Empty Hearted Town is a song by Warren Zevon first released as a demo take on the 2007 compilation album Preludes: Rare and Unreleased Recordings.
About the Song
The song describes a wanderer through the streets of Los Angles, musings about the ups and downs of life. He makes mention of a painful relationship while walking through the dark decay of Autumn. Looking upon the high sky rises of the city he considers what wonders man has made and yet how empty and soulless the city seems, just like what he is feeling inside and his many regrets.
Lyrics
Note: the text of this song's lyrics is not under the same copyright license as the wiki's encyclopedic text, it is used under fair use/dealing.
Ain't life strange?
Ain't it funny?
Nothing matters much but love and money.
Things don't work out the way you reckoned,
The money comes first,
And the love comes second.
Cigarettes make the sun come up,
Whiskey makes the sun go down,
And in between,
We do a lot of standing around.
It's all I can do,
To make it through the day.
She wrapped it all in darkness
And I can't find my way,
And I'm walking down the sidewalks of LA,
Wishing I had a warmer jacket,
And the leaves are falling down.
I'm just another man,
With an empty handed heart,
In an eee-mpty hearted town.
It started out alright,
Ended up all wrong.
Shoulda done, shoulda done,
That's my song.
Now the night is falling hard and fast.
All dressed up for the masquerade,
And the lights of the city stretch as far as the eye can see.
Look what wonders man has made.
Look what wonders man has made.
I'm walking down the sidewalks of LA,
Wishing I had a warmer jacket.
And the leaves are falling down.
And I'm just another man,
With an empty handed heart,
In an eee-mpty hearted town.
I'm walking down the sidewalks of LA,
Wishing I had a warmer jacket,
And something more to say.