''Jokingly we refer to it as my Robert Redford in prison song,'' Zevon said. ''On another level it's really serious. Afterward, Jorge said, 'You know, your body's the prison.' And I said, 'Whoa, he knows me better than I know myself.' ''

Cooder said after the session: ''It's not easy for him. It's hard work, recording. All the routine stuff about studios — 'Do you like the playback? Do you care about the microphone?' — I said: 'Man, just let that go. You don't have time.' This guy has to make every minute count.

''It's unbelievably sad and unbelievably brave,'' Cooder added. ''You get that kind of intense focus, and every word and every note is heartfelt. Plus, he is so funny. His asides while he was playing piano over the earphones, his remarks, I hope they keep it and make it part of the record.

Zevon's "life after the news" has undoubtedly been strange and rife with irony: how does a man obsessed with the macabre and the blackest of humor deal with the knowledge of terminal cancer? With dignity, humor and a grace not previously displayed, not to mention the burst of creativity. That Zevon is most alive in the twilight of his life is either brutal cruelty or a final gift depending upon your perspective. To his credit, Zevon has chosen the latter view.