I prefer these alternate lyrics to “Accidentally Like a Martyr” off of Warren Zevon’s Preludes: Rare and Unreleased Recordings as compared to the Excitable Boy version. I couldn’t find the lyrics anywhere on the internet so here they are as transcribed by me.
Why’d I let you get to me again
And get me all confused
Can’t I ever get it through my head
I’m only being used
Why’d I let you get me to again
Why’d I let you in
Knowing you were only going to nail me up againMaking mad love, shadow love
Random love and abandoned love
Accidentally like a martyr
The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harderWhy’d I let you get to me again
And treat me like a fool
Sometimes I wonder if your being deliberately cruel
Can’t I ever get it through my head
And ain’t it time I learned
That the greedy just get greedier
And the vulnerable get burnedMaking mad love, shadow love
Random love and abandoned love
Accidentally like a martyr
The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harderWhy’d I give you all the love I had
To squander like you did
My friends all shook their heads and sighed, such a naive kid
My friends all shook their heads and wished I’d find somebody else
And now I’m all alone and feeling sorry for myselfMaking mad love, shadow love
Random love and abandoned love
Accidentally like a martyr
The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harderWe’re making mad love, shadow love
Random love and abandoned love
Accidentally like a martyr
The hurt gets worse and the heart gets harder
I agree. Too bad he is dead and can’t change it.
This is a great version of the song. Not quite as melancholy as the excitable boy version – which is also good. Thanks for putting this up! Any ideas what he means by ‘accidentally like a martyr?” All I can think of is that he became a martyr accidentally…which seems maybe a little too obvious.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on zevon lyrics accidentally like a martyr.
Regards
Accidentally Like A Martyr” lyrics provided for educational purposes and personal use only.