# Tom Waits appreciation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929 "2001-08-30T14:10:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/1 "2001-08-30T14:10:35Z")
Mr. Eutychus said something [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=84366) that made me think… \* Well it’s Ninth and Hennepin All the doughnuts have names that sound like prostitutes And the moon’s teeth marks are on the sky Like a tarp thrown all over this And the broken umbrellas like dead birds And the steam comes out of the grill Like the whole goddamn town’s ready to blow… And the bricks are all scarred with jailhouse tattoos And everyone is behaving like dogs And the horses are coming down Violin Road And Dutch is dead on his feet And all the rooms they smell like diesel And you take on the dreams of the ones who have slept here And I’m lost in the window, and I hide in the stairway And I hang in the curtain, and I sleep in your hat… And no one brings anything small into a bar around here They all started out with bad directions And the girl behind the counter has a tattooed tear “One for every year he’s away”, she said Such a crumbling beauty, ah There’s nothing wrong with her that a hundred dollars won’t fix She has that razor sadness that only gets worse With the clang and the thunder of the Southern Pacific going by And the clock ticks out like a dripping faucet 'til you’re full of rag water and bitters and blue ruin And you spill out over the side to anyone who will listen… And I’ve seen it all, I’ve seen it all Through the yellow windows of the evening train… \* _sigh_ Poetry, that is. Poetry. What Tom Waits songs/lyrics do **you** love? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/2 "2001-08-30T14:16:50Z")
Even “Old '55,” despite being recorded by the (gaaak!) Eagles, is great. For future reference, management frowns on extended or full quotes that violate copyrights. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/3 "2001-08-30T14:26:58Z")
Oh, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/4 "2001-08-30T14:34:40Z")
The version of “Shore Leave” from the live covert movie “Big Time” is just too beautiful for words. I love that whole damn movie. ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/5 "2001-08-30T14:50:26Z")
_Beautiful Maladiies_ is an excellent compilation. Fave tunes are: Time Innocent when you Dream Hohnsburg, Illinois Emotional Weather Report (“Cold front coming from the bedroom” is such a cool line.) November Good Old World I also like I Don’t Wanna Grow Up and even like the Ramones’ version. Most of the new album is superb, IMHO. Many people are surprised when they find out that a song they like from some band was written by TW. Kinda like when you find out “Forever Young” was written by Dylan, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/6 "2001-08-30T15:38:02Z")
One night back in 1976, I was driving from Mobile, AL to Macon, GA. Somewhere in south Alabama I tuned into a radio station from God knows where and heard Waits’ rendition of “Big Joe and Phantom 309” in its entirety. I had heard “Heart of Saturday Night,” so I knew who Waits was, but I had never heard this song. (Hell, at the time, I didn’t even know who Red Sovine was!) It was transcendental; the type of thing where you merge with your radio while driving through the dark and your soul is out there in the ether somewhere bound up in the radio transmission. I had a companion in the car with me. We both sat transfixed in silence for six and a half minutes or so, and then my companion applauded at the end of the song. In the twenty-five years since, there have been only had two or three times that I’ve had an equivalent radio experience. I LOVE it when I hear a Waits song for the first time on the radio! That was the case with “Step Right Up.” I had to pull over to the side of the road I was laughing so hard after Tom said, “Christ, you don’t know the meaning of heartbreak, buddy!” Some other faves: “It’s colder than a ticket taker’s smile at the Ivar theater on a Saturday night.” “Colleen’s belly was shakin’ like jelly and I’m gettin’ harder than Chinese algebra.” “I know a girl, she been married so many times, she got rice marks all over her face” “I was using parking meters as walking sticks.” “I’d like to get some Danger! High Voltage! slacks.” ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/7 "2001-08-30T15:38:05Z")
I was introduced to “Frank’s Wild Years” long ago, and immediately fell in love. It was utterly unlike anything I’d heard before. My favorite Waits album is “Bone Machine.” I love the dark, sinister songs on it, especially “Murder in the Red Barn.” _There’s nothin’ strange about an axe with bloodstains in the barn, there’s always some killin’ you got to do around the farm._ I have Bone Machine, Frank’s Wild Years, Blue Valentine, Swordfishtrombones, Nighthawks at the Diner, The Black Rider, and Mule Variations. All are excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/8 "2001-08-30T16:00:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > \*\*I have Bone Machine, Frank’s Wild Years, Blue Valentine, Swordfishtrombones, Nighthawks at the Diner, The Black Rider, and Mule Variations. All are excellent. \*\* Aw man, you’re missing **Rain Dogs** , my favorite disc of all time. You even get the original (and infinitely superior) version of _Downtown Train_ later done by Rod Stewart and Patti Smyth. Don’t forget the early stuff too. Granted, he get’s really interesting when he jumped over to Island records, but his early Elektra stuff rules too. Titles like: **Closing Time** , **Small Change** , and **The Heart of Saturday Night** are all worthy. Also of note, Tom has done some guest work on tunes like the Replacements song _Date to Church_ and Primus’ _Tommy the Cat_ that are pretty cool. Then of course there was a tribute album called **Step Right Up** that has some good covers on it. I’ll stop now. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/9 "2001-08-30T16:00:35Z")
It aint what the moon did. “Small change” is an album that had a profound effect on my view of vocalists. The imagery he creates on that album (and on Closing Time) is absolutely beautiful, and can connect with totally, even though I probably will never be in the situation he describes 😉 say can you lend me a couple of bucks… to go Waltzing Matilda… Waltzing Matilda… ---
**Author:** ![Ich\_Bin\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Ich\_Bin\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ich_Bin_s)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/10 "2001-08-30T16:16:23Z")
No one, **no one** , can say the word “pistol” like Tom Waits. That word now belongs to him. I just borrow it. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it. By my estimation I’ve seen over one thousand shows, and Tom Waits was hands down the best live show ever. Ever. I think **Rain Dogs** is my favorite. Also **Swordfishtrombones** and **Frank’s Wild Years**. \*I’ve got hair on my chest, I look good without a shirt Sixteen shells from a thirty-ought six I got a telephone call from Istanbul, my baby’s comin home today Cut me a switch an’ hold your breath til the sun goes down He once killed a man with a guitar string; he’s been seen at the table with kings Come down off the cross, we can use the wood The piano’s been drinking…\* ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/11 "2001-08-30T16:50:42Z")
Aw, _shit_ yeah. I first encountered Tom about 11 years ago when I got a tape of collected songs in a Secret Santa exchange. It had _Ol’ 55_, _The Piano Has Been Drinking_, _Diamonds on My Windshield_ (my absolute fave) and a cover of _Somewhere_ that absolutely blew my freakin’ socks off. And I really dig _Down By Law_, too. I have a dub of _Rain Dogs_ on tape somewhere but I gotta start getting CDs of this stuff - but I had to step in and give a shout 'cos the man is indeed a poet. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/12 "2001-08-30T17:07:34Z")
As with **Ogre** , I have to go with Bone Machine as my favorite, but I love them all. > [@](#): > > How do your pistol and your Bible and your > Sleeping pills go, > Are you still jumping out of windows in expensive clothes? > > Well I fell in love > With your sailor’s mouth and your wounded eyes. > You better get down on the floor > Don’t you know it’s war > Tell me who are you this time? > Tell me who are you this time? > [@](#): > > 'Cause hell is boiling over > And heaven is full > We’re chained to the world > And we all gotta pull It just doesn’t get any better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/13 "2001-08-30T18:57:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pcubed \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > > \*\*I have Bone Machine, Frank’s Wild Years, Blue Valentine, Swordfishtrombones, Nighthawks at the Diner, The Black Rider, and Mule Variations. All are excellent. \*\* > > Aw man, you’re missing **Rain Dogs** , my favorite disc of all time. You even get the original (and infinitely superior) version of _Downtown Train_ later done by Rod Stewart and Patti Smyth. > > Don’t forget the early stuff too. Granted, he get’s really interesting when he jumped over to Island records, but his early Elektra stuff rules too. Titles like: **Closing Time** , **Small Change** , and **The Heart of Saturday Night** are all worthy. > > Also of note, Tom has done some guest work on tunes like the Replacements song _Date to Church_ and Primus’ _Tommy the Cat_ that are pretty cool. > > Then of course there was a tribute album called **Step Right Up** that has some good covers on it. > > I’ll stop now. \*\* Ah, my friend. I love the early stuff too, even though some idiot critics I’ve read labeled it as immature and contrived. Most particularly, I like the Heart of Saturday Night. I just don’t own it. 🙂 And how about his movie appearances? “Night on Earth,” “Rumble Fish,” etc. Not many people realize that he played Renfield in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” Anybody cath the VH1 special he did recently? ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/14 "2001-08-30T19:08:21Z")
Huge part in “Ironweed” Bit part in “The Fisher King” VH1 Special? What special? I missed a special? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/15 "2001-08-30T19:29:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pcubed \* > \*\*Huge part in “Ironweed” > > Bit part in “The Fisher King” > > VH1 Special? What special? I missed a special? \*\* Ayup. I don’t know that much about it, as I was channel surfing late one night and happened across it. _Click_ 700 Club _Click_ When Puppies Attack _Click_ Tom Waits _Click_… Wait. What the F\*\*\*?! Tom Waits? I caught about the last 10 minutes of it, and haven’t seen it since. It appeared to be an intimate, acoustic sort of show. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/16 "2001-08-30T19:31:31Z")
My favorite album is Nighthawks at the Diner. He’s playing for an audience, setting up his songs with patter. Very charming. I’ve heard it claimed that this is the inspiration behind Rowlf the Dog from The Muppet Show. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/17 "2001-08-30T20:19:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny Angel \* > \*\*I’ve heard it claimed that this is the inspiration behind Rowlf the Dog from The Muppet Show. \*\* [Rowlf](http://www.muppetcentral.com/articles/rarelyseen/rowlf.shtml) is a lot older than that, unless I’m cheating Tom Waits out of a couple decades of career. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/18 "2001-08-30T20:21:03Z")
Oh yeah, movie appearances. A decent part in “Mystery Men” needs to be on the list! ---
**Author:** ![Spritle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Spritle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spritle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/19 "2001-08-30T20:33:32Z")
decent part in “Queens Logic” a singularly unspectacular movie. he played a plain cloths cop in “The Two Jakes”. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929/20 "2001-08-30T22:06:17Z")
…they were so happy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-waits-appreciation-thread/78929.md?page=2)