My Ride's Here

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.

My Ride's Here
Studio album by Warren Zevon
Released	May 7, 2002
Recorded	2001
Studio	Anatomy of a Headache, Los Angeles; The Ed Sullivan Theater, New York; Pilot Studios, New York; Private Island Studios, Los Angeles; Spike Recording, New York
Genre	Rock
Length	41:10
Label	Artemis
Producer	Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon chronology
Life'll Kill Ya (2000) My Ride's Here (2002) Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon (2002)
Singles from My Ride's Here
"Basket Case" Released: 2002 "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" Released: 2002 "Genius" Released: 2002

On My Ride's Here, Zevon collaborated with a number of writers from outside the world of music. The song "Basket Case" features in Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name where it was performed by a fictional rock band. He also covers Serge Gainsbourg's "Laissez-Moi Tranquille" which roughly translates as "leave me alone". Gainsbourg first recorded it in 1960 on the Romantique 60 EP. "I Have to Leave" was a song written by Zevon's high school friend, Dan McFarland.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	A−[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004)	[5]
Uncut	8/10[6]

Mark Deming of AllMusic rated My Ride's Here two out of five stars. He stated that "the jokes tend to be a bit obvious", and that "the more introspective moments don't connect the way one might hope". However, he said that some of the tracks "are strong enough to remind listeners of just how talented Zevon still is". He concluded by saying that the album "is a misfire from an artist capable of much better work."^[1] Robert Christgau rated the album an A−, stating that Zevon was "at his best in the fictional-mythic mode that prevails".^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sacrificial Lambs"	Larry Klein, Warren Zevon	3:55
2.	"Basket Case"	Carl Hiaasen, Zevon	3:37
3.	"Lord Byron's Luggage"	Zevon	4:35
4.	"Macgillycuddy's Reeks"	Paul Muldoon, Zevon	3:04
5.	"You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared"	Hunter S. Thompson, Zevon	5:14
6.	"Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"	Mitch Albom, Zevon	5:26
7.	"Genius"	Larry Klein, Zevon	5:01
8.	"Laissez-moi tranquille"	Serge Gainsbourg	3:32
9.	"I Have to Leave"	Dan McFarland	3:05
10.	"My Ride's Here"	Paul Muldoon, Zevon	3:41

Personnel

• Warren Zevon – guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Charlie Bisharat – violin on "Genius"
• Larry Corbett – cello on "Genius"
• Joel Derouin – violin on "Genius"
• Anton Fig – drums
• Sheldon Gomberg – bass guitar
• David Letterman – background vocals on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
• Tony Levin – bass guitar on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
• Sid McGinnis – guitar on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
• Katy Salvidge – fiddle, tin whistle
• Paul Shaffer – organ on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
• Evan Wilson – viola on "Genius"
• Michael Wolff – organ on "You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared"
• Jordan Zevon, Ariel Zevon, David Letterman – additional vocals

Production

• Warren Zevon – producer, mixing, arranger
• Michael Delugg – engineer
• Harvey Goldberg – engineer
• Klint Macro – engineer
• Will Schillinger – engineer
• Noah Scot Snyder – engineer, mixing
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering
• Michael Krumper – A&R
• Henry Diltz – photography

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
2002	Top Independent Albums	22