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Warren Zevon — Mohammed's Radio
Album: Warren Zevon
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 820









Released: 1976
Length: 3:35
Plays (last 30 days): 2
Everybody's restless and they've got no place to go
Someone's always trying to tell them
Something they already know
So their anger and resentment flow

But don't it make you want to rock and roll
All night long
Mohammed's Radio
I heard somebody singing sweet and soulful
On the radio, Mohammed's Radio

You know, the Sheriff's got his problems too
He will surely take them out on you
In walked the village idiot and his face was all aglow
He's been up all night listening to Mohammed's Radio

Don't it make you want to rock and roll
All night long
Mohammed's Radio
I heard somebody singing sweet and soulful
On the radio, Mohammed's Radio

Everybody's desperate trying to make ends meet
Work all day, still can't pay the price of gasoline and meat
Alas, their lives are incomplete

Don't it make you want to rock and roll
All night long Mohammed's Radio
I heard somebody singing sweet and soulful
On the radio, Mohammed's Radio

You've been up all night listening for his drum
Hoping that the righteous might just might just might just come
I heard the General whisper to his aide-de-camp
"Be watchful for Mohammed's lamp"

Don't it make you want to rock and roll
All night long Mohammed's Radio
Comments (71)add comment
How prophetic - this came out in 1976??
Ronstadt's version of this is also worth a listen.
 capandjudy wrote:

I always seem to equate Warren Zevon with Hunter S. Thompson for some reason.


I can see that.  Both bat-shit crazy, but literate
"I heard the General whisper to his aide-de-camp
'Be watchful for Mohammed's lamp'"

Tossing in military-mysticism prophetic tidbits was Warren Zevon's secret rock 'n roll sauce. Roland the Thompson gunner was so damn literary it's like Warren's life should at least be re-created as a Netflix thriller series. 
Good to hear some Warren Zevon here!
The California Sound at its finest.
 nutrod42 wrote:

Lindsey Buckingham too, I think.


You're both right - here's the personnel list from wikipedia:

Warren Zevon – Vocals, piano
Stevie Nicks – Backing vocals
Lindsey Buckingham – Guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Keys – Saxophone
Bob Glaub – Bass guitar
Waddy Wachtel – Guitar
David Lindley – Lap steel guitar
Larry Zack – Drums, percussion
Jackson Browne - Producer
Ken Caillat - Engineer
Love Warren. RIP (I'm trying my darnedest to enjoy every sandwich)
Schäs Lied!
I always put this song along side Jackson Browne from the same era. Both great singer songwriters.
Lyrics are particularly relevant in today's USA!
Ah - with his I can finally get back to work after an amazing run: Dead Can Dance - Pixies - Petty (Fault Lines)!
Genius. So sorry he's gone.  
 Steely_D wrote:

So folks reading that know, it's "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" which basically means "the more things change, the more they stay the same."
 
Thanks for getting the cedilla in there!  And giving the rest of the saying. 
I'm at a 7 on this one, thinking of going to 8 one day....maybe next time I'm having a great day and this one comes on to make me blue (lol @ Grayson!) Long Live RP!!
Dude. Mr. Bill, you just totally blew it. Big time. Had been having a rather fine dreary Sunday afternoon at the local shooting the breeze, whatever, came home to hear this playing. If anything can bring on my-old-friend-Sunday-afternoon-kinda-blues faster, it'd be this one. 
 Stephen_Phillips wrote:

 Plus ca change as they say in France ("nothing changes").

 
So folks reading that know, it's "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" which basically means "the more things change, the more they stay the same."
My crystals resonate with the introduction of Warren Zevon music to my countenance. Always good. Always weird. Always Warren.
 
I really miss this man.  What a brilliant songwriter, performer, and human being.
Mr Zevon is one of my favorite artists, and I am quite familiar with his work.

Today, however, this song yanked me out of a very focused writing effort as ..... "Wow, man!  I actually listened to Mohammed's radio while on assignment in the King Abdullah Economic City!"

Yessir, Mix 105 was trippy.  Arabic language DJ with some English-language commercials; a mixture of Arabic, Euro, and US music (think: Brittany Spears); and religious programming at sunset, in accordance with their evening prayer period.

(You see, I couldn't get Radio Paradise while in the car ....)
I always seem to equate Warren Zevon with Hunter S. Thompson for some reason.
 WonderLizard wrote:
Wonder how he escaped a fatwa for the title alone?

 
It was 1976, three years before the Shah was even overthrown; maybe things weren't as overtly adversarial and militant back then.
"Zevon has remarked that all the songs he wrote from that era were done under a haze of drugs. He himself doesn't really recall what they were all about."
 rockettnyc wrote:
The background vocals are provided by the fabulous Stevie Nicks

 
Lindsey Buckingham too, I think.
The man was a genius.  I miss his surprising brilliance.
 Steely_D wrote:

Except I think his point wasn't political or economic. It was the futile grasping for things that are, at their core, irrelevant to a good life. That's made clear by the next - sarcastic - line:

Alas, their lives are incomplete. 

 
Alas we can't ask him now what he really meant.  I think you have over analysed it - he probably just chose the word "meat" to rhyme with "Incomplete". I don't think Warren was a vegetarian or a non-automobile owner.  I think things were tight in USA in the early 70's and the same here in the UK. Plus ca change as they say in France ("nothing changes").
All Zevon's songs are meritory to godlike. But this is a 9. Much more puntuation than the half of the songs that is playing in RP.
This wouldn't sound out of place on Roger Waters' Amused to Death, released in 1992.
Doesn't get much better than this!
 Pyro wrote:
RIP, Warren.  I am enjoying every sandwich.

"Everybody's desperate trying to make ends meet
work all day, still can't pay the price of gasoline and meat"


not much has changed, eh?

 
Except I think his point wasn't political or economic. It was the futile grasping for things that are, at their core, irrelevant to a good life. That's made clear by the next - sarcastic - line:

Alas, their lives are incomplete. 
Warren Zevon ALWAYS puts a smile on my face.
Even Obama has the Ebola blues...just keeping it current
Seems to be toooo much Neko Case....so I've PSD'ed.
 contractor07 wrote:
Garbage!

 
he's got his problems, too
and he will surely take them out on you 
Wonder how he escaped a fatwa for the title alone?
Wonderful song.
In walked the village idiot and his face was all aglow
He's been up all night listening to Mohammed's Radio
Don't it make you want to rock and roll
All night long
Mohammed's Radio
I heard somebody singing sweet and soulful
On the radio, Mohammed's Radio
So. Good. 

Warren Zevon sings straight to my brain, my heart, and my soul. So wonderful.
Thank God for PSD, which got me to here.
If you don't find yourself singing along, stop and ask why the hell not.
God, I love how Bill segues from Steve Earle - Jerusalem to this song!
 contractor07 wrote:

Garbage!


 
No, Warren Zevon.  Far better than Garbage.(Withholding vitriolic response here.) {#Sunny}
I love this song.  When are we going to hear "Bo Diddley Was A Gunslinger"?  Or "Accidentally Like A Martyr"?  Yep, Zevon was a man ahead of his (too-short) time...  His son Jordan has some good music out there, too.  I love "The Joke's On Me."  {#Music}
 contractor07 wrote:

Garbage!


 
Why do I have the feeling the Musselman contingent isn't too happy with this song?

<...> there's the difference between an "extremist" and a "moderate".

The "extremist" is the one with the death threat.

The "moderate" is the one who explains what you've done to deserve it.

 



is this in honor of the pakistani american who tried to blow up his car in times square?
damn this boy was good!
 mybaldbird wrote:
Possibly my favorite Zevon song, I can't decide between this and Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.
 

A hard choice indeed!
Nice follow up to the previous (great) song. I love Warren Zevon's music, and this is such a soulful one.
Bye Warren. Thanks for the music.

Garbage!


RIP, Warren.  I am enjoying every sandwich.

"Everybody's desperate trying to make ends meet
work all day, still can't pay the price of gasoline and meat"


not much has changed, eh?


Great song to play after Jerusalem! Bill does it again!
great song, gone too soon.
Possibly my favorite Zevon song, I can't decide between this and Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.
Truly heavenly music!
The background vocals are provided by the fabulous Stevie Nicks
I'm sure somewhere there's an angry extremist jumping up and down over the song title etc...you can't even call a teddy bear Mohammed now days without the fear of death...stupid times we're living in!
karljonasson wrote:
YES! This is one of the best f'in songs ever written. Can't be played loud or often enough!
per-fect!
Great to hear from Mr. Zevon. Haven't heard much of him here at RP. Thanks playing this.
crankypage wrote:
Freaking Genius, RIP. Every song from his first album deserves to be on RP.
Absolutely! Every track is a classic.
Dave_Mack wrote:
Don't think I've heard this one before. Do I hear Emmy Lou Harris in there?
EmmyLou's not listed as a contributer to this album, but there's plenty of other familiar names on there...
Phlegmaticman wrote:
I made this comment on "Radio Radio," but here goes again: I tend to enjoy songs about radio. Radio Radio - Elvis Costello Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo On Your Radio - Joe Jackson You Turn Me On (I'm A Radio) - Joni Mitchell Border Radio - The Blasters Static On The Radio - Jim White The list goes on and on. What is it about radio songs?
Big up Wall of Voodoo: "I wish I was in Tijuana / Eating barbecued iguana". My favourite additions to this list: On My Radio - The Selector Radio Sweetheart - Elvis Costello Radio Sweethearts - Kate Rusby Radio Silence - Thoas Dolby There's Nothing on the Radio - Graham Parker ...but most of the time I could do without This is Radio Clash - The Clash Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles
Phlegmaticman wrote:
I made this comment on "Radio Radio," but here goes again: I tend to enjoy songs about radio. Radio Radio - Elvis Costello Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo On Your Radio - Joe Jackson You Turn Me On (I'm A Radio) - Joni Mitchell Border Radio - The Blasters Static On The Radio - Jim White The list goes on and on. What is it about radio songs?
No soap. RADIO!
Fire up the fatwas!!
Don't think I've heard this one before. Do I hear Emmy Lou Harris in there?
I made this comment on "Radio Radio," but here goes again: I tend to enjoy songs about radio. Radio Radio - Elvis Costello Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo On Your Radio - Joe Jackson You Turn Me On (I'm A Radio) - Joni Mitchell Border Radio - The Blasters Static On The Radio - Jim White The list goes on and on. What is it about radio songs?
I miss him. Yes... 10... Godlike.
Sure do miss this guy. RIP Warren.
Freaking Genius, RIP. Every song from his first album deserves to be on RP.