s not a victim of a curse; he’s a guy living his best life at the expense of everyone else.
It’s easy to dismiss this as a "Halloween song." It gets played every October on every classic rock station in the world. But it’s actually a song about the monsters we let into our high-society circles because they have nice hair and go to the right restaurants. It’s a song about the 1% before we called them the 1%.
If you want to truly appreciate the genius here, stop listening to it as a spooky track. Listen to it as a comedy set. Listen to the way Zevon emphasizes the word "draw" in "his hair was perfect." He’s mocking the vanity. He’s laughing at the werewolf, even as he's telling you to run for your life.
Deep Lyrics Analysis
"He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent."
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The use of the word "amuck" is brilliant. It’s an old-fashioned word, something you’d find in a Victorian novel or a police report from 1890. By mixing 1970s slang and locations with this archaic language, Zevon creates a feeling of timelessness. The werewolf isn't new. He’s been around. He’s just updated his wardrobe for the disco era.
Then there’s the ending. "I'd like to meet his tailor." It’s the ultimate punchline. Even after seeing the carnage, the narrator is still obsessed with the fashion. It’s a perfect summation of the shallow culture Zevon was observing. We don't care that he's a killer; we just want to know where he got that suit.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Zevon and this specific track, don't just stop at the radio edit.
- Listen to the "Excitable Boy" Album: It’s the parent album of this song. It’s filled with similarly dark, hilarious tracks like "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner." It gives the werewolf context.
- Watch Live Performances: Zevon’s live versions of this song often included improvised lyrics and even more aggressive piano playing. You can see the classical influence peeking through his fingers.
- Check Out the Covers: Everyone from the Grateful Dead to Adam Sandler has covered this. Comparing how they handle the "howl" tells you a lot about their own musical styles.
- Read "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead": This is the oral biography of Warren Zevon. It’s raw, messy, and honest. It explains the mindset that led to writing a song about a werewolf eating chow mein.
Ultimately, the song works because it’s a perfect bridge between high art and low-brow humor. It doesn't ask you to choose. You can dance to it, or you can write a thesis on its social commentary. Both are valid. That’s the mark of a truly great piece of writing. Next time it comes on the radio, listen for the "Jim." Listen for the Queen. Realize that the werewolf isn't some guy in a mask—he’s just a guy with a really good haircut and a mean streak.