Zevon, Warren - Empty-Handed Heart Lyrics






All these empty places
I try so hard to fill
Will I find another love?
I pray to God I will
Girl, we had some good times
But time does not stand still
It's rolling like a rockslide down a hill

I've met someone I care for
I know she cares for me
Will I fall in love again?
It's a possibility
Girl, we had some good times
That time cannot undo
No one will ever take the place of you

Heart jinxed condition
Never sure how I feel
Trying to separate the real thing
From the wishful thinking
Sometimes I wonder
If I'll make it without you
I'm determined to
I'll make my stand
And if after all is said and done
You only find one special one
Then I've thrown down diamonds in the sand
Then I've thrown down diamonds in the sand
Then I've thrown down diamonds in the sand
Then I've thrown down diamonds in the sand

[Descant:]
Remember when we used to watch the sun set in the sea
You said you'd always be in love with me
All through the night, we danced and sang
Made love in the morning while the church bells rang

Leave the fire behind you and start
I'll be playing it by ear
Left here with an empty-handed heart





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Zevon, Warren Empty-Handed Heart Comments
  1. S.... H....

    probably wrote for his wife as he was leaving her in 1980

  2. J.... E....

    Was taken for so long by the melody and Warren's utterance of "heart-jinxed condition" (like it could be a diagnosed illness) that the impact of the break up in the song didn't hit me until I was 2 years into a divorce. Short and so bittersweet. This is a bonafide symphony.

  3. y.... ....

    Warren Zevon was a diamond in the sand...My favorite song. It describes losing your special one as intensely as humanly possible. Will always love you, but I pray to god I will try to fill my empty handed heart.

  4. P.... B....

    Haunting. Pure ethereal genius. He is still in my heart.

  5. R.... L....

    2019 anybody?

  6. T.... G....

    another great song from Warren Zevon, very underrated. There will never be another, he had such a sense of humor and an awesome dark side!

  7. E.... L....

    What a beautiful heartbreaker Zevon could be. Naturally Ronstadt's longingly sorrowful voice comes in - and the sadness is almost unbearable. Briliant.

  8. B.... G....

    Warren & Linda Perfect

  9. S.... B....

    Warren Zevon, extraordinarily talented songwriter and musician, Thoughtful, Poignant, Sensitive. Quirky sense of Dark Humor at times. Thank you Warren for the Music. Unique & Brilliant. My 99 year old Grandmother Loves this song. You are sadly missed.
    "No one will ever take the place of you"

  10. 0.... ....

    Great post, Matthew... forgot about this Warren gem.

  11. M.... D....

    This was the b-side of the single A Certain Girl.
    What a gem to find this song. I'll never forget hearing it for the first time.
    Beautiful, perfect...2 voices that should have sung together more.

    M.... D....

    Linda and Warren - beautiful.

  12. K.... W....

    I get chills when I hear Linda pipe in.

    K.... W....

    Same here.

  13. J.... R....

    Always loves Warren Zevon's work.  Deep and full of thought.

  14. B.... V....

    Time can not stand still, its rolling like a rock slide down a hill.

  15. G.... A....

    Bought this album when I was stationed in Germany 1979-80. I have always loved this song!

  16. J.... ....

    Then I've thrown down diamonds in the sand... great,great WZ

  17. T.... ....

    I can't listen to Linda's descant without tearing up, it's impossible.

    T.... ....

    Definitely.

    T.... ....

    Taylor I hear you loud and clear, brother. Keep on Praying for Linda to the One True God, in Jesus’es Name. And just wait for the Very Best!

  18. M.... S....

    all the sad songs make me cry

  19. P.... P....

    Total genius! He never got the recognition he deserved.

    P.... P....

    glad he didnt he made enough dough and posers dont listen to him what else could you ask for

  20. T.... ....

    It was bad enough to lose Warren Zevon ten years ago, but now add to that the knowledge that the beautiful voice of Linda Ronstadt, featured in the descant of this song, has been silenced by Parkinson's Disease and it may be the saddest song of all time.

  21. S.... C....

    Very under-rated album.

  22. T.... H....

    Amen to that. And you spend the rest of your damn life trying to dig through sand to find diamonds.

  23. N.... N....

    too true

  24. M.... M....

    I didn't even know what album I chose, I just grabbed a zevon one and listened to it. Funny how it hits ya in the fuckin chest, cause you're empty already

  25. M.... M....

    I played this on my back porch, vinyl, right after she broke up with me over the phone. I was left alone with this, the beach, and warren.

  26. C.... B....

    Sigh..... never heard this, but it's so wistful even though I, of course, still like it. Reminds
    me of his other sad songs

  27. j.... ....

    The descant by Ronstadt at the outro is just incredible- if this doesn't break your heart nothing will.

  28. B.... S....

    I listened to this song on a train to the airport crying after a failed relationship in Paris. Warren may be dead but he lives on in more ways than most people do.

  29. J.... ....

    @gamblinman some lines of lyrics bowl you over
    and no pun intended either
    this one's stuck in my head for 25+ years now ha
    i dont think it's going anywhere
    anytime soon
    good call amigo

  30. S.... P....

    I lived and still am living through everything Warren sings about in this song.