"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" | |
---|---|
Song by Warren Zevon | |
from the album Excitable Boy | |
Released | 1978 |
Recorded | 1977 |
Genre | Rock |
Length | 3:47 |
Label | Asylum |
Songwriter(s) | Warren Zevon, David Lindell |
"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" is a song composed by Warren Zevon and David Lindell [1] and performed by Zevon. It was included on Zevon's 1978 album Excitable Boy , and while never released as a single became a fan favorite. It was the last song he performed in front of an audience, during an October 2002 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman , before his death in 2003. [2]
In 1973, American musician Warren Zevon met David Lindell in Sitges, Catalonia, where Lindell operated a bar named "The Dubliner" after working as a mercenary in Africa. Inspired by Lindell's stories of his career as a mercenary, Zevon decided to collaborate with him in making a song about a left-wing mercenary. [3]
The resulting song Zevon and Lindell produced, "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" describes the life of fictional Norwegian mercenary Roland. In Denmark, a Thompson submachine gun-equipped Roland agrees to join the Biafran Armed Forces as a mercenary and fight in the Nigerian Civil War. Roland then decides to leave for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he joins the Congelese military and fights against "the Bantu". Eventually, the Central Intelligence Agency decides to assassinate Roland, and pays one of his comrades, Van Owen, to kill him on their behalf. Van Owen shoots him in the head, though he does not die, and his comrades still see "his headless body stalking through the night". The headless Roland searches Africa for Van Owen, eventually finding him drinking gin in a Mombasa bar and killing him. After killing Van Owen, Roland continues to work as a mercenary in Ireland, Lebanon, Palestine, and Berkeley. The song concludes by claiming that Roland played a role in the 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army.[ citation needed ]
Musicians on the track were Zevon (vocals, piano, organ); Waddy Wachtel (guitar); Bob Glaub (bass guitar); and Russell Kunkel (drums). Backing vocals were provided by an ad-hoc ensemble called The Gentlemen Boys, which included Zevon, Wachtel, Jackson Browne, Jorge Calderón, Kenny Edwards, and JD Souther.[ citation needed ]
The song is a favorite of screenwriter David Koepp. He named the big-game hunter in The Lost World: Jurassic Park "Roland Tembo" as a reference to the song, and then "thought it would be fun to make his nemesis' last name Van Owen, like in the song", thus leading to the name of one of the protagonists being Nick Van Owen. [4]
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money", and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All three songs are featured on his third album, Excitable Boy (1978), the title track of which is also well-known. He also wrote major hits that were recorded by other artists, including "Poor Poor Pitiful Me", "Mohammed's Radio", "Carmelita", and "Hasten Down the Wind".
Warren Zevon is the second studio album by American musician Warren Zevon. This album was recorded in 1975 and released on May 18, 1976, by Asylum Records. A remastered version of the album with bonus tracks was released in 2008 by Rhino Records.
Excitable Boy is the third studio album by American musician Warren Zevon. The album was released on January 18, 1978, by Asylum Records. It includes the single "Werewolves of London", which reached No. 21 and remained in the American Top 40 for six weeks. The album brought Zevon to commercial attention and remains the best-selling album of his career, having been certified platinum by the RIAA and reaching the top ten on the US Billboard 200. A remastered and expanded edition was released in 2007.
Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon is a compilation album by American musician Warren Zevon, released in 2002.
"Werewolves of London" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, written by Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel. It first appeared on Excitable Boy (1978), Zevon's third studio album, then it was released as a single by Asylum Records in March 1978, becoming a Top 40 US hit, the only one of Zevon's career, reaching No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in May.
Life'll Kill Ya is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on January 25, 2000, by Artemis Records. It was later hailed in Rolling Stone as his best work since Excitable Boy.
A Quiet Normal Life: The Best Of Warren Zevon is a greatest hits album by American musician Warren Zevon released in 1986.
Mr. Bad Example is an album by the American musician Warren Zevon, released through Giant Records in October 1991. Zevon supported the album with a North American tour, with the Odds serving as both opener and backing band.
Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on February 15, 1980, by Elektra Records. Three singles were released from the album, one of which charted: "A Certain Girl" reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Zevon's second and final hit on that chart.
The Envoy is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on July 16, 1982, by Asylum Records. The album's lack of commercial success caused Zevon's label to terminate his recording contract.
Transverse City is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Warren Zevon, released in October 1989 by Virgin Records. It features appearances from a number of prominent musicians, including guitarists Neil Young, David Gilmour, Jerry Garcia and Mike Campbell, as well as jazz pianist Chick Corea. Michael Ironside provides narration on the track "Run Straight Down."
Learning to Flinch is a live solo acoustic album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, recorded at various venues in the United States, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia and released in early 1993.
My Ride's Here is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on May 7, 2002, by Artemis Records. Zevon described it as "a meditation on death"; it was released several months before Zevon was diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma.
Stand in the Fire is a live album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, released December 26, 1980. It was recorded in August 1980 during a five-night residency at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California and featured two new original songs and one new cover. The album was dedicated to Martin Scorsese.
Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon, released in 2004, is a tribute album to the late Warren Zevon by several well-known musicians. It includes a previously unreleased Zevon composition: "Studebaker", sung by Warren's son Jordan Zevon.
Robert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Beth Hart, Stevie Nicks, Kim Carnes, Randy Newman, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Jon Bon Jovi, James Taylor, Iggy Pop, Warren Zevon, Bryan Ferry, Michael Sweet, Jackson Browne, Karla Bonoff, and Andrew Gold, both in the studio and live.
Skizz was a comic strip in 2000 AD which appeared in three installments across more than a decade. It was written by Alan Moore and drawn by Jim Baikie. Two sequels appeared some years later, written and drawn by Baikie.
The Stanleyville mutinies, also known as the Mercenaries' mutinies, occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1966 and 1967.
"Mohammed's Radio" is a song by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The song was released on his 1976 album Warren Zevon. The song was featured on A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon and several other greatest hits-type albums by Zevon. Fleetwood Mac members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are also featured on this recording, as are Bobby Keys, Bob Glaub, and Waddy Wachtel.
Shortly after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon made his final public appearance on the late-night talk show Late Show with David Letterman on October 30, 2002. Zevon, who had regularly appeared on the show over the preceding decade, was unusually given the majority of the episode to talk with Letterman and perform three songs. The episode is known for the humor that Zevon used throughout the interview, as well as his quip that his terminal diagnosis was a reminder to "enjoy every sandwich".