This has probably been discussed here before but I am a newbie, both to DB's music and to this message board. Re "Paddy Chayefsky's Dead": It appears to me that the singer is particularly grieving over the death of a friend who died in 1996. It sounds to me like the friend committed suicide. But was that friend named Paddy Chayefsky?

The famous writer Paddy Chayefsky died of cancer in New York City in 1981 at the age of 58. I suppose it could be said that he died of disappointment since he disliked his last screenplay so much that he refused to let his real name be used in the credits. But most of his writings were/are well respected.

So . . . that friend that died: Was his name Paddy Chayefsky, too? Perhaps (whether or not his real name was Paddy Chayefsky) he was also a writer whose work was very good but not well received? Or is the name Paddy Chayefsky used as a stand-in for all those who have died after making substantial contributions to society?

Another question: Block Dog says that Hunter Thompson is the Gonzo journalist from Rolling Stone and very much alive. Is there another "famous" Hunter Thompson who is dead? If not, why is Hunter Thompson named?

Robbie