Closing Time, 1973

Grapefruit Moon

(Early demo version, 1971)

Grapefruit moon, one star shining

Shining down on me

I heard that tune, and now I'm pining

Honey, can't you see

That every time I hear that melody

Something breaks inside

And the grapefruit moon, one star shining

Can't turn back the tide

I never had no destination

Could not get across

And you became my inspiration

Oh, but what a cost

And every time I hear that melody

Puts me up a tree⁽¹⁾

And the grapefruit moon, one star shining

Is all that I can see

Now I'm smoking cigarettes

And strive for purity

And I slip just like the stars Into obscurity

Cause every time I hear that melody

Something breaks inside

And the grapefruit moon, and one star shining

Is much too big to hide

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992

Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992

Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA

(Not authorized by Tom Waits)

Grapefruit Moon

(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

One, two, three, four

Grapefruit moon, one star shining

Shining down on me

Heard that tune, and now I'm pining

Honey, can't you see?

Cause every time I hear that melody

something breaks inside

And the grapefruit moon, one star shining

Can't turn back the tide

Never had no destinations

Could not get acrossed

You became my inspiration

Oh, but what a cost

And every time I hear that melody

something breaks inside

And the grapefruit moon, one star shining

is more than I can hide

Now I'm smoking cigarettes

and I strive for purity

And I slip just like the stars

into obscurity

And every time I hear that melody

puts me up a tree⁽¹⁾

And the grapefruit moon, one star shining

is all that I can see

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1973 & Warner Bros. Music Ltd, 1986

Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973 &

"Asylum Years", WEA International Inc., 1986

Known covers:

Angel Town. Joy Eden Harrison. February 1995. Manifesto Records

Everything. To Be Two (Eddie N�nning and Christiane Weber). November, 2000. Acoustic Records

Under The Influence - The songs of Tom Waits. Barry Charles. 2003. Tara Hall Productions (Australia)

Soulskin. Soulskin. January, 2003 (October, 2002). Askew Records

Milestone. Dave Donohoe. February 2, 2003. Self-released

Overland. Randal Bays and Daithi Sproule. 2004. Foxglove Records 

Blood And Feathers (live). Ute Lemper. June 7, 2005. DRG Records (USA)

Ruby Moon. Daemgen & September. September 22, 2006. Erdenklabg/ DA-Music (Germany)

Keys to the Kingdom. Mary Alice Amidon. June 19, 2007. Self-released

Grapefruit Moon: Songs of Tom Waits. Southside Johnny & La Bamba's Bigband. September 19, 2008. Evangeline (Soulfood Music)

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Up a tree

- In a dilemma; caught in a predicament. Since c1825. From the notion of a person chased up in a tree by a wild animal (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- Shelved; nowhere; done for. A 'possum up a gum-tree. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd)

Ice Cream Man

(Early demo version, 1971)

I'm clickin' by your house about two forty-five
with the sidewalk sundae strawberry surprise
I got a cherry popsicle right on time
I got a big stick, mamma, that will blow your mind

Cause I'm your ice cream man, and I'm a one-man band
and I'm your ice cream man
baby, I'll be good to you

If you missed me in the alley, baby, don't you fret
I'll be coming back around and don't forget
When you're tired and you're hungry you want something cool
You know I got something better than a swimming pool

Cause I'm your ice cream man, and I'm a one-man band
and I'm your ice cream man
and I'll be good to you

Well, if you see me coming, you ain't got no change
Don't worry baby, it can be arranged
Show me you can smile, baby just for me
and I'll fix you with a drumstick, and I'll do it for free

Cause I'm your ice cream man, and I'm a one-man band
and I'm your ice cream man
and I'll be good to you

Cause I'm your ice cream man, and I'm a one-man band
and I'm your ice cream man
and I'll be good to you

I'm your ice cream man
and I'm your ice cream man
and I'm your ice cream man
and I'm your ice cream man
and I'm your ice cream man
and I'm your ice cream man

Written by: Tom Waits(1)
Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), 1971 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1991
Official release: "The Early Years 1". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1991
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Ice Cream Man
(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

Well I'm clickin' by your house about two forty-five
with sidewalk sundae strawberry surprise
I got a cherry popsicle right on time
A big stick, mamma, that will blow your mind

Cause I'm a ice cream man, I'm a one-man band, yeah
I'm a ice cream man, baby
Honey, I'll be good to you

If you missed me in the alley, baby, don't you fret
Come back around and don't forget
When you're tired and you're hungry and you want something cool
got something better than a swimming pool

Cause I'm a ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm a ice cream man
Honey, I'll be good to you, yeah

Cause I'm a ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm a ice cream man
Honey, I'll be good to you

You see me coming, you ain't got no change
Don't worry baby, it can be arranged
Show me you can smile, baby just for me
Fix you with a drumstick, I'll do it for free

Cause I'm a ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm a ice cream man
Honey I'll be good to you
be good to you
I'll be good to you, yeah
I'll good to you, yeah
good to you, yeah
good to you, yeah
good to you, yeah
good to you, yeah
Good to you
I'll be good to you
Don't you know
I'll be good to you
good to you

Written by: Tom Waits(1)
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973

Known covers:
Black Music For White People. Screamin' Jay Hawkins. July, 1991. Rhino/ Bizarre 1991 (Manifesto re-release). Produced by Robert Duffey
Roadkill Cafe [EP]. Tribe 8. November 10, 1995. Alternative Tentacle
Take Your Time, Mr. Brown. The Sugar Kings. 2000. Arabica CF-06
Best Of The Bizarre Sessions: 1990 - 1944. Screamin' Jay Hawkins. June, 2000. Manifesto (Bizarre)
Saving All My Love For You (a tribute to Tom Waits). Claudia Bettinaglio. January, 2001. Taxim Records (Germany)
Take A Butcher�s Knife. Marc Breitfelder & Ryan Donohue. 2003. JukeJoint Records (Germany)
Under The Influence - The songs of Tom Waits. Barry Charles. 2003. Tara Hall Productions (Australia)
Dolphin Blue Live. Dolphin Blue. December, 2007. Rising Sun Productions (German CDR)
Cats Outta The Bag. Cat Shell. December 20, 2007. Self-released

Notes:

(1) Ice Cream Man:
- Song could be inspired by: "Ice Cream Man", John Brim. Cut in 1953, released in 1969: "Well, summertime is here, you need something to keep you cool. Summertime is here, you need something to keep you cool. Come over to my truck, I've got something here for you. You know I come around here every night about six o'clock. I come around here every night about six o' clock. You look so good to me, you're gonna be my favorite stop. I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passing by. I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passing by. The way you're looking to me, I've just got to catch your eye. You know I've got all flavors, chocolate and strawberry too. I've got all flavors, chocolate and strawberry too. Come over to my truck, baby, I've got something here for you. I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passing by. I'm your ice cream man, stop me when I'm passing by. The way you're looking to me, I've just got to catch your eye."

Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You

(Early demo version, 1971)

Well, I hope that I don't fall in love with you
Cause falling in love just makes me blue(1)
Well, the music plays and you display your heart for me to see
I had a beer and now I hear you calling out for me
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Well, the room is crowded, there's people everywhere
And I wonder, should I offer you a chair
Well, if you sit down with this old clown, I'll take that frown and break it
Before the evening's gone away, I think that we can make it
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Well, I can see that you are lonesome just like me
And it being late, you'd like some company
Well now, I've had two, I look at you and you look back at me
The guy you're with he's up and split, the chair next to you's free
And I hope that you don't fall in love with me

And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Well, the night does funny things inside a man
These old Tom-cat(2) feelings you don't understand
But I turn around to look at you, you light a cigarette
I wish I had the guts to bum one, but we've never met
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Now it's closing time, the music's fading out
Last call for drinks, I'll have another stout
I turn around to look at you, you're nowhere to be found
I search the place for your lost face, guess I'll have another round
And I think that I just fell in love with you

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992
Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You
(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

Well, I hope that I don't fall in love with you
Cause falling in love just makes me blue(1)
Well, the music plays and you display your heart for me to see
I had a beer and now I hear you calling out for me
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Well, the room is crowded, people everywhere
And I wonder, should I offer you a chair?
Well, if you sit down with this old clown, take that frown and break it
Before the evening's gone away, I think that we can make it
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Well, the night does funny things inside a man
These old Tom-cat(2) feelings you don't understand
Well, I turn around to look at you, you light a cigarette
I wish I had the guts to bum one, but we've never met
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

I can see that you are lonesome just like me
And it being late, you'd like some company
Well, I turn around to look at you, and you look back at me
The guy you're with he's up and split, the chair next to you's free
And I hope that you don't fall in love with me

Now it's closing time, the music's fading out
Last call for drinks, I'll have another stout
Well, I turn around to look at you, you're nowhere to be found
I search the place for your lost face, guess I'll have another round
And I think that I just fell in love with you

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1973
Official release: "Closing Time", Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973 &
"Anthology Of Tom Waits", WEA/ Elektra, 1984

Known covers:
Forgotten Dreams. Priscilla Herdman. 1980/ 1993. Flying Fish FF 70230 (CD) FF 90230 (Cassette, re-released in 1993 on CD by Flying Fish)
Merman. Emiliana Torrini. 1996. Japis - ETJÓ 002 (Iceland)
Sinds De Dag. Frank Boeijen. 1999. Columbia 666741.1/ (single B-side "Val Voor Jou")
Scattered, Smothered And Covered. Hootie & The Blowfish, 2000. Atlantic Records
Bukowski Waits For Us - Vol. 2. Michael Kiessling. September 25, 2000. Buschfunk (Germany)
Nach mir die Sintflut - Ambros singt Waits. Wolfgang Ambros. October 9, 2000. Ariol/ Gig Records 74321 797002 (in German: "Verliab di ned")
Swimming. Laurel Brauns. 2001. Self-released
The Disaster at Rays Luau. The Putrid Flowers. 2001. Self-released.
Going Home. Lisa Bassenge Trio. March 5, 2001. Minor Musi (in-akustik)
Meant To Be. Jenna Mammina. September 4, 2001. Mamma Grace Records
I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You. Juliet Turner. November, 2001. East West Records (Ireland). Promo CD-single, same version as on "Burn The Black Suit"
Burn the Black Suit. Juliet Turner. November, 2001. East West Records (Ireland)
Für Herzen Keine Haftung. Dirty Fingers. 2002. Magic Sound
Real Thing, Rodney Hayden. January 22, 2002. Rosetta Records
Irish Charmer. Joe Giltrap. November, 2002. Newsound 2000
Campfire Songs. Natalie Merchant & 10,000 Maniacs. January 27, 2004. Elektra/ WEA
The Prince & Me - Soundtrack. Various artists. March, 2004. Hollywood Records (performed by Marc Cohn)
Oh My Love. Sophia. April, 2004. Labels UK/ City Slang
Carnival Girls. David Roe and The Rubes. 2005. Self-released
East Of Sunset - Soundtrack. Various artists. September 13, 2005. Manifesto Records. Performed by: The Caseworker
Clone Version 0.1. Various Artists. October, 2005. Familiar/ PMP Belgium (performed by Wim de Ridder)
Ghost In Me. Sam Lapides. May, 2006. PMF Records
Road To Lisdoonvarna. Whistling To The Bird. January 17, 2007. Self-released
Aus Sun und aus Regn. Willi Resetarits & StubnBlues. April 21, 2007. Sattele Records (Austria)
On Your Sleeve. Jesse Malin. April 7, 2008. One Little Indian Records
La La Lost. Arrica Rose. April 10, 2008. Poprock Records

Notes:

(1) Blue:adj. 1. [late 18C-19C] confused, terrified, disappointed. [late 18C+] miserable, depressed (Source: Cassel's Dictionary of Slang. Jonathon Green 1998. Cassel & Co., 2000)

(2) Tomcat, Tom cat:
- v.i., v.t.: Orig., to dress up in one's best clothes, as a dude or sport, and walk the street, visit public bars, nightclubs, and the like in search of a female; to seek a female, esp. a promiscuous one; esp., to dress in one's best clothes, visit a girl or young woman, and mix boasting and sweet talk in an attempt to persuade her to enter into sexual activity. n. A woman chaser (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)
- The male cat.(Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd).
- Also mentioned in "Rosie" (And a lazy old tomcat on a midnight spree And all that you left me was a melody)

Little Trip To Heaven

(Early demo version, 1971)

Little trip to heaven on the wings of your love
Banana moon is shining in the sky
I feel like I'm in heaven when you're with me
I know that I'm in heaven when you smile
Though we're stuck here on the ground
I got something I've found
And it's you

I don't need to take no trip to outer space
All I have to do is look at your face
And before I know it, I'm in orbit around you
I thank my lucky stars that I found you
When I see your constellation
You're my inspiration
And it's you

[whistled solo]

You're my North star when I'm lost and feeling blue
You're my sun that's breaking through, it's true
And all the other stars seem dim around you I thank my lucky stars that I found you
When I see your smiling face I know nothing's gonna take your place
And it's you

And it's you
And it's you
And it's you
And it's you
And it's you
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), 1971 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1991
Official release: "The Early Years 1". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1991
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Little Trip To Heaven
(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

Little trip to heaven on the wings of your love
Banana moon is shining in the sky
Feel like I'm in heaven when you're with me
Know that I'm in heaven when you smile
Though we're stuck here on the ground I got something that I've found
And it's you

I don't have to take no trip to outer space
All I have to do is look at your face
And before I know it, I'm in orbit around you
Thanking my lucky stars that I've found you
When I see your constellation
Honey, you're my inspiration
And it's you

You're my North star when I'm lost and feeling blue
The sun is breaking through the clouds, don't you, don't you know it's true?
Honey, all the other stars seem dim around you
Thanking my lucky stars that I've found you
When I see your smiling face
Honey, I know nothing ever gonna take your place
And it's you

And it's you, and it's you
And it's you, and it's you
And it's you
And it's you
And it's you
Shoo-be-doo, ba-ba-da

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973

Known covers:
Swingin' Standard Time. Jive At Five. 1995. Self-released
Into Temptation - Astrid Seriese sings Waits, Weill & more. Astrid Seriese. October, 1996 (September, 2003). Brigadoon
Beautiful One. Holly Robinson. July, 1999. Cameron
Little Trip (soundtrack). Mugison. April 18, 2006. Ipecac Recordings
Fall Of The House Of Even. Even In Blackouts. October 31, 2006. FDO Records
Almost Home EP. Courtney Fortune. November 16, 2006. Self-released
Meet The Sun Halfway. Mae Robertson. February 26, 2008. Lyric Partners
Thunder’s Mouth. Scott Ainslie. May 7, 2008. Cattail Music

Lonely

Lonely, lonely, lonely,
Lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place

Lonely, lonely
Lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place

I thought that I knew all that there was to
Lonely, lonely, lonely

Melanie Jane, won't feel the pain
Lonely, lonely
Lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place

And I thought that I knew all that there was to
Lonely, lonely,
lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place

And I still love you, I still love you
Lonely, lonely

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973

Known covers:
East Of Sunset - Soundtrack. Various artists. September 13, 2005. Manifesto Records. Performed by: The Caseworker

Martha

Operator, number please, it's been so many years
Will she remember my old voice while I fight the tears
Hello, hello there, is this Martha, this is old Tom Frost
And I am calling long distance, don't worry 'bout the cost
Cause it's been forty years or more, now Martha please recall
Meet me out for coffee, where we'll talk about it all

And those were the days of roses, of poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me
There was no tomorrows, we packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day

And I feel so much older now, and you're much older too
How's your husband, and how's your kids, you know that I got married too
Lucky that you found someone to make you feel secure
Cause we were all so young and foolish, now we are mature

And those were the days of roses, of poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me
There was no tomorrows, we packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day

And I was always so impulsive, I guess that I still am
And all that really mattered then was that I was a man
I guess that our being together was never meant to be
And Martha, Martha, I love you, can't you see

And those were the days of roses, of poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me
There was no tomorrows, we packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day

And I remember quiet evenings, trembling close to you

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973 &
"Anthology Of Tom Waits", WEA/ Elektra, 1984
Arrangement and lyrics published in "Tom Waits - Anthology" (Amsco Publications, 1988/ Nuova Carisch, 2000)

Known covers:
Sefronia. Tim Buckley, 1973. Third Story/ Fifth Floor. DiscReet MS-2157(first cover of a Waits song ever, mid 1973 - re-released on "Step Right Up", 1995)
Poet, Fool, Bum. Lee Hazlewood, 1973. Capitol ST-11177 UK- Stateside (EMI) SSL-10315
Do You Do. Freddie White. 1981. Mulligan Records (re-released on "Lost And Found", 2002)
Street Of Dreams. Nancy Harrow. April, 1988. Gazell Records (re-released November, 1995)
Vanity. Jan Vayne. 1994. EMI (The Netherlands)
Welcome To The Neighbourhood. Meat Loaf. November, 1995. Mca Special Products
Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by Tim Buckley (same version as on "Sefronia", 1973)
La Femme En Rouge. Loes Snijders. 1999. Comoedia Mundi
Everybody Has A Dream. Mitchell Howard. 2000. Cling Peaches Music
Willis Moore. So Far. March 22, 2000. Self-released
Nach mir die Sintflut - Ambros singt Waits. Wolfgang Ambros. October 9, 2000. Ariol/ Gig Records 74321 797002 (in German)
The Carnival Saloon Live. The Carnival Saloon. October, 2001. Self-released (Ireland)
Piano Face. John Autin. 2002. Rabadash Records
Lost And Found. Freddie White. 2002. Little Don Records (same version as on "Do You Do", 1981)
Unplugged. Anne B�renz & Frank Wolff. 2003. B�chergilde (Germany)
Homegrown. Nussbaumer/ Weber/ Kreil. 2003. Self-released
Greetings From Hell - The Tom Waits Songbook, Hell Blues Choir. September, 2003. Tylden & Co (Norway)
One For The Ages. Andy Cooney. March 2, 2004. Rego Irish
Bye-Bye. Anne B�renz. October, 2006. Stalburg Theater (Germany)
Timbre. Yukiko Hayashi. May 24, 2007. EWE Records (Japan)
A Thousand Nights. Melanie Doane. July 1, 2008. Prairie Ocean Recordings
Covers. Manu Codjia. November 17, 2010. BeeJazz (France)

Notes:

Timothy White (1979): "As Bette and I order dinner, I think aloud about her appearance last May on Saturday Night Live. Poured into a sleek white dress covered with jagged black spots, she had treated the studio audience to a disco-driven rendition of "Married Men," the single from her latest LP, Thighs and Whispers. She resembled some manic she-devil -- half woman, half jungle cat -- as she slithered and snarled to the torrid dance tempo. Ruffling her unruly blond tresses, Midler carried on with vintage vigor, supported by a phalanx of backup singers whose garish costumes (satin wedding gowns, black tails) and cocky grins were of a piece with the Divine Miss M's trademarks of hot flash and sassy trash. But when she stepped from the shadows for her second song, her racy attire had been replaced by a simple black smock and tights, and there was a vulnerability in her humble demeanor. She stated she wanted to do a song written by her friend Tom Waits, and in a strained, doleful voice she began to sing "Martha."
Operator, number please, it's been so many years / Will she remember my old voice while I fight the tear's
Although rather bleak, the ballad is not terribly different from many of her more somber torch songs. But there was an underlying grittiness to her tone that had less to do with performing than with simple grief.
I feel so much older row, you're much older too / How's your husband, how's the kids, you know I got married too / Lucky that you found someone to make you feel secure / We were all so young and foolish, now we are mature
Creeping into the second chorus, her voice faltered, and the camera caught a tiny sparkle in her eye, a glimmering pinpoint that grew steadily into a tear.
I was always so impulsive, guess that I still am . . . / I guess that our being together was never meant to be
As the plaintive music subsided, Bette clutched the microphone, mascara running down her cheek. The dark eyes glazed over and her face fell into a pained expression so distant that I wondered if she remembered where she was. It was an altogether curious vignette, profoundly moving yet equally perplexing.
"That song calls up a lot of deep things for me," Bette sadly admits as she picks at her Caesar salad. "That night on the show, I was thinking about my mom. I lost my mother this year; she had leukemia for a long time, cancer of the liver -- and of the breast, incidentally, when I was a kid. She suffered most of her life. "She just thought I was it," Midler says, brightening for an instant." (Source: Rolling Stone: December 13, 1979: "The Rose: Bette Midler Conquers Hollywood, Bette Midler Outgrows Her Hollywood Dreams in 'The Rose'" Timothy White)

Midnight Lullaby

(Early demo version, 1971)

Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye(1)
Hush-a-bye my baby, no need to be crying
You can burn the midnight oil(2) with me as long as you will
Stare out at the moon upon the windowsill And dream

Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye
I'll tell you another story, tell you no lies
There's dew drops on the windowsill, and gumdrops in your head
You're slipping into dream land, you're nodding your head
So dream

Dream of West Virginia, or of the British Isles
Cause when you are dreaming, you see for miles and miles
When you are much older, remember when we sat
At midnight on the windowsill, and had this little chat
And dream

Come on and dream
Come on and dream
And dream
And dream
Come on and dream

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), 1971 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1991
Official release: "The Early Years 1". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1991
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Midnight Lullaby
(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

(One, two, three, four)

Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye(1)
Hush-a-bye my baby, no need to be crying
You can burn the midnight oil(2) with me as long as you will
Stare out at the moon upon the windowsill And dream

Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye
Hush-a-bye my baby, no need to be crying
There's dew drops on the windowsill, and gumdrops in your head
You're slipping into dream land, you're nodding your head
So dream

Dream of West Virginia, or of the British Isles
Cause when you are dreaming, you see for miles and miles
When you are much older, remember when we sat
At midnight on the windowsill, and had this little chat
And dream

Come on and dream
Come on and dream
And dream
And dream
Come on and dream

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973

Known covers:
Beautiful One. Holly Robinson. July, 1999. Cameron
Hush. Dawn Clement. 2003. Conduit Records
Teach Me Tonight. Lisa Fuller. April 4, 2006. Bizarre Planet
Dream. Mae Robertson. March 6, 2007. Lyric Partners
Down At The Sea Hotel. Various artists. October 16, 2007. The Secret Mountain ( performed by Guy Davis)

Notes:

(1) Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye.
- Quoting: Sing A Song Of Sixpence. Children's song. Written by: Unknown. Adapted by: Terry Kluytmans: "Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye; Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie! When the pie was opened, The birds began to sing; Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before the king? The king was in his counting house, Counting all the money; The queen was in the parlor, Eating bread with honey The maid was in the garden, Hanging out the clothes; When down came a blackbird Who snapped off her nose!"
- Notice the same phrase being used in Bronx Lullaby/ Smuggler's Waltz: "So sing a song of ten grand, with a pocket full of dough"

(2) Midnight oil, burning the: Sitting up late, especially when engaged on literary work. Midnight Oil: Late hours. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd)

Ol' '55

Ol' '55

(Early demo version, 1971)

Time went so quickly

I went lickety-splickly⁽²⁾, out to my old '55

Pulled away slowly, feeling so holy

God knows, I was feeling alive

And now the sun's coming up

I'm riding with Lady Luck

Freeway cars and trucks

Stars beginning to fade

and I lead the parade

Just a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer

Oh, Lord, that feeling's getting stronger

Now it's six in the morning

gave me no warning

I had to be on my way

Lights passing and trucks are flashing

I'm on my way home from your place

And now the sun's coming up

I'm riding with Lady Luck

Freeway cars and trucks

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992

Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992

Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA

(Not authorized by Tom Waits)

Ol' '55

(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

(one, two, three, four)

Well, my time went so quickly

I went lickety-splitly⁽²⁾ out to my ol' fifty-five

As I pulled away slowly, feelin' so holy

God knows I was feelin' alive

Now the sun's comin' up, I'm ridin' with Lady Luck

Freeway cars and trucks

Stars beginnin' to fade, and I lead the parade

Just a-wishin' I'd stayed a little longer

Oh Lord, let me tell you that the feeling gettin' stronger

And it's six in the mornin'

Gave me no warnin', I had to be on my way

Well, there's trucks all a-passin' me, and the lights all a-flashin'

I'm on my way home from your place

And now the sun's comin' up, I'm ridin' with Lady Luck

Freeway cars and trucks

Stars beginnin' to fade, and I lead the parade

Just a-wishin' I'd stayed a little longer

Oh Lord, let me tell you the feeling gettin' stronger

And my time went so quickly

I went lickety-splitly out to my ol' fifty-five

As I pulled away slowly, feelin' so holy

God knows I was feelin' alive

And now the sun's comin' up, I'm ridin' with Lady Luck

Freeway cars and trucks

Freeway cars and trucks

Freeway cars and trucks

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973

Official release: "Closing Time", Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973 &

"Anthology Of Tom Waits", WEA/ Elektra, 1984

Arrangement and lyrics published in "Tom Waits - Anthology" (Amsco Publications, 1988/ Nuova Carisch, 2000)

Known covers:

On The Border. The Eagles, 1974. Elektra/ Asylum LP 1004 (re-released by Elektra Entertainment in 1990)

Some Day You Eat The Bear... Some Day The Bear Eats You. Ian Matthews, 1974. Elektra

Be True To You. Eric Andersen, 1975. Arista Records. Recorded in Los Angeles, 1974. Arista AL 4033 (re-released in 1997)

Connections. Richie Havens, 1980. Elektra/ Asylum 6E-242

The Soul Of Many Places. Iain Matthews. May, 1993. WEA/ Elektra

Cover Girl. Shawn Colvin. 1994. Columbia/ Sony 477240 2

Cover Girl - Extra!. Shawn Colvin. 1994. Columbia/ Sony promo only 3-track CD

Songs Of Tom Waits. Dolphin Blue. 1995. Self-released demo (Germany)

Boys On The Side: Original Soundtrack. Various artists. January 31, 1995. Arista

Freedom Sessions. Sarah McLachlan. March, 1995. MMB/ Arista

Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by Dave Alvin

Collection. Eric Andersen. September, 1997. Archive Records (same version as on: "Be True To You", 1975)

Fumbling Towards Estacy/ Freed. Sarah McLachlan. February, 1998. Classis Records

In de Orangerie. Acda & De Munnik. September 27, 1998. SMART 491 678 2 (Holland) Bonus CD with "Op Voorraad" (in Dutch: "Ol' '55")

Master Poets. Bernardo Lanzetti. 1999. Azzurra Music

Afternoon Delight. Steve Stefanowicz. 1999. Self-released

Extra Cocoon (All Access). K's Choice. January, 1999. DTM (Belgium)

Ol' "55. Acda & De Munnik. October 18, 1999. SMART 66831-1 Holland (CD single in Dutch: "Ol' '55")

Everybody Has A Dream. Mitchell Howard. 2000. Cling Peaches Music

Nach mir die Sintflut - Ambros singt Waits. Wolfgang Ambros. October 9, 2000. Ariol/ Gig Records 74321 797002 (in German: "Die Sunn geht boid auf")

Living In My Heart. Randa McNamara. July 24, 2001. Cornerstone

Ballads. Breit'N'Wark. March 13, 2002. Self-released

A Sigh, A Song. Lisa Bassenge Trio. August 19, 2002. Minor Music Records (Germany)

Homegrown. Nussbaumer/ Weber/ Kreil. 2003. Self-released

Bootleg 6. The Floating Men, 2003. Shade (live version)

Live at the City Lights Saloon. Pat Guadagno. 2004. Campbell Music

At This Moment. Karen Dunbar. June, 2004. Neon Records (Neon CD006, Scotland)

Something To Me. JJ Schultz band. 2005. Last Stop Records

Deep Forbidden Lake. Jazz Mandolin Project. May 3, 2005. Doyle Kos Dk.E.

Another Round. Dakota. September 17, 2005. Self-released

Dans Ton Lit. Simon Gerber. May 23, 2006. Langusta (Switserland)

The Scratch On My Vinyl Soul. Betsy Spivak. June 6, 2006. Self-released

PS: Döner. Various artists (performed by The Highway Angels). June 22, 2007. Döner Diskothek (Germany)

Rock & Poems. Massimo Priviero. November 1, 2007. Universal

American Garage. Don Campbell. November 8, 2007. Playbutton Records

From The Fountain. Queen Bees. January 5, 2009. Odeon/ Caroline (Norway)

Big Shoes. David Munyon. March 27, 2009. Stockfisch

From Dusk Till Dawn. Sass Jordan. September 1, 2009. Songs Of The South Records

Songs. Paul Harrington. February 26, 2010. Stereoplex Records

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Ol' '55". With: Larry Taylor (upright bass) and Smokey Hormel (guitar, banjo and percussion). Taken from VH-1 Storytellers concert documentary at Burbank Airport, Los Angeles.

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Live intro from Passims, Cambridge, November 10, 1974: "This a about a '55 Buick Roadmaster. I don't know if there's any real bona fide Buick owners out there tonight. But my goodness, that's an automobile that I swear by. It's a car that's seriously as slick as deer guts on the door knob. Climb aboard one of those suckers, make you feel like a new man. And eh... I always had these cars that I bought for like a hundred and twenty-five dollars. You sink 'bout thirty-five hundred into them, and you sell 'em for twelfe fifty or so. [A lot of noise adjusting the microphone] Rattle like a damned sewing machine... And eh... I stuck to the Buick line for several years. I had two Specials, one was a kind of... now how can I put this? It was kind of monkey brown and eh... monkey feces brown, you see what I mean. Two-tone. It was a lot of chrome, kinda looked like a Wurlitzer jukebox. And I had two of those Specials, the other was kinda vomit yellow, it [?]. And I had a couple of Centuries, finally I had a Super. And then I finally picked up on this Roadmaster, and lucky to get it! So this is called 'My Ol' '55'." (Transcribed by Ulf Berggren. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000)

Live intro from Westchester, PA, 1976: "Here's a real old song for you. Actually, it's about the very first car I ever stole. You know... I don't know, I still remain somehow a victim of circumcision, in the sense that I have a tendency to be cursed with terminal car trouble. And I don't expect it to let up at all. I never paid more than a hundred and twenty-five dollars for a car. And I ain't about to change now. But I would like to have maybe a 1976 Chevrolet station wagon, and sand it down and primer the thing. [member of the audience shouts something] You saw me in a station wagon? (Yeah) Where did you see me in a station wagon? (something) In Philly? Yeah, I was in a station wagon once. (something) Oh, you mean it was there at the intersection? (Yeah, I was something, something out the window) You were the one, yeah! I'd like to have a big round of applause for my brother-in-law right there. Phil's been out of prison now for a couple of years, but... (No, they ain't caught me yet!) Yeah, I know, that child molesting charge really got you, didn't it? I mean after a second offense and everything, it's kinda hard to say, but... (No, lucky first time!) (or something) Eh... Well, this is eh..." (Transcribed by Ulf Berggren. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000)

Live intro from Storyteller show, recorded April 1, 1999 in Los Angeles: "This is a song about an automobile. I had a '55 Buick Roadmaster when I was a kid. Actually, this really eh... was inspired by an old friend of mine named Larry Beezer, who... I was staying at the Tropicana Hotel, and I got a knock on the door very late and... Was that a clap for the Tropicana? Excellent! I don't think I got any new towels for the whole like nine years I was there. But I never asked, I didn't wanna upset anybody. This is about eh... What was it about again? It was about eh... It was about the car! All right, Beezer came over at about 2 a.m. He said, 'I'm on a date, and she's only seventeen, and I gotta get her back to Pasadena. And all I got left on the car is reverse.' I said, 'How can I help?' He said, 'I need gas money', and so he sold me a couple of jokes. He said, 'You can have these jokes, and you don't even have to tell folks that they're mine, cause you paid for 'em for chrissake!' And I said, 'That sounds like a good deal to me.' Anyway, he rode home, in reverse, on the Pasadena freeway. In the slow lane. I think they should give awards for that kind of thing! But anyway, it was a '55 eh... what was it? Was it a '55 Caddy?" (Transcribed by Ulf Berggren. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000)

Tom Wairs (1975) on The Eagles' cover of Ol' '55: "I was in a bar one night and I ran into one of those guys and they said that they'd heard the record and they might want to do it on one of their records and then I was on the road for 3 months and I never heard anything about it and then it showed up on that album. I frankly was not that particularly crazy about their rendition of it. The song is about 5 years old, it's one of the first songs I wrote so I felt like it was kind of flattering that somebody wanted to do your song but at the same time I thought their version was a little antiseptic and then it got picked up by Ian Matthews and Eric Andersen - and I don't know, frankly I guess I'm a little more fond of my own version of it than I am theirs." (Source: WAMU Radio Interview. Date: Washington, DC. April 18, 1975)

Tom Waits (1976) on The Eagles' cover of Ol' '55: "Naw - I don't like the Eagles. They're about as exciting as watching paint dry. Their albums are good for keeping the dust off your turntable and that's about all." (Source: "Tom Waits: Would You Say This Man Was Attempting To Convey An Impression Of Sordid Bohemianism". New Musical Express (UK), by Fred Dellar. Date: June 5, 1976)

Louie Lista (2007) on The Eagles' cover of Ol’ ’55: "It put Tom on an entirely different level economically. The younger we were back then, the more likely we were to say, Oh, that guy sold out.' But in reality that kind of prosperity makes certain things possible.'Ol "55' gave Tom a certain prosperity and power that I think he used wisely." (Source: Louie Lista interview March 12, 2007 as quoted in “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

Barney Hoskyns (2009) on The Eagles’ cover of Ol’ ‘55: “So delighted was David Geffen that Asylum’s brightest hopes had given Waits a leg-up that he called Bones Howe to propose the band record a new version of "Ol' '55" with Waits singing. "David said to me, 'Put this all together and get these guys in the studio,"' Howe remembers. "One by one the Eagles became unavailable, so I assembled a group of the current hot studio players and we went in to Heider's to cut this one side live. We were there most of the night and never got a really good perfor¬mance. I made a rough mix for David and took it to his office the next day. He agreed that we should forget it, and the tapes went into the Asylum vaults.' Given Waits' antipathy to everything the Eagles stood for, the only surprising thing is that he agreed to the idea in the first place. "In that group of people, Tom was the sort of turncoat,' says Howe. "Even in a group that had its back turned to the com¬mercial record business, he turned his back on them. In a lot of ways it was his way of becoming an individual away from individuals." (Source: “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

Barney Hoskyns (2009) on Waits’s antipathy to the Eagles cover of Ol’ ’55: “The band's hackles quickly rose. I still remember Tom saying listening to the Eagles was like watching paint dry," says Jack Tempchin, whose song "Already Gone" was On the Border's euphoric opening track. "They read that and went, 'Well, okay, we ain't gonna record any more of his songs!"' Waits went even further in 1977, laying into the Eagles' peers and savaging lyrics by America and David Crosby. Not even Neil Young was spared. '(He's] another one who is embarrassing for displaying a third-grade mentality," Waits told ZigZag. "'Old man take a look at my life... 'That's real good." When, years later, I asked Waits about his comments, he seemed sincerely mortified. "I was a young kid , " he sighed. I was just corking off and being a prick. It was saying 'Notice me,'followed by 'Leave me the fuck alone,' sometimes in the same sentence." He added that he'd long since patched things up with Don Henley. But while one salutes the maturity of his regret, the young "prick" also deserves kudos for not playing along with the happy family conspiracy fostered by Asylum (which, let's not forget, briefly had even Waits’ beloved Bob Dylan on its roster). As much as it served his career well in the long run, Waits' lack of diplomacy about his musical dislikes was endearing” (Source: “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

Glenn Frey (1999) introducing Ol' '55 at The Eagles Millenium show on New Year's Eve, 1999: "Tom didn't really like our version of 'Ol' '55' when it first came out. Then he got the check. And since then, Tom and I, we're really close"

⁽²⁾ Lickety-split adv.: Lickety splickly. Fast; at great speed (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

Old Shoes

(Early demo version, 1971)

I'm singin' this song, cause it's time it was sung
I've been puttin' it off for a while
Cause it's harder by now, and the truth is so clear
That I'm cryin' when I'm seein' you smile

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes(1)
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

And every time that I tried to tell you that we'd
Lost the magic we had at the start
I would weep in my heart when I looked in your eyes
And I'd search once again for the spark

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

For you know, that there's somethin' callin' me, dear
And by morning I'm sure to be gone
For I'm older than you, and you know oh so well
That our time for the love was this song

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

Now I can see by your eyes, that it's time for to go
So I'll leave you cryin' in the rain
Though I held in my hand, the key to all joy
Honey, my heart was not born to be tamed

And goodbye, so long, the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992
Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Old Shoes
(& Picture Postcards)
(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

I'm singin' this song, it's time it was sung
I've been puttin' it off for a while
But it's harder by now, cause the truth is so clear
That I cry when I'm seein' you smile

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes(1)
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

Every time that I tried to tell you that we'd
Lost the magic we had at the start
I would weep in my heart when I looked in your eyes
And I'd search once again for the spark

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

I can see by your eyes, it's time now to go
So I'll leave you to cry in the rain
Though I held in my hand, the key to all joy
But honey, my heart was not born to be tamed

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

So goodbye, so long, the road calls me dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone
Can I kiss you, and then I'll be gone

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973

Known covers:
Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by Drugstore
Foundation. Foundation. 2001. FueledByRamen
We've Walked These Streets. Sam Lapides. 2002. Inbetweens Records
Big Daddy Bluegrass Band. The Big Daddy Bluegrass Band. 2002. Little King Records
The Morning After. Ben�che. January, 2003. Self-released
Around The Bend (soundtrack). Various artists (performed by David Baerwald). October 5, 2004. Rhino / Wea
Acoustic Alley Blues. Little Johnny Kantreed. May 24, 2005. ANJrecords
Hell Or High Water. Andrew Murray. July, 2005. White Cow (Ireland)
East Of Sunset - Soundtrack. Various artists. September 13, 2005. Manifesto Records. Performed by: The Caseworker
East Of Sunset - Soundtrack. Various artists. September 13, 2005. Manifesto Records. Performed by: Drugstore (same version as on Step Right Up, 1995)
It's Not The Whiskey. The Mickey Finns. January 26, 2010. Mankeltray

Notes:

(1) Sun in one's eyes, to have the
- To be tipsy. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd)
- phr. [mid-19C] to be drunk. [euph. play on Blind Drunk] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

Rosie

Well, I'm sitting on a windowsill, blowing my horn
Nobody's up except the moon and me
And a lazy old tomcat(1) on a midnight spree
And all that you left me was a melody

Rosie, why do you evade me?
Rosie, how can I persuade thee?
Rosie

And the moon's all up, full and big
Apricot tips in an indigo sky
And I've been loving you, Rosa, since the day I was born
And I'll love you, Rosie, till the day I die

Rosie, why do you evade me?
Rosie, how can I persuade thee?
Rosie

Rosie, why do you evade me?
Rosie, how can I persuade thee?
Rosie

And I'm sitting on a windowsill, blowing my horn
Nobody's up except the moon and me
And a lazy old tomcat on a midnight spree
All that you left me was a melody

Rosie, why do you evade me?
Rosie, how can I persuade thee?
Rosie

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973



Known covers:
The Pursuit Of Happiness. Beat Farmers, 1987. MCA 5993

Notes:

(1) Tomcat, Tom cat:
- v.i., v.t.: 1. Orig., to dress up in one's best clothes, as a dude or sport, and walk the street, visit public bars, nightclubs, and the like in search of a female; to seek a female, esp. a promiscuous one; esp., to dress in one's best clothes, visit a girl or young woman, and mix boasting and sweet talk in an attempt to persuade her to enter into sexual activity. n. A woman chaser (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)
- The male cat.(Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd).
- Also mentioned in "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You" (Well, the night does funny things inside a man These old Tom-cat feelings you don't understand)

Virginia Avenue

(Early demo version, 1971)

Well, I'm walkin' down Virginia Avenue
I'm tryin' to find somebody to tell my troubles to
Harold's club(2) is closin', everybody's goin' on home
What's a poor sailor to do?

I guess I'll get on back into my short(3), make it back to the fort
Sleepin' off the craziness that's inside of my brain
Got to be some place that's better than this
This life I'm leadin's drivin' me insane
And I'm dreamin'

And I'm dreamin' to the twilight, cause this town has got me down
I've seen all of the highlights, I've been walkin' it around
I won't make a fuss, I'll take a Greyhound bus
Carry me away from here, now what have I got to lose?

I'm just a-walkin' down Columbus Avenue
Bars are all closin', cause it's quarter to two
Every town I go to is like a lock without a key
The blues I leave behind keep catchin' up on me

Catchin' up on me
They're catchin' up on me
Catchin' up on me
Catchin' up on me
Catchin' up on me

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), 1971 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1991
Official release: "The Early Years 1". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1991
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Virginia Avenue
(Closing Time studio version, 1973)

Well, I'm walkin' on down Virginia Avenue
Tryin' to find somebody to tell my troubles to
Harold's club(2) is closin', and everybody's goin' on home
What's a poor boy to do?

I'll just get on back into my short(3), make it back to the fort
Sleep off all the craziness that's inside of my brain
There's gotta be some place that's better than this
This life I'm leadin's drivin' me insane
And let me tell you I'm dreamin'

Let me tell you that I'm dreamin' to the twilight
This town has got me down
I've seen all of the highlights, I've been walkin' all around
I won't make a fuss, I'll take a Greyhound bus
To carry me away from here now
Tell me, what have I got to lose?

Cause I'm walkin' on down Columbus Avenue
The bars are all closin', cause it's quarter to two
Every town I go to is like a lock without a key
The blues I leave behind keep catchin' up on me

Let me tell you they're catchin' up on me
They're catchin' up on me
Catchin' up on me
Catchin' up on me
Catchin' up on me

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1973
Official release: Closing Time, Elektra Entertainment/ WEA International Inc., 1973

Known covers:
New Coat Of Paint. Various artists. May, 2000. Manifesto Records. Performed by Knoxville Girls
Way Through. Toxic Blues Again. February, 2003. Self-released
Solo Cholo. Kid Congo Powers. August 1, 2006. New York Night Train (USA), Trans Solar (EU)

Notes:

(1) Live intro from "Boston Music Hall, Boston March 21, 1976": "This is a song about Reno, Nevada, Reno has a main drag called Virginia Street, it's called Virginia Avenue here cause it rhymes with do and blue and shit - everybody gets divorced in Reno - shit, it's the only goddamn place I've seen dentures in pawn shop windows - entire suburban families tryin' to hitchhike out and they're wearing Bermuda shorts, white socks, and wingtips and shit - real silly - I'd never pick em up. They take wedding rings and throw them in the river the day after they get married which is usually the day they get divorced - wake up and say, Who are you? - I don't know - who are you? My cousin took like a $2,500 wedding ring and threw it in the river - I said what'd you go and do that for - Christ - it's just tradition - expensive tradition - next afternoon I was in the middle of the river with my pants rolled up to my knees."(Transcribed by Gary Tausch. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000)

(3) Harold's Club: A real casino in Reno/ Nevada, closed in 1995. "After running carnival games in Vermont and California, Raymond I. "Pappy" Smith and his two sons, Raymond A. and Harold, moved to Reno in 1935 and started Harolds Club on Virginia Street in a red-lined area where the city council permitted gambling. Other casinos had a reputation for trying to take all of the player's money as fast as they could, but the Smiths tried a different approach. Pappy Smith regularly walked the floor, joked with players, and gave every losing player a meal and enough money for a bus ride home. The Smiths were Nevada gaming's first real promoters. They tried "mouse roulette," with a mouse released into a cage with a circular board with numbered holes. The mouse would evenually go into one of the holes, and the number on the hole would be the winning number. When players found that they could make noises that made the mouse run into the nearest hole, the casino lost too much money and removed the game. The Smiths launched casino gambling's first national (and world) advertising campaign along highways, placing 2300 billboards featuring a covered wagon and "Harolds Club or Bust." They also tried to attract women players by being the first casino to hire women dealers. When Pappy Smith died in 1967, Harolds Club was Nevada's largest casino. In 1970, his heirs sold to Howard Hughes. Harolds Club closed in 1995 and Harrah's bought the building and imploded it in 1999." (Source: Nevada Online Encyclopedia �2004. Thanks to Adam Gilson for pointing out this reference)

(2) Short n.: An automobile. Prob. orig. used in the term "hot short" = a stolen car, or a car stolen to be used as a getaway car by gunmen, thieves, or the like. Prob. orig. in Chicago underworld (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

The Heart Of Saturday Night, 1974

Depot, Depot

Depot, depot, what am I doing here?

Depot, depot, what am I doing here?

I ain't coming, I ain't going

My confusion is showing

And outside the midnight wind is blowing Sixth Avenue⁽²⁾

I'm gonna paint myself blue⁽³⁾

At the depot

I watch the taxis pull up and idle

I can't claim title to a single memory

You offered me a key

Cause opportunity don't knock

Has no tongue as you cannot talk

You're gonna shuffle when you walk

At the depot

This peeping Tom⁽⁴⁾ needs a peephole

And an up-tempo⁽⁵⁾ song

To move me along

When I find this depot, baby

I'm on a roll⁽⁶⁾ just like a pool ball, baby

I'm gonna be there at the roll call maybe

At the depot

Outside the midnight wind is blowing Sixth Avenue

Ah, tell me what a poor boy to do

At the depot

I'm on a roll just like a pool ball, baby

I'm gonna be there at the roll call maybe

At the depot

Depot

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974

Official release: The Heart Of Saturday Night, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974

Known covers:

None

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Depot Depot:

- Tom Waits (1973) introducing Depot Depot: "A little bluesy thing about the Greyhound Bus Depot downtown, it's funny, not many people go to downtown LA, Free Press did a big article called "Downtown LA, Who Needs It?". I've been going there since I moved here, I've been here a year, I go to hang out down there, I live in Silver Lake so I'm about 10 minutes from downtown. I go down there just to hang out - not too many people live down there, really, people work down there and hang out, that's all. I'll do a song called Depot." (Source: Folkscene 1973, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7). Date: Los Angeles/ USA. August 12, 1973)

- Tom Waits (1974) introducing to Depot Depot: "This is a bit of local colour here, this is about 6th & Los Angeles in downtown Los Angeles, about the Greyhound Bus Depot, about going down to the depot on a Saturday night with plenty of quarters for the TV chairs and it's just a great place to take a date." (Source: Folkscene 1974, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7) Date: Los Angeles/ USA. July 23, 1974 (June 10?))

⁽²⁾ The midnight wind is blowing Sixth Avenue: This is the former LA Greyhound Bus station (depot). It was on 6th Avenue and Los Angeles. For decades this location on the edge of Skid Row was the terminus for the interstate Greyhound buses. However, in the early 1990s, Greyhound moved farther east and the building was converted to garment shops. Further reading: Don's Greyhound Bus Memories

⁽³⁾ Paint the town (blue), paint oneself (blue): To go on a wild spree in a town or city; to celebrate wildly (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner). More common: "To paint the town red."

⁽⁴⁾ Peeping Tom (of Coventry): Leofric, Earl of Mercia and Lord of Coventry, imposed some very severe imposts on the people of Coventry, which his countess, Godiva, tried to get mitigated. The earl, thinking to silence her importunity, said he would comply when she had ridden naked from one end of the town to the other. Godiva took him at his word, actually rode through the town naked, and Leofric remitted the imposts. Before Godiva started, all the inhabitants voluntarily confined themselves to their houses, and resolved that anyone who stirred abroad should be put to death. A tailor thought to have a peep, but was rewarded with the loss of his eyes, and has ever since been called Peeping Tom of Coventry. There is still a figure in a house at Coventry said to represent Peeping Tom. Matthew of Westminster (1307) is the first to record the story of Lady Godiva: the addition of Peeping Tom dates from the reign of Charles II. In Smithfield Wall is a grotesque figure of the inquisitive tailor in "flowing wig and Stuart cravat." In regard to the terms made by Leofric, it may be mentioned that Rudder, in his History of Gloucester, tells us that "the privilege of cutting wood in the Herduoles was granted to the parishioners of St. Briavel's Castle, in Gloucestershire, on precisely similar terms by the Earl of Hereford, who was at the time lord of Dean Forest. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd) 

⁽⁵⁾ Up-tempo: Describes a tune or song that's played faster than usual, but also implies that the performance is upbeat (a performance that's sprightly, cheerful and usually fast in tempo). Can also mean a loud, vigorous performance without an increase in tempo (Source: The Folk File, Bill Markwick)

⁽⁶⁾ On a roll:  

- phr. [1970s+] (orig. US gambling) on a winning streak, enjoying a period of success, whether lit. or fig. 

- Roll: n. [1970s+] a spell of good fortune, a winning streak, whether lit. or fig. [roll, the roll of a dice] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9).

- Also mentioned in Time, 1985: "And when they're on a roll, she pulls a razor from her boot And a thousand pigeons fall around her feet.", Empty Pockets/ Purple Avenue, 1981: "What happened to my roll, September fell right through the hole."

Diamonds On My Windshield

(Early demo version, 1971)

Diamonds on my windshield

Tears from heaven

Pullin' into town on the Interstate

Pullin' a steel train in the rain

Wind bites my cheek through the wing

Fast flying and freeway driving

Always makes me sing

Duster tryin' to change my tune

Pullin' up fast on the right

Rollin' restlessly, twenty-four hour moon

Wisconsin hiker with a cue-ball head

Wishin' he's home in a Wisconsin bed

Fifteen feet of snow in the east

Colder than a welldigger's ass

And Oceanside, it ends the ride,

San Clemente coming up

Sunday desperadoes slip by

Texaco station close in, you cruise by with a dry back

The orange drive-in, neon billin'

Theatre's fillin' to the brim

Slave girls and a hot spurn bucket full of sin

Metropolitan area, interchange and connections

Fly-by-nights from Riverside

Black and white plates, out of state, running a little late

Sailors jockey for the fast lane 101 don't miss it

Rollin' hills and concrete fields

Broken line on your mind

The eights go east and the fives go north

And the merging nexus back and forth

See your sign, you cross the line, signal with a blink

Radio's gone off the air, and gives you time to think

Easy ridin', creep across, this intersection [?]

Hear the rumble as you fumble for a cigarette

Blazin' through the neon jungle

Remember someone that you met

And one more block, the engine talks

And whispers: home at last

Whispers

Whispers

Whispers home at last

Home at last

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992

Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992

Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA

(Not authorized by Tom Waits)

Diamonds On My Windshield

(The Heart Of Saturday Night studio version, 1974)

Well, these diamonds on my windshield

And these tears from heaven

Well, I'm pulling into town on the Interstate

I got a steel train in the rain

And the wind bites my cheek through the wing

And it's these late nights and this freeway flying

It always makes me sing

There's a Duster⁽²⁾ trying to change my tune⁽³⁾

He's pulling up fast on the right

Rolling restlessly by a twenty-four hour moon

And a Wisconsin hiker with a cue-ball head⁽⁴⁾

He's wishing he was home in a Wisconsin bed

But there's fifteen feet of snow in the east

Colder than a welldigger's ass

And it's colder than a welldigger's ass

Oceanside, it ends the ride with San Clemente coming up⁽⁵⁾

Those Sunday desperadoes⁽⁶⁾ slip by and cruise with a dry back

And the orange drive-in, the neon billin'

And the theatre's fillin' to the brim

With slave girls and a hot spurn bucket full of sin

Metropolitan area with interchange and connections

Fly-by-nights⁽⁷⁾ from Riverside

And out of state plates running a little late

But the sailors jockey⁽⁸⁾ for the fast lane

So 101 don't miss it

There's rolling hills and concrete fields

And the broken line's on your mind

The eights go east and the fives go north

And the merging nexus back and forth

You see your sign, cross the line, signalling with a blink

And the radio's gone off the air

Gives you time to think

And you hear the rumble

As you fumble for a cigarette

And blazing through this midnight jungle

Remember someone that you met

And one more block, the engine talks

Whispers 'home at last'

It whispers 'home at last'

Whispers 'home at last'

Whispers 'home at last'

Whispers 'home at last'

And the diamonds on my windshield

And these tears from heaven

Well I'm pulling into town on the Interstate

I got me a steel train in the rain

And the wind bites my cheek through the wing

Late nights and freeway flying

Always makes me sing

It always makes me sing

Hey, look here, Jack

Okay

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974 & Warner Bros. Music Ltd, 1986

Official release: "The Heart Of Saturday Night", Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974 &

"Bounced Checks", WEA/ Asylum Records, 1981 &

"Anthology Of Tom Waits", WEA/ Elektra, 1984 &

"Asylum Years", WEA International Inc., 1986

Known covers:

Life Imitates Art. Steve Glotzer. September 12, 2000. The Orchard

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Jay S. Jacobs: "Diamonds on My Windshield" was scribbled on the back of a tour itinerary in a single spontaneous burst, and it recalls Tom's days of shuffling between San Diego and Los Angeles, stopping regularly for a cup of coffee, a bathroom break, or a car repair. Pulling out this scrap of paper in the studio, Tom began to wrestle with his jotted lyrics, but "Diamonds" just wouldn't click. Finally, the session musicians caught a vibe that Tom liked. The bassist, Jim Hughart, hit on a cool bass line, and the drummer, who that day was Jim Gordon, pulled out the brushes and delivered a hot shuffle beat. Gordon, a brilliant studio musician, was once a member of Eric Clapton's supergroup, Derek and the Dominoes; he cowrote the rock anthem "Layla" with Clapton. Years later, in a fit of dementia, he killed his mother, and he was forced to spend his later years in a mental hospital. But that day at Wally Heider Recording the atmosphere was unclouded by specters of tragedy. Waits, Hughart, and Gordon nailed "Diamonds on My Windshield" on the first take. (Source: Wild Years, The Music and Myth of Tom Waits. Jay S. Jacobs, 2000)

- Tom Waits: (introducing Diamonds On My Windshield, Folkscene, 1974): "This is about driving in the rain. I used to make that track from San Diego to Los Angeles a lot, usually with several pit stops on the way with engine trouble. So this is about driving in the rain, circa 1973, so slip me some crimson, Jimson." (Source: Folkscene 1974, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7) audio tape. Date: Los Angeles/ USA. July 23, 1974 (June 10?))

- Tom Waits: On Diamonds On My Windshield (WAMU Radio, 1975): "I didn't really know what to do with that piece cause it was written out just as some spontaneous verse that I had written on the back of an itinerary and I didn't know what the hell to do with it. So we went in the studio and I tried singing it, tried doing it a-capella - nothing worked. Jim Hughart was playing the upright bass with me for that session just started playing a modal bass line and I just started talking and Jim Gordon started playing a cool 12 bar shuffle on brushes and we just winged it in one take and we had it and I like the way it came out. I'm gonna do more of that on this 3rd album that I'm thinking about right now and writing for out here. I bring a tape recorder with me and when I get back to the hotel I talk to myself and I'm working on some spoken word pieces that I want to do with accompaniment. I call it Metropolitan Doubletalk and I'm going to be doing more of that on this forthcoming album. It's called Nighthawk Postcards From Easy Street so I'm going to explore some more of that kind of thing." (Source: WAMU Radio Interview, audio tape. Date: Washington, DC. April 18, 1975)

- Tom Waits (introducing Diamonds On My Windshield, 1976): "Well, let's see here uh... I uh... uhm. I'm gonna do a thing about cars uh. This is kind of a, sort of a mutational uh sub cultural uh automotive uh Southern California fascination with the internal combustion engine. Maybe we do something here uh.. [starts snapping fingers] This is about a uh... I don't know uh, it seemed like getting my drivers license when I was a kid, was like uhm... You know uh, certainly a major event, you know uh. I mean it was almost as important as puberty. You know uh, so uh... Well the first car I ever had I bought for $125 from a guy uh who was leaving town, and he had to let it go and it was like uh, real sentimental to him, you know uh? It was a Buick Roadmaster and uh he said: "Well, turn it over." [imitates starting engine trouble]. Well I said: "Well, I give you $100 for it." Huh, huh... And uh, so this is a little bit of uh... little piece here about driving in the rain... No wipers, and a glove compartment full of moving violations. You know? Huh, huh..." (Source: WNEW FM: Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight Date: Recorded MediaSound Studios NYC. December 14, 1976. Aired December 18, 1976 on WNEW-FM. Rebroadcast March 24, 1996 WNEW-FM)

⁽²⁾ Duster: American car produced by Chrystler (Plymouth Duster, Plymouth Valiant Duster)

⁽³⁾ Change one's tune: 

- phr. [late 16C+] to alter one's opinions or statements, esp. to go back on what one has previously said [musical imagery] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9).

- Also mentioned in Drunk On The Moon, 1974: "Don't try and change my tune."

⁽⁴⁾ Cueball, cue-ball n.: A man or a boy who has just had a close or crew haircut. Army and student use. Because of the resemblance between a white billiard cue ball and a closely cropped head. Archaic (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽⁵⁾ Oceanside, it ends the ride with San Clemente coming up: Driving from San Diego along the Interstate (I-5 freeway) in the Los Angeles direction. "The I-5 freeway has replaced the notorious old US-101 highway, a three-lane road whose center passing lane was so dangerous it earned the name "blood alley", the site of more fatalities per mile than any other stretch of road in the state." The I-5 freeway was completed in 1960 and was the last major section of US-101 to be signed on a new alignment south of Los Angeles.

⁽⁶⁾ Desperado n.: A person who borrows or gambles larger sums than he will be able to pay; one whose standard of living is sensationally more costly than his income warrants (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽⁷⁾ Fly-by-night

- n.: One who defrauds his creditors by decamping at night-time. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd)

- [late 19C+] anyone dubious, crooked, criminal, esp. of a businessman who takes one's money but fails to provide any or at least adequate recompense

Drunk On The Moon

Tight-slack clad girls on the graveyard shift⁽³⁾

'Neath the cement stroll⁽⁴⁾, catch the midnight drift

Cigar chewing Charlie in that newspaper nest⁽⁵⁾

Grifting hot horse tips on who's running the best

And I'm blinded by the neon

Don't try and change my tune⁽⁶⁾

Cause I thought I heard a saxophone

I'm drunk on the moon

And the moon's a silver slipper⁽⁷⁾, it's pouring champagne stars

And Broadway's⁽⁸⁾ like a serpent pulling shiny top-down cars

Laramer⁽⁸⁾ is teeming with that undulating beat

And some Bonneville is screaming, it's way wilder down the street

And I'm blinded by the neon

Don't try and change my tune

I thought I heard a saxophone

I'm drunk on the moon

Hearts flutter and race, the moon's on the wane⁽⁹⁾

Tarts⁽¹⁰⁾ mutter⁽¹¹⁾ their dream hopes the night will ordain

Come schemers and dancers, cherry delight

As a Cleveland-bound Greyhound⁽¹²⁾, and it cuts through the night

And I've hawked all my yesterdays

Don't try and change my tune

Cause I thought I heard a saxophone

I'm drunk on the moon

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974

Official release: The Heart Of Saturday Night, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974

Known covers:

Live From The Living Room. Hillbilly Winos. 2002. Living Door Productions

<object height="344" width="425"></object> 

Waits performing "Drunk On The Moon" taken from Soundstage Show #208 (1975).

PBS television show on Tom Waits and Mose Allison. Chicago/ USA.

Aired December 22, 1975, recorded November 3, 1975 or earlier.

With Kenny Soderblum on alto sax and Jim Atlas on upright bas.

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Tom Waits (introducing Drunk On The Moon, Folkscene, 1975): "This is about Denver, Colorado. I always stayed at a place called the Oxford Hotel which is down on 17th & Wazee about a block away from Larimer Street. Larimer being just full of a lot of ghosts down there on Larimer Street shopping for images in the trash cans - boy, that's old Kerouac and Cassady stomping grounds. It's really changed quite a bit. They put up what's called Larimer Square now which is kind of like a contemporary little boutique sort of shopping centre. It looks awful ridiculous cause right across the street is some real bona fide serious winos - right out in front of a place called the Gin Mill, another place called the Terminal Bar. Terminal Bar is a block away from the Santa Fe train depot so they called it the Terminal Bar but they had no idea that like 20 years later the place'd be filling up with terminal cases. This is called Drunk On The Moon, there's all different kinds of moons - silver slipper moons and there's cue ball moons and there's buttery cue ball moons and moons that are all melted off to one side and this is about a muscatel moon..." (Source: Folkscene 1975, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7) Source: audio tape. Date: Los Angeles/ USA. January 12 (February 13?), 1975) 

⁽³⁾ Graveyard shift n.: A working shift that begins at midnight or 2:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. It refers, of course, to the ghostlike hour of employment (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽⁴⁾ Stroll:

- n.: A road, highway, or street. c1935 jive use; some Negro use (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).

- Also mentioned in "Nighthawk Postcards" (With the tight knots of moviegoers and out-of-towners on the stroll), "Shore Leave" (Well, with buck shot eyes and a purple heart I rolled down the national stroll)

⁽⁵⁾ Cigar chewing Charlie: The booklet of The Heart Of Saturday Night has a picture showing Waits in front of a newsstand, Might be "Cigar Chewing Charlie"

Source: booklet for The Heart Of Saturday Night, 1973. Date: 1973/ 1974

Credits: photography by Scott Smith

⁽⁶⁾ Change one's tune: 

- phr. [late 16C+] to alter one's opinions or statements, esp. to go back on what one has previously said [musical imagery].

- Also mentioned in Diamonds On My Windshield, 1974: "There's a Duster trying to change my tune." 

⁽⁷⁾ Silver moon: Notice the same phrase being mentioned in: All The World's Green, 2000/ 2002: "The moon is yellow silver, on the things that summer brings." The World Keeps Turning, 2001: "The world don't care and yet it clings to me, And the moon is gold and silvery." Flower's Grave, 2002: "Someday the silver moon and I, Will go to Dreamland."

⁽⁸⁾ Laramer: probably misspelled and should read Larimer (Larimer Street, Denver). Broadway would probably be Broadway, Denver

- "In the winter of 1995, only two blocks remain of the Larimer Street Neal Cassady knew. For forty years Larimer used to stretch as one long skid-row for most of its 25-block length, but today only two true skid-row blocks remain, between 20th and 22nd: bars that open at eight in the morning (signs say "No children after 5:00"); pawn shops where Cassady very likely pawned anything he could get his hands on for quick cash; a 12-step recovery shelter, three bars, two liquor stores, a barber shop, and a Mexican bakery. At most, maybe three men are unconscious now on any given morning, where once there'd have been fifteen or twenty (gentrification has moved the shelters almost ten blocks north). Instead of Larimer, the men wait for the sun to come up at 23rd and Curtis." (Source: "Neal's Denver", A Personal Exploration and Beat Baedeker by Andrew Burnett) Futher reading: Neal's Denver at Literary Kicks

⁽⁹⁾ The moon's on the wane

- Wane: intr. v. waned, wan�ing, wanes. To decrease gradually in size, amount, intensity, or degree; decline. To exhibit a decreasing illuminated area from full moon to new moon (Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright � 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company)

- Also mentioned in That's The Way (1990/ 1993): "That's the way the moon wanes"

⁽¹⁰⁾ Tart n.: A prostitute (Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary) 

⁽¹¹⁾ Mutter v.: 1. To utter sounds or words indistinctly or with a low voice and with the lips partly closed 2. To murmur complainingly or angrily (Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary)

⁽¹²⁾ Greyhound: American Greyhound bus line, featuring Greyhound logo. Apparently associated with economy/ low class traveling. Greyhound began its operations in 1914 as the Mesaba Transportation Company in Hibbing, Minnesota, when Carl Eric Wickman began transporting miners from Hibbing to Alice, Minnesota. Further reading: Don's Greyhound Bus Memories, Greyhound official site

Fumblin' With The Blues

Friday left me fumblin' with the blues
And it's hard to win when you always lose
Because the nightspots(1) spend your spirit
beat your head against the wall
Two dead ends and you've still got to choose

You know the bartenders they all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster(2) shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead

You know the ladies I've been seeing off and on
Well they spend your love and then they're gone
You can't be lovin' someone who is savage and cruel
Take your love and then they leave on out of town, no they do

Well now fallin' in love is such a breeze(3)
But its standin' up that's so hard for me
I wanna squeeze you but I'm scared to death I'd break your back
You know your perfume well it won't let me be

And you know the bartenders all know my name
And they catch me when I'm pulling up lame
And I'm a pool-shooting-shimmy-shyster shaking my head
When I should be living clean instead

Well, come on baby let your love light shine
Gotta bury me inside of your fire
Because your eyes are 'nough to blind me
You're like a-looking at the sun
You gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one
Gotta whisper tell me I'm the one
Come on and whisper tell me I'm the one

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974
Official release: The Heart Of Saturday Night, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974

Known covers:
Gordon Payne. Gordon Payne. 1978. A&M Records SP4725 (medley with "Red Light")
Last Night in Town! Betsy Kaske, 1980. Mountain Railroad Records (LP: MR-52788)
Saving All My Love For You (a tribute to Tom Waits). Claudia Bettinaglio. January, 2001. Taxim Records (Germany)
Pissed In Boston. Mike Barrett. January, 2003. Self-released
My Room. Evi & das Tier. March, 2003. L�bbe
Dolphin Blue Live. Dolphin Blue. December, 2007. Rising Sun Productions (German CDR)
Slow Stride. Calahoney. November 2008. Self-released
See If You Recognize This One. Antonio Andrade. March 9, 2010. Self-released

Notes:

(1) Night spot n.: A night club (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

(2) Shimmy n.: 1. A style of dancing, typified by movements somewhat resembling those of co�tus. Pop. during the 1920's 2. Gelatin desserts, jelly, or any similar substance that shakes easily. Not common (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

(3) Breeze n.: An easy task; a cinch (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

New Coat Of Paint

Let's put a new coat of paint

on this lonesome old town

Set em' up, we'll be knockin' 'em down

You wear a dress

Baby I'll wear a tie

We'll laugh at that old bloodshot moon

in that Burgundy sky

All our scribbled love dreams

are lost or thrown away

Here amidst the shuffle

of an overflowin' day

Love needs a transfusion

let's shoot it full of wine

Fishin' for a good time

starts with throwin' in your line

So let's put a new coat of paint

on this lonesome old town

Set em' up, set em' up, we'll be knockin' 'em down

You wear a dress baby

I'll wear a tie⁽¹⁾

We'll laugh at that old bloodshot moon

in that burgundy sky

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974

Official release: The Heart Of Saturday Night, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974

Arrangement and lyrics published in "Tom Waits - Anthology" (Amsco Publications, 1988/ Nuova Carisch, 2000)

Known covers:

In The Heat. Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. 1984. Mirage

Piano Madness. "Hurricane" Sam Rudin. 1989. Blue Rock'it Records

The Fire Inside. Bob Seger, 1991. Capitol

A New Coat Of Paint. John Slaughter Blues Band. 1992. Timeless Records CD SJP 313

Blues Package Live. Blues Package. 1992. Aschfrecords (Germany)

Jazzaphrenia. Lenny Marcus & Trio. January 11, 2000. Lmt Records

New Coat Of Paint. Various artists. May, 2000. Manifesto Records. Performed by Lee Rocker

The Carnival Saloon Live. The Carnival Saloon. October, 2001. Self-released (Ireland)

Bob Seger: Greatest Hits - Vol. 2. Bob Seger. November 4, 2003. Capitol

Live At The Narrows. Tom Hunter And The Blue Frenzy. 2004. Self-released 

Cool Classics. Wixom Slim. 2005. MKN Productions

Mother. Carol Grimes. March 28, 2005. Irregular Records

East Of Sunset - Soundtrack. Various artists. September 13, 2005. Manifesto Records. Performed by: Lee Rocker (same version as on New Coat Of Paint, 2000)

Here I Go Again. Tom Hunter. January 2006. Fs Music

Teach Me Tonight. Lisa Fuller. April 4, 2006. Bizarre Planet

My Romance. Dina Blade. September 23, 2006. Self-released

Paradigm. Scot Lee. February 1, 2007. Valley Street Music

Dangerous Mood. Suede. May 31, 2008. Easily Suede Music

Grapefruit Moon: Songs of Tom Waits. Southside Johnny & La Bamba's Bigband. September 19, 2008. Evangeline (Soulfood Music)

Real Time. Kinzel And Hyde. December 8, 2008. Self-released

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "New Coat Of Paint". With: Frank Vicari (tenor saxophone), Fitz Jenkins (upright bass), Chip White (drums). Taken from Rockpalast, WDR television concert documentary. WDR Studio's/ Studio-L. Cologne/ Germany (aired April 18, 1977.   

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ You wear a dress baby, I'll wear a tie: Notice the cover illustration for The Heart Of Saturday Night being about this line

The Heart Of Saturday Night, 1974

(P) & � 1974 Elektra/ Asylum Records 7E-1015

Cover illustration: Napoleon

Please Call Me, Baby

(Early demo version, 1971)

The evening fell just like a star
Left a trail behind
You spit as you slammed out the door
If this is love we're crazy
as we fight like cats and dogs
But I just know there's got to be more

So please call me, baby
wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
out walking in the rain

I admit that I ain't no angel
I admit I ain't no saint
Cause I'm selfish and I'm cruel and I'm blind
If I exorcise my Devils
well my angels may leave too
When they leave they're so hard to find

So please call me, baby
wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
out walking in the rain

We're always at each other's throats
it drives me up the wall(1)
Most of the time I'm just blowing off steam
I wish to God you'd leave me
and I wish to God you'd stay
Life's so different than it is in your dreams

Please call me, baby
wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
out walking in the rain

Written by: Tom Waits(2)
Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992
Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Please Call Me, Baby
(The Heart Of Saturday Night studio version, 1974)

The evening fell just like a star
Left a trail behind
You spit as you slammed out the door
If this is love we're crazy
As we fight like cats and dogs
But I just know there's got to be more

So please call me, baby
wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
out walking in the rain

I admit that I ain't no angel
I admit that I ain't no saint
I'm selfish and I'm cruel but you're blind
If I exorcise my devils
Well my angels may leave too
When they leave they're so hard to find

Please call me, baby
wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
out walking in the rain

We're always at each other's throats
You know, it drives me up the wall(1)
Most of the time I'm just blowing off steam
And I wish to God you'd leave me
Baby, I wish to God you'd stay
Life's so different than it is in your dreams

Please call me, baby
wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
out walking in the rain

Written by: Tom Waits(2)
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974
Official release: The Heart Of Saturday Night, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974

Known covers:
My Flame. Jim Nichols & Morning. 1992. Self-released
New Coat Of Paint. Various artists. May, 2000. Manifesto Records. Performed by Sally Norvell
My Room. Evi & das Tier. March, 2003. L�bbe
Sugar On The Floor. Lisa Tingle. September 13, 2005. Dualtone
Grapefruit Moon: Songs of Tom Waits. Southside Johnny & La Bamba's Bigband. September 19, 2008. Evangeline (Soulfood Music)

Notes:

(1) Drive (someone) up the wall: To harass or torment; drive crazy (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang - Supplement, Wentworth/ Flexner)

(2) Bobi Thomas (2006):"Tom began going up to play at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, they had Hoot Nights there too (TWS: ca. 1971). I seem to remember that he'd take the bus up there sometimes, and at other times times he'd drive depending on whether he had transportation. Tom eventually (within that first year) caught the eye of Herb Cohen, who signed him up and later got him signed to the Asylum label. After Pam and I stopped playing music together I moved up to Los Angeles.Tom let me stay in his apartment until I got a job working at the Copper Penny on the corner of Gower and Sunset Blvd. I finally saved enough money to move out and got my own place. He and I hung around for several years together in those early years, before the music took him away to other places. Being Tom's best friend during all those years has provided me with many, many sweet memories. He even wrote a song for me (Please Call Me Baby). How sweet is THAT!!! When he was on the road during those early years, he would write me long lonely letters. I still have them (tucked away in a safe place). None of those memories will ever die, you know, they'll always be tucked away in the recesses of my silly brain, waiting to surface when I hear the sounds of "San Diego Serenade" or "Shiver Me Timbers" or any of the other instantly identifiable Tom Waits Songs." (Source: Email conversation with Bobi Thomas. September 2006). Further reading: The Heritage, The Troubadour.

San Diego Serenade

I never saw the mornin' 'til I stayed up all night
I never saw the sunshine 'til you turned out the light
I never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long
I never heard the melody until I needed the song

I never saw the white line 'til I was leavin' you behind
I never knew I needed you until I was caught up in a bind now
I never spoke "I love you" 'til I cursed you in vain
I never felt my heart strings until I nearly went insane

I never saw the east coast until I moved to the west
I never saw the moonlight until it shone off of your breast
I never saw your heart until someone tried to steal, tried to steal it away
I never saw your tears until they rolled down your face

I never saw the mornin' 'til I stayed up all night
I never saw the sunshine 'til you turned out your love light, baby
I never saw my hometown 'til I stayed away too long
I never heard the melody until I needed the song

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974(1)
Official release: "The Heart Of Saturday Night", Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974
"Anthology Of Tom Waits", WEA/ Elektra, 1984
Arrangement and lyrics published in "Tom Waits - Anthology" (Amsco Publications, 1988/ Nuova Carisch, 2000)

Known covers:
Something New. Barbie Benton, 1976. Playboy Records, PB-411
Staying Power/ San Diego Serenade. Barbie Benton, 1976. Trio/ Playboy Records, PB-203 (7" single w. tracks from "Something New", 1976)
Sweet Surprise. Eric Andersen. 1976. Arista Records
Right Side Up. Ralph McTell. 1976. Warner Bros K56296 (re-released in 1982 and 2001)
It Makes Me Feel Good. Cilla Black. March 1976. EMI Records
Lost And Found. Keith Carradine. 1978. Asylum 6E114 (re-released in 2004: "I'm Easy/ Lost & Found")
Get It Out In The Open. Freddy Henry. 1979. Cloud Records (Clouds 8809)
Take Heart. Juice Newton. 1979. Capitol ST-12000
Weather The Storm. Ralph McTell. 1982. Mays TG002 (LP - Reissue of Right Side Up. 1976)
Out Of The Dark. Claudia Schmidt. January, 1985. Flying Fish Records (re-released in 1993)
Love Comes To The Simple Heart. Dean Stevens. 1985. Vulcano Records
Yo Frankie. Dion (DiMucci). January, 1989. Bmg Special Prod.
Late Night Grande Hotel, Nanci Griffith, 1991. MCA Records, MCAD-10306
I Got Thunder. Baby Jane Dexter. January, 1993. Elba Records (re-released in 1998)
Blues Britannia. Various artists. 1993. Bridge Recording, various re-releases until 2004 (performed by Cliff Aungier)
Covers. Thomas Lang. 1994. Portazul Nippon Columbia
Horizon. Big Sky (Steve Louw). 1995. Polygram BPCD 1 (South-Africa)
Versions. Thomas Lang. 1996. Telegraph Records
Editions. Thomas Lang. 1997. Portazul Nippon Columbia
The Full Spectrum Of Sound. Sch�tze & St�ckle. 1997. Self-released (Germany)
In The Middle Of A Life. George Grove. June 1998. Folk Era Records
Bare Bones. David Gogo. January 2000. Ragged Pup Records
Nach mir die Sintflut - Ambros singt Waits. Wolfgang Ambros. October 9, 2000. Ariol/ Gig Records 74321 797002 (in German: "Heimatserenade")
Good Vibrations. Kate Dimbleby. October 10, 2000. Black Box Jazz
Old Friends. Marcus Dagan. November 1, 2000. Self-released
Right Side Up. Ralph McTell. November 2001. Leola TPGCD19 (CD version of the 1976 album)
This Is Me. Lynne Rothrock. November 29, 2002. Self-released
Homegrown. Nussbaumer/ Weber/ Kreil. 2003. Self-released
In An Otherwise Ordinary World. Eli Emily. 2003. NoVo Records
Long Way Down. Jason Myles Goss. May, 2003. Self-released
It's Not The Moon. Sara Leib. June, 2003. Panfer Records
Chamber Music. Norma Winstone and Klaus Gesing. 2004. Universal/ Emarcy
I'm Easy/ Lost And Found. Keith Carradine. April 6. 2004. Collector's Choice (originally released by Asylum in 1978 on "Lost and Found")
Slide It On Over. Les Wilson and The Mighty Housrockers. October, 2004. Self-released
Music For Torching. Reflectiostack. October, 2005. Self-released
And Then I Did. Jodie Borl�. November 2005. Self-released (Canada)
Run All Night. Rachael Cantu. February 7, 2006. Self-released
This Time. Michael Stern. August 2, 2006. Self-released
The Perfect Face. Arthur Dodge. March 20, 2007. Remedy Records
Real Emotional. Curtis Stigers. March 26, 2007. Universal
In Order. John Spendelow. November 18, 2007. Self-released

Notes:

(1) San Diego Serenade:
- Tom Waits (1973): "Writing on the piano is different than writing on guitar, you get different feels, in fact a lot of times you you write a tune with some other artist in mind which is, in fact, I got one of those right here, I kind of had Ray Charles in mind, it's called: San Diego Serenade." Interviewer - You wrote that with Ray Charles in mind? TW: " Yeah, I kind of thought he'd like to do it, I don't know. I don't know him, I don't talk to him." (Source: Folkscene 1973, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7). Date: Los Angeles/ USA. August 12, 1973)
- Tom Waits (1977): "That song was about a girl I knew once," Waits said about "San Diego Serenade," one of his few compositions that displays any sort of personal reflection. "I was crazy about her," he said. "So was her husband. But that went the way of all flesh." (Source: "Waits: 'A Rumor In My Spare Time'" The Dallas Morning News (USA). November 13, 1977 by Pete Oppel)

Semi Suite

[One, two, three, four]

Well, you hate those diesels rollin'
Those Friday nights out bowlin'
When he's off for a twelve-hour lay over night
You wish you had a dollar
For every time he hollered
That he's leavin' and he's never comin' back

But the curtain-laced billow
And his hands on your pillow
And his trousers are hangin' on the chair
You're lyin' through your pain, babe
But you're gonna tell him he's your man
And you ain't got the courage to leave

He tells you that you're on his mind
You're the only one he's ever gonna find that's
Kinda special, and understands his complicated soul
But the only place a man can breathe
And collect his thoughts is
Midnight and flyin' away on the road

But you've packed and unpacked
So many times you've lost track
And the steam heat is drippin' off the walls
But when you hear his engines
You're lookin' through the window in the kitchen and you know
You're always gonna be there when he calls

Cause he's a truck drivin' man, stoppin' when he can
He's a truck drivin' man, stoppin' when he can

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974
Official release: The Heart Of Saturday Night, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974

Notes:

(1) Live intro from Tokyo, 1977: "I'd like to do a little American soap opera for you tonight It's called 'The Days of Our Lives' And as the world is turning on you You're falling on the edge of night In a small little town outside of Albuquerque I'll be there with bells on, baby You are my sunshine" (Transcription by Ulf Berggren. Listserv Raindogs discussionlist. July, 2000)

Shiver Me Timbers

(Early demo version, 1971)

I'm leavin' my fam'ly and leavin' my friends
My body's at home and my heart's in the wind
Where the clouds are like headlines on a new front page sky
My tears are salt water and the moon's full and high

And I know Martin Eden(2) is gonna be proud of me
And many before me who've been called by the sea
To be up in the crow's nest and singin' my say
And shiver me timbers I'm a-sailin' away

The fog's liftin' and the sand's shiftin' and I'm driftin' on out
And Ol' Captain Ahab(3) he ain't got nothin' on me
So come on and swallow me, don't follow me I travel alone
Blue water's(4) my daughter and I'm skipping like a stone

So please call my missus, tell her not to cry
My goodbye is written by the moon in the sky
Hey, and nobody knows me I can't fathom my stayin'
And shiver me timbers I'm a-sailin' away

And the fog's liftin' and the sand's shiftin' and I'm driftin' on out
Ol' Captain Ahab he ain't got nothin' on me
So come on and swallow me, don't follow me I travel alone
Blue water's my daughter and I'm skipping like a stone

And I'm leavin' my family leavin' my friends
My body's at home but my heart's in the wind
where the clouds are like headlines on a new front page sky
And shiver me timbers I'm a-sailin' away

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992
Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Shiver Me Timbers
(The Heart Of Saturday Night studio version, 1974)

I'm leavin' my family, I'm leavin' all my friends
My body's at home, but my heart's in the wind
Where the clouds are like headlines on a new front page sky
My tears are salt water, and the moon's full and high

And I know Martin Eden's(2) gonna be proud of me now
And many before me, who've been called by the sea
To be up in the crow's nest, and singin' my say
Shiver me timbers, cause I'm a-sailin' away

And the fog's liftin', and the sand's shiftin', and I'm driftin' on out
Ol' Captain Ahab(3), he ain't got nothin' on me now
So swallow me, don't follow me, I'm travellin' alone
Blue water's(4) my daughter, and I'm gonna skip like a stone

So please call my missus, gotta tell her not to cry now
Cause my goodbye is written by the moon in the sky
Hey, and nobody knows me, I can't fathom my stayin'
And shiver me timbers, cause I'm a-sailin' away

And the fog's liftin', and the sand's shiftin', and I'm driftin' on out
And ol' Captain Ahab, he ain't got nothin' on me
So come and swallow me, follow me, I'm travellin' alone
Blue water's my daughter, I'm gonna skip like a stone

And I'm leavin' my family, I'm leavin' all my friends
My body's at home, but my heart's in the wind
Where the clouds are like headlines upon a new front page sky
And shiver me timbers, cause I'm a-sailin' away

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974
Official release: The Heart Of Saturday Night, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974

Known covers:
Songs For The New Depression. Bette Midler, 1976. Atlantic
Live At Last. Bette Midler, 1977. Atlantic
Divine Madness. Bette Midler, 1980. Atlantic
Coming To My Own. John Lone. 1990. Japanese issue WPCL-187
Experience The Divine. Bette Midler, 1993. Atlantic (re-released in 1997)
Mister No Good. Ole Friis. September 21, 1994. Poul Hansen/ Kick Records (Denmark)
Live At The Troubadour. Glenn Yarbrough. October 31, 1994. Folk Era Records (recorded live in 1978)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Singer! Tom Lewis. 1995. Borealis (Canada)
I Could Have Been A Sailor. Glenn Yarbrough. May 3, 1995. Folk Era Records
Rockall. The House Band. June, 1996. Green Linnet Records GLCD 1174
Experience The Divine. Bette Midler, 1997 (Canadian re-release of the 1993 original)
Street Songs, Jazzy Tunes & Down Home Blues. Richard Ray Farrell. 1998. Stormy Monday Records MO - 80035 (Germany)
Listen to my Heart. Laurie Beechman. 1999. Excelsior LB CD001; DRG 5216 (medley w. "Sail Away")
Random White Boy. Kirk Detweiler. May 1999. Dancing Bull Music
Blessed Are The Sheepherders. Zen For Primates. October, 1999. Bummer Tent Records
Nach mir die Sintflut - Ambros singt Waits. Wolfgang Ambros. October 9, 2000. Ariol/ Gig Records 74321 797002 (in German: "Nach mir die Sintflut")
The Day The Tall Ships Came. Glenn Yarbrough & The Shaw Brothers. November, 2000. Folk Era Records
Hawaiki Nui - 'Something to Say', Pomaika'i and Friends. 19 December, 2000 Hawaiki Nui Entertainment Group
The Song Is Mine. John DePalma. March 12, 2002. LML Music
Half Cocked And Fully Loaded. Front Porch Swingin Liquor Pigs. May 2002. Neckless Records
Under The Influence - The songs of Tom Waits. Barry Charles. 2003. Tara Hall Productions (Australia)
Paper Heart. Diane Jarvi. 2004. Lupine Records
Let Me Be Strong. Valerie Sneade. September 21, 2004. Turning Leaf Records
The Holly Cole Collection - Vol. 1. Holly Cole. October 12, 2004. Magada International (Japanese release)
Seemannsbraut Ist Die See. Angelika Thomas & Anna Sch�fer. November 8, 2004. Bear Family Records
Off the Cuff. Troubadours Of Divine Bliss. April, 2005. Self-released
Song Ablaze. Tommy O'Sullivan. May 17, 2006. Self-released
Into The Midnight Waltz. Susan Welch. October 4, 2005. Self-released
Songs For The Jesse. Kirk Detweiler & Friends. January 6, 2007. Dancing Bull Music (same version as on Random White Boy, 1999)
Bein' Green. Paul L. Martin. June 10, 2007. MMP Ltd.
My Heart´s In The Wind. Deborah Shulman. November 13, 2007. Self-released
All Done And Dusted. Alexa Rodrian. September 1, 2008. NRW Records
Finding Home. Rena Strober. June 24, 2008. Self-released
Grapefruit Moon: Songs of Tom Waits. Southside Johnny & La Bamba's Bigband. September 19, 2008. Evangeline (Soulfood Music)
Covers. James Taylor. February 2, 2009. UMTV (UK)
Fragile. Joni Keen Jazz. February 5, 2009. Skylark Records

Notes:

(1) Shiver me timbers: "This is one of those supposedly nautical expressions that seem to be better known through a couple of appearances in fiction than by any actual sailors' usage. It's an exclamation that may allude to a ship striking some rock or other obstacle so hard that her timbers shiver, or shake, so implying a calamity has occurred. It is first recorded as being used by Captain Frederick Marryat in Jacob Faithful in 1835: "I won't thrash you Tom. Shiver my timbers if I do". It has gained a firm place in the language because almost fifty years later Robert Louis Stevenson found it to be just the kind of old-salt saying that fitted the character of Long John Silver in Treasure Island: "Cross me, and you'll go where many a good man's gone before you ... some to the yard-arm, shiver my timbers, and some by the board, and all to feed the fishes". Since then, it's mainly been the preserve of second-rate seafaring yarns." (Source: World Wide Words is copyright � Michael Quinion, 1996-2004)

(2) Martin Eden: Character from the same titled book by Jack London from 1909

(3) Ahab: Also Achab. Main character in "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville.

(4) Blue water: The open ocean (Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, � 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.)

The Ghosts Of Saturday Night

(After Hours At Napoleone's Pizza House)⁽¹⁾

A cab combs the snake, tryin' to rake in⁽²⁾ that last night's fare

And a solitary sailor, who spends the facts of his life like small change on strangers

paws⁽³⁾ his inside P-coat⁽⁴⁾ pocket for a welcome twenty-five cents

and the last bent butt from a package of Kents⁽⁵⁾

as he dreams of a waitress with Maxwell House eyes

and marmalade thighs with scrambled yellow hair

Her rhinestone-studded moniker⁽⁶⁾ says "Irene"

as she wipes the wisps of dishwater blonde from her eyes

And the Texaco beacon burns on

The steel-belted attendant with a "Ring and Valve Special"cryin':

Fill 'er up and check that oil

You know it could be your distributor and it could be your coil

The early mornin' final edition's on the stands

and the town cryer's cryin' there with nickels in his hands

Pigs in a blanket⁽⁷⁾, sixty-nine cents

Eggs, roll 'em over, and a package of Kents

Adam and Eve on a log⁽⁸⁾, you can sink 'em down straight

Hash browns, hash browns⁽⁹⁾, you know I can't be late

And the early dawn cracks out a carpet of diamonds

across a cash crop car lot, filled with twilight Coupe Devilles⁽¹⁰⁾

leaving the town in the keeping

of the one who is sweeping

up the ghosts of Saturday night

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974 & Warner Bros. Music Ltd, 1986

Official release: "The Heart Of Saturday Night", Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974 &

"Asylum Years", WEA International Inc., 1986

Known covers:

None

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Napoleone: A pizza house in National City (San Diego). Read full story: Napoleone Pizza House

Napoleone Pizza House. Summer, 2001. Photography: Dalsh

- Tom Waits: (Intro to The Ghosts of Saturday Night. Folkscene, 1974): "It's about National City which is primarily a sailor town, a suburb of San Diego, where the infamous Mile Of Cars is on National Avenue and at the north end of National Ave is the Burge Roberts Mortuary and the Golden Barrel, Escalante's Liquor Store, sandwiched in between a Triumph Motorcycle shop and Burge Robert's is Napoleone's Pizza House, it's been there for a good 25 years and I worked there when I was real young. I've worked since I was 15 there and I guess not till I was away from it for a long time I could really sit down and write something constructive about it. This is called Ghosts Of Saturday Night or Looking Out From Napoleone's... All we did with that song was bass and guitar, we taped a little traffic on Cahuenga, just stuck his microphones out there and got about 20 minutes of rush hour and cut it down and put it on there, it really sets it up." (Source: Folkscene 1974, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7) Source: audio tape. Date: Los Angeles/ USA. July 23, 1974 (June 10?))

- Tom Waits: (Intro to The Ghosts of Saturday Night. Coffee Break radio show, 1975): "Well, I eh after I quitted I was working at a Mobil station and I was 15. I started working as a dishwasher and a cooker at a place called "Napoleone Pizza House". And eh, worked there for years... And eh for Joe Sardo and Sal Crivello. And eh... it was a gas... Ehm... well like every night about 4 o'clock in the morning and eh all the white vinyl booted go-go dancers... and all the sailors would come over at about a quarter to 4. And eh... Just about that time Joe would go out in front just to check out the traffic on the street y'know? He would like leave his paper hat and he'd fold his apron and he would go out and stand in front of Napoleone's. And across the street from The Golden Barrel, and Escelani's Liquor and Mario's Pizza, there's a Shell station right on the corner. And a Westerner and a Club 29 and a Melody Club, Phil's Porno, and Ebu Jima Eddie's Tattoo Parlor... And there'd be a cab out there combing the snake..." (Source: Coffee Break Concert Interview: The Coffee Break Concert radio show on WMMS-FM (Cleveland/ USA). Conducted by Kid Leo (Lawrence James Travagliante). December 3, 1975)

⁽²⁾ Rake in v.: 1. To earn, usually money (Source: The Online Slang Dictionary, Walter Rader)

⁽³⁾ Paw v.: 1. To touch or strike at with a paw 2. To feel or touch clumsily, rudely, or sexually 3. To scrape or beat with or as if with a hoof 4. To flail at or grab for wildly (Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary)

⁽⁴⁾ Peacoat, P-coat n.: A heavy, hip length, dark blue jacket, which is the official overcoat of a USN enlisted man's uniform. Orig. USN use; the style has been adopted by civilian clothiers since WW2 (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁵⁾ Package of Kents: American cigarette brand name (produced by Lorillard)

- Tom Waits (introducing Kentucky Avenue, 1976): "I grew up on a street called Kentucky Avenue in Whittier, California. My dad was teaching night school at Montebello. I had a little tree fort and everything. I had my first cigarette when I was about seven years old. It was such a thrill. I used to pick 'em up right out of the gutter after it was raining. My dad smoked Kents. Now, I never liked Kents - I tried to get him to change brands." (Source: Live at the Apollo Theatre, London, UK. March 23, 1976)

⁽⁶⁾ Moni(c)ker, monniker, monacer, monica n.: A person's name, nickname, or alias; the name by which a person wishes to be known; a name. Orig. hobo use, then underworld, now common (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁷⁾ Pig between two sheets, pig in a blanket

- A ham sandwich. Some lunch-counter use c1925; prob. synthetic (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- More often used of hotdogs or sausages than ham (Submitted by Richard Beckwith, Raindogs Listserv Discussionlist. August, 2000)

⁽⁸⁾ Adam and Eve on a log:

- n.: Adam and Eve on a raft; bacon and eggs. Lunch-counter use in relaying an order; never common (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- Adam and Eve n. [20C] (orig. US short-order jargon) two poached or fried eggst; thus Adam and Eve on a raft, two poached eggs on toast; thus Adam and Eve on a raft and wreck 'em, scrambled eggs on toast (Source: Cassel's Dictionary of Slang. Jonathon Green 1998. Cassel & Co., 2000)  

⁽⁹⁾ Hash browns, Hash-brown potatoes

- Finely chopped, cooked potatoes that are fried (often in bacon fat) until well browned. The mixture is usually pressed down into a flat cake in the pan and browned on one side, then turned and browned on the other. It's sometimes only browned on one side. Other ingredients such as chopped onion and green pepper are often added for flavor excitement (Source; Epicurious food dictionary, Cond�Net Inc.).

- Notice "hash browns" also being mentioned in Eggs And Sausage, 1975: "Hash browns over easy, chile in a bowl"

⁽¹⁰⁾ Coupe Deville: French terms meaning "cut [or open in the front] for the city". In France, a chauffeur-driven car with an open area over driver. The first Cadillac "Coupe de Ville" by Fleetwood [which was not a town car by a long shot) was shown during the 1949 "Autorama". "Coupe de Ville" was the name given to a new Cadillac production model that made its appearance late in 1949; the car had no "B" pillars (B-pillars: In sedan styles, the second set of roof supports (between the windshield and rear portion of the roof)); three chrome ribs [roof bows] were apparent on the headliner, simulating the top bows of a convertible. The Coupe de Ville remained a popular Cadillac model for some 44 years; production stopped at the end of April 1993 (Source: The (new) Cadillac Database�, Glossary of Cadillac Terms and Definitions. � 1996, Yann Saunders and the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc.)

(Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night

(The Heart Of Saturday Night studio version, 1974)

Well, you gassed her up, behind the wheel
With your arm around your sweet one in your Oldsmobile
Barrelin' down the boulevard
You're lookin' for the heart of Saturday night

And you got paid on Friday, your pockets are jinglin'
Then you see the lights and you get all tinglin'
Cause you're cruisin' with a six(2)
You're lookin' for the heart of Saturday night

Then you comb your hair, you shave your face
Tryin' to wipe out every trace
Of all the other days in the week
You know that this'll be the Saturday you're reachin' your peak

Stoppin' on the red, you're goin' on the green
Cause tonight'll be like nothin' you've ever seen
And you're barrelin' down the boulevard
You're lookin' for the heart of Saturday night

Tell me, is it the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin'
Telephone's ringin', it's your second cousin
Is it the barmaid that's smilin' from the corner of her eye
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye

Makes it kind of quiver down in the core
Cause you're dreamin' of them Saturdays that came before
And now you're stumblin'
You're stumblin' onto the heart of Saturday night

You gassed her up and you're behind the wheel
With your arm around your sweet one in your Oldsmobile
Barrelin' down the boulevard
You're lookin' for the heart of Saturday night

Is it the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin'
Telephone's ringin', it's your second cousin
And the barmaid is smilin' from the corner of her eye
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye

Makes it kind of special down in the core
And you're dreamin' of them Saturdays that came before
It's found you stumblin'
Stumblin' onto the heart of Saturday night

And you're stumblin'
Stumblin' onto the heart of Saturday night

Written by: Tom Waits(1)
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), � 1974 & Warner Bros. Music Ltd, 1986
Official release: "The Heart Of Saturday Night", Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1974 &
"Anthology Of Tom Waits", WEA/ Elektra, 1984 &
"Asylum Years", WEA International Inc., 1986



Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night
(Kansas City live version. October 8, 1979)

Well thankya... . I used to work in an Italian restaurant in a small place called National City. And it was right across the street from the Golden Barrel. It was right next to a place called the Westerner. There was a place called Ybu Ima Eddie's tattoo-parlour. Burge Robert's Mortuary... And I had this 1958 Buick Super at the time and eh.. it kinda made everything a little easier to handle... And on Saturday nights, well I was going with a girl called Margaret Tarrentino. Her father owned this big restaurant and eh... I asked her to the prom... it was the biggest mistake in my life... (laughter). Huh, huh, huh... Her parents couldn't stand me, they said I'd never amount to nothing. So this one's for you Margaret! (huge roar)

Well, you gassed her up, you're behind the wheel
with your arm around your sweet one, Oldsmobile.
You're Barrelin' down the boulevard,
lookin' for the heart of Saturday night.

You got paid on Friday, your pockets are jinglin',
then you see the lights and you get all tinglin'.
You're cruisin' with a six,(2)
lookin' for the heart of Saturday night.

And you're combing your hair, oh you're shaving your face.
Tryin' to wipe out every trace. All the other days in the week,
this would be the Saturday reachin' your peak.
Stoppin' on the red, goin' on the green.
Oh and tonight'll be like nothin' you ever seen.
You're barrelin' down the boulevard
lookin' for the heart of Saturday night.

Tell me, is it the crack of the poolballs or the neon buzzin'.
Telephone's ringin', it's your second cousin.
The barmaid she's smilin' from the corner of her eye.
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye.

It makes it kind of special, down in the core.
And you're dreamin' of them Saturdays that came before.
And they found you stumblin',
stumblin' on the heart of Saturday night.

And you gassed her up, you're behind the wheel
with your arm around your sweet one in your Oldsmobile.
Barrelin' down the boulevard,
lookin' for the heart of Saturday night.

Tell me, is it the crack of the poolballs or the neon buzzin'.
Or the Telephone ringin', it's your second cousin.
Well the barmaid is smilin' from the corner of her eye.
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye.

Makes it kind of special down in the core.
And you're dreamin' of them Saturdays that came before
they found you stumblin' oh you're stumblin'
on the heart of Saturday night.

Stumblin', stumblin'. Stumblin' on the heart,
oh now you're stumblin' on the heart of Saturday night.
Stumblin' on the heart, stumblin' on the heart of Saturday night... .

And there's some cat walking down the street, and he's singing "Since I Fell For You". Ohhh and I'm huddled in front of this liquor store, I'm pumping dimes into the phone. Ohhh and they're lonely on Sunset and Vine. Ohhh and they're lonely on 32nd and Downing. Lonely on Broadway tonight. Oh, and they're lonely on 5th and Main. They're lonely on Harlem 125th Street, Lennox Avenue, and they're lonely on 23rd street and 8th Avenue. And they're lonely on 12th Street and Vine (applause)(3) They're lonely on Gordon, they're lonely on Bandit(?). And they're lonely on Bourbon Street tonight baby. Oh, they're lonely on Canal Street...

So put your arm around the one you love. You gotta hold her tight, on this lonely, lonely Saturday night. They're lonely on Hollywood Boulevard baby. Someone's all alone and blue. All they need is you, on this lonely Saturday night. They wanna be stumblin' baby, they wanna be stumblin' on the heart, on the heart of Saturday night. Stumblin' on the heart... stumblin' on the heart of Saturday night.

All you need is a full tank of gas... to be with the one that you love... A lot of times you think you can make it all by yourself... They're lonely on Sunset and Boulevard tonight and they're stumblin'... stumblin' on the heart, on the heart of Saturday night...

Known covers:
It's A Good Night For Singin'. Jerry Jeff Walker, 1976. MCA - MCA2022
The Return Of The Wanderer, Dion DiMucci. 1979/ 1996. Lifesong (1979)/ Ace (Return Of The Wanderer & Fire In The Night 1996)
Fjorton Sånger. Bad Liver & Hans Brustna Hjärtan. 1989. Nonstop Records (1989), City Records (re-release May, 1993) NSM 33-15 (in Swedish: "Lördagshjärtat")
Long Term Lovers Of Pain. Hue And Cry. 1991. Circa YRCD71
Paper Doll. The Picketts. October, 1992. Popllama Records
Is My Love Enough. Chris Daniels & The Kings. September, 1993. Flying Fish Records
Cover Girl, Shawn Colvin. 1994. Columbia/ Sony 477240 2 (live version)
Street Corner Singers. Reunion. June, 1994. Collectables Records (Doo-Wop/ a-cappella version)
You Must Ask The Heart. Jonathan Richman. April, 1995. Rounder Records
Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by Jonathan Richman
Temptation. Holly Cole, 1995. Blue Note Records/ Capital (Japan/ USA)
Stained Glass. Steve Gibbons. 1996. Incog Records IncogCD001 (UK, 1996), Havic Records HirCD7003 (USA, 1997)
Bloodied But Unbowed. Desperado. 1996. Destroyer
You. John Joseph Nolis. 1998. Nolis Internationale Records
Poultry Motion. Amazing Rhythm Chickens. 1998. Big Medicine Records (June 16, 2004)
Collection. Holly Cole Trio. September, 1998. EMI (Australia)
Joe's Pub. Rickie Lee Jones. 1999. Great Big Island
Heart Of Saturday Night. Showvinistics. May 18, 1999. Forevermore Records (a cappella)
Limbo: Motion Picture Soundtrack. Various artists. June 1, 1999. Sony (performed by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio)
This Time From The Heart. Marie Mazziotti. May 2, 2000. The Orchard
Nach mir die Sintflut - Ambros singt Waits. Wolfgang Ambros. October 9, 2000. Ariol/ Gig Records 74321 797002 (in German: "Samstag Nacht")
Mosquitoville (revisited). Frenchy Burrito. 2002. Self-released
Action Packed: The Best Of Jonathan Richman. Jonathan Richman. February, 2002. Rounder Records
Traveler. Steve Hass. October, 2003. The Orchard
Using That Thing. Reet Petite & Gone. August, 2002. Terra Nova/ UK
Double Back. Lannie Garrett. 2003. Self-released
Careless Love. 2 Blue Shoes. 2004. Self-released (re-release in 2006)
Greatest Hits Live at the Bottom Line. Lou Christie. August 3, 2004. Varese Records
Bittersweet And Blue. Gwyneth Herbert. September, 2004. Ucj
On The Road - Chicago, IL - October 30, 2004. String Cheese Incident. 2005. Self-released OTR11.103004
Kindred Spirits. Billy Davidson and Steve Webb. 2005. Self-released
We Get A Kick Out Of Jazz. Various artists. January, 2005. Verve Records (performed by Diana Krall)
The Wanderlust Diaries. Mary Karlzen. June 5, 2006 (re-released on March 20, 2007). Dualtone
Half The Perfect World. Madeleine Peyroux. September 3, 2006. Universal Music
Way Past Ready. Tim Pritchett. February 28, 2007. Self-released
Bangin' On The Table With An Old Tin Cup. Pascal Fricke. April 12, 2007. Self-released (Germany)
The Very Best Of Diana Krall. Diana Krall. September 18, 2007. Verve Records
5 am. Steve Crawford and Spider Mackenzie. March 22, 2008. Self-released
Don't Let Go. Jack Williams. April 30, 2008. Wind River
Nobody Wins. Gemma Vicens Band. May 20, 2008. Temps Records
Live At the Anchorage 2.0. Niagara Rhythm Section. October 30, 2008. Shed Records
Saturday Freedom. Bruce Stephens. November 19, 2008. Rear Window Music
My Name Is Hope Webster. Karen Lano. October 1, 2009. BeeJazz (France)
Love You Forever. Catherine Reed. January 30, 2010. Winterwood Records
Ride The Times. Iain Matthews & Ad van der Veen. May 14, 2010. Turtle Records
Trio. Rita Bolton. October 15, 2010. Self-released


Waits performing "The Heart Of Saturday Night". Taken from Soundstage Show #208 (1975).
PBS television show on Tom Waits and Mose Allison. Chicago/ USA.
Aired December 22, 1975, recorded November 3, 1975 or earlier.

Notes:

(1) The Heart Of Saturday Night:
- Tom Waits (introducing The Heart Of Saturday Night, 1973): "It's a new song, I'm anxious to play it, it's kind of about driving down Hollywood Boulevard on Saturday night, Bob Webb and I were kicking this around one afternoon, Saturday afternoon it was, the idea of looking for the heart of Saturday night, hadn't really worked on any tune about it yet, we're both real Jack Kerouac fans and this is kind of a tribute to Kerouacians I guess." (Source: Folkscene 1973, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7). Los Angeles/ USA. August 12, 1973)
- Barney Hoskyns (2009) quoting from a letter to girlfriend Bobi Thomas: “In one letter Waits mentioned the possibility of upcoming studio dates for his second album. Determined to be truer to his vision of himself as a jazz centric Beat poet, he was busy writing songs that depicted the American street life he'd absorbed from Kerouac and others. Pride of place went to "(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night," a wistful slice of streetwise optimism born one Saturday afternoon as Waits and Bob Webb drove along Alvarado Street and then cruised Hollywood Boulevard in search of kicks and inspiration. The idea of "looking for the heart of Saturday night" came directly from Visions of Cody, in which Kerouac's eponymous hero was "hurrying for the big traffic, - ever more exciting, all of it pouring into town - Saturday night.' Waits claimed he'd written the song in five minutes. "We struck on Kerouac's concept of wanting to be at 'the cen¬ter of Saturday night in America,"' Bob Webb recalls. "We got caught up in that literary notion and decided that each of us would create something around the theme. I drove home and stayed up all night writing a short play about some denizens of a backstreet poolroom. Some time after I left, Tom picked up a guitar and wrote the lyrics and music for ‘Heart of Saturday Night.’ He had it the next day” (Source: “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

(2) Cause you're cruisin' with a six: this would probably refer to having a six-pack of beers while driving, in a time drink-and-drive wasn't regarded to be such a crime yet. Jerry Yester (2007): "He liked to buy a six-pack of Coors and go park somewhere and just talk. He'd talk about whatever was on his mind, and I'd talk about what was on my mind. I really liked that part of the relationship. He was real genuine, absolutely down to the nickel" (Source: Jerry Yester interview June 8, 2007 as quoted in “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

(3) 12th Street and Vine: A reference to the W. Harrison song "Kansas City", which says: "I'm goin' be standin on the corner. Twelfth Street and Vine. I'm goin' be standin on the corner. Twelfth Street and Vine. With my Kansas City baby. And a bottle of Kansas City wine." Wilibert Harrison also penned "Let's Stick Together" which appears on the "Down In The Groove" Bob Dylan album. In the actual city of Kansas City, there is no corner of 12th Street and Vine. The two streets do not intersect. (Thanks to Mikael Borg, as sent to Tom Waits Library, December 15, 2003)

Nighthawks At The Diner, 1975

Better Off Without A Wife

All my friends are married

Every Tom and Dick and Harry⁽²⁾

You must be strong if you're to go it alone

Here's to the bachelors and the Bowery⁽³⁾ bums⁽⁴⁾

Those who feel that they're the ones

That are better off without a wife

Cause I like to sleep until the crack of noon⁽⁵⁾

Midnight howlin' at the moon

Goin' out when I want to,

And I'm comin' home when I please

Don't have to ask permission

If I wanna go out fishin'

Never have to ask for the keys

I've never been no Valentino⁽⁶⁾

But I had a girl who lived in Reno⁽⁷⁾

Left me for a trumpet player

Well, it didn't get me down

He was wanted for assault

And though he said it weren't his fault

You know the coppers⁽⁸⁾ rode him right out of town⁽⁹⁾

I'll be sleeping until the crack of noon

Midnight howlin' at the moon

And I'll be goin' out when I want to

Comin' home when I please

Don't have to ask permission

If I wanna go out fishin'

Never have to ask for the keys

Yeah, you see I'm kinda selfish about my privacy

Now as long as I can be with me

We get along so well I can't even believe it

I love to chew the fat⁽¹⁰⁾ with folks

I'll be listening to all your dirty jokes

I'm so thankful for these friends I do receive

I'll be sleeping until the crack of noon

Midnight howlin' at the moon

And I'll be goin' out when I want to

Comin' home when I please

Don't have to ask permission

If I wanna go out fishin'

Never have to ask for the keys, no

Hey, I got this girl I know, man, and I just...

She's been married several times and...

I don't wanna end up like her.

I mean, she's been married so many times

she's got rice-marks all over her face.

Yeah, you know the kind...

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975

Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975⁽¹¹⁾

Known covers:

Stilte Als Refrein. Johan Verminnen. 1976 (Beter Zonder Wijf). Jean Kluger (Belgium)

The Piano Has Been Drinking. The Piano Has been Drinking. April, 1990. Chlodwig /BMG Germany (in German/ K�lsch)

Live 1989-1993. The Piano Has Been Drinking. November 15, 1993. Chlodwig /BMG Germany (in German/ K�lsch)

Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by Pete Shelley

East Of Sunset - Soundtrack. Various artists. September 13, 2005. Manifesto Records. Performed by Pete Shelley (same version as on Step Right Up, 1995)

Dolphin Blue Live. Dolphin Blue. December, 2007. Rising Sun Productions (German CDR)

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Better Off Without A Wife". Solo at the piano. Taken from "Soundstage" PBS television show on Tom Waits and Mose Allison. Chicago/ USA (aired December 22, 1975, recorded November 3, 1975 or earlier).  

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Intro from "Nighthawks At The Diner": "For all the bachelors out there tonight. Yeah, for anybody who's ever whistled this song (plays the wedding march). Or maybe you've whistled it but you've lost the sheet music. Eh-heh-heh-heh. This is eh.... Well, actually, I don't mind going to weddings or anything. As long as it's not my own, I show up. But, eh... I've always kind of been partial to calling myself up on the phone and asking myself out. You know... (whoops from the audience). Oh yeah, you call yourself up too, huh? Yeah... Well, one thing about it, you're always around! Yeah, I know. Yeah, you ask yourself out, you know. Some class joint somewhere. The Burrito King or something. You know... Well, I ain't cheap, you know. Take yourself out for a couple of drinks maybe, you know. Then you'll be... some provocative conversation on the way home. And park in front of the house, you know, and you... Oh yeah, you�re smooth with it... you know, you put a little nice music on. Maybe you put on like... you know... like shopping music, something that's not too interruptive, you know. And then, you know, and eh... slide over real nice, you know, say, 'Oh, I think you have something in your eye'. Eh-heh-heh. Well, maybe it's not that romantic with you, but Christ, I... you know! It ain't... you know... Take myself up to the porch, and take myself inside. Oh, maybe... I make a little something, a brandy snifter or something. Would you like to listen to some of my back records. I got something here... Well, usually about 2.30 in the morning you've ended up taking advantage of yourself and... there ain't no way around that, you know. Yeah, making the scene with a magazine, there ain't no way around... I'll confess, you know, I'm no different, you know. I'm not weird about it or anything. I don't tie myself up first, I just... you know. I just kind of... spend a little time with myself. So this is kind of a little anthem here..." (Submitted by Ulf Berggren as sent to Raindogs Listserv Discussionlist, October 31, 1999) 

Make the scene with the magazine, to: phr. [1900s] to masturbate, [joc. use of make the scene + assonance, with ref. to the 'men's magazines' used for stimulation] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

Tom Waits (Intro from Coffee Break radio show, 1975): "Well here's one about eh... matrimony... Eh, it's kind of an old song I kept working around eh... I used to do it like a blues and it ended up like a little ballad, like a little anthem. But this is kind of a eh... Well I don't have any personal vendetta against the constipation of holy matrimony, but this is just kind of a... " (Source: Coffee Break Concert Interview: The Coffee Break Concert radio show on WMMS-FM (Cleveland/ USA). Conducted by Kid Leo (Lawrence James Travagliante). December 3, 1975)

⁽²⁾ Every Tom and Dick and Harry: 1a. Fig., just any youth or man (men) regardless of worth; a nobody. Usu. in the expression "every Tom, Dick and Harry." (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 1b. A set of nobodies; persons of no note; persons unworthy notice. Jones, Brown, and Robinson are far other men: they are the vulgar rich, especially abroad, who give themselves airs, and look with scorn on all foreign ways which differ from their own. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd)

⁽³⁾ Bowery, The: America's most famous Skid Row (New York City). The Bowery gets it name from boweryij, the Dutch word for farm, because it was part of a farming area north of the city during the late 17th century. As the city grew northward, the Bowery grew in elegance and prominence, Philanthropist Peter Cooper and songwriter Stephen Foster were among those who called the street home. The Great Bowery Theatre opened in 1826 as the largest auditorium on the continent and came to play a major role in the theatrical life of the city. After the Civil War, much of the commercial and residential bustle of the city shifted to Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Elevated trains above the Bowery spewed oil and hot coals on the sidewalks below, making the street undesirable for pedestrians. Cheap entertainment and cheap lodging replaced homes and businesses, drawing visiting sailors and a steady crowd of vagrants. The Bowery's seedy reputation earned it a prominent place in the culture of the times. The Luc Sante novel Low Life focused on the neighborhood. And the work of painter Reginald Marsch was linked with the street life of New York, including the Bowery. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the Bowery was featured prominently in films including the popular Bowery Boys series. More recently, the famous street received mentions in the Broadway musicals Guys and Dolls and The Will Rogers Follies. (Source: "The Bowery Mission" at http://bowery.org/. Copyright � 1997-2000 Christian Herald, Site Designed and Maintained by Admatha)

⁽⁴⁾ Bum

- n.: Generally, a beggar, tramp, hobo, vagrant, or loafer; also, any jobless man or youth having little or no income; a poor, poorly dressed, and unkempt frequenter of saloons; a down-and-outer; sometimes , a hoodlum

- A drifter; a grifter 3. Any male without a professional occupation, goal in life, or social prestige; any disreputable or disliked youth (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).

- Also mentioned in "Barber Shop" (Well, if I had a million dollars, what would I do? I'd probably be a barber, not a bum like you), "Mr. Henry/ Tie Undone" (That the no good bum is at it again. After she's given him all the best years of her life)

 ⁽⁵⁾ Sleep until the crack of noon: "Sleep until the crack of noon" is an ironic play on the phrase "Wake up at the crack of dawn" meaning "to wake up at sunrise." (Source: Email by Leroy Larson to Tom Waits Library. October, 2005)

⁽⁶⁾ Valentino: Cliche expression meaning: a passionate lover. From American actor Rudolph Valentino. Born: 1985 Rodolpho Guglielmi di Valentina D'Antonguolla in Castellaneto Italy. Died: New York 1926. Became the stereotype Latin-lover

 ⁽⁷⁾ Reno: also mentioned in: Wrong side of the road, 1978: "And we'll drive all the way to Reno on the wrong side of the road.", Hang on St. Christopher, 1987: "Hang on St. Christopher now don't let me go, get me to Reno and bring it in low."

⁽⁸⁾ Copper n.: A policeman; esp., a tough policeman or one who is intent on enforcing the law to its fullest (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

 ⁽⁹⁾ Town, out of: In prison. Some underworld use. (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽¹⁰⁾ Chew the fat: 1. To talk; to gossip; to chat at lenght, esp. about trivial matters. 2. A visit, esp. for the purpose of discussing "old times." Orig. British Army sl., W.W.I. (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽¹¹⁾ Song could be inspired by: "Doin' What I Please". Fats Waller, Andy Razaf. Transcribed from Don Redman and His orchestra, vocals by Don Redman; recorded October 6, 1932: "I'm staying single, Conscience at ease, I'm free to mingle, I do what I please! When I'm out late nights, No one has my keys, Yeah, I keep my dates nights Doin' what I please. You know, I don't have no starved waters, (?) Because they keep you on the shelf, And I ain't takin' orders, So I just go along enjoyin' myself. Should I go sailing 'Cross the seven seas? No one can stop me, Doin' what I please! You know I have romances, Just like a dog has fleas, And I take in all the dances, That's because I do what I please. I blow in at these parties, Just like a reckless breeze; I outsmart all these other smarties, Because I do just what I please. You know, where there's no action, You'll find that there's blues about, And I get my satisfaction Only when I'm steppin' out. And whenever I get tipsy Out at one of these jamborees, No one can stop me, 'Cause I do what I please!"

Big Joe And Phantom 309

See, I just happened to be back on the East coast a few years back

I was tryin' to make me a buck like everybody else

I'll be damned if times didn't get hard, and Christ I got down on my luck

And I got tired of just roamin' and bummin'⁽²⁾ around

So I started thumbin' ⁽³⁾my way back to my old hometown

And you know, I made quite a few miles in the first couple of days

You know, I figured I'd be home in a week if my luck held out this way

You know, it was the third night, oh and I got stranded

And it was out at a cold lonely crossroads⁽⁴⁾

And as the rain came pouring down, man I was hungry

Yeah, I was hungry, tired and freezin', caught myself a chill

But it was just about that time

Yeah, it was just about that time that the lights of an ol' semi topped the hill

You should've seen me smile when I heard them air brakes come on

Yeah, and I climbed up into that cab where I knew it'd be warm

At the wheel... well, at the wheel sat a big man

And I'd have to say he must've weighed two ten

As he stuck out a big hand and he said with a grin

'Big Joe's the name, and this here rig's called Phantom 309'

Well, I asked him why he called his rig such a name

And you know, he turned to me and said '

Why son, don't you know this here rig'll be puttin' 'em all to shame

Nah, there ain't a driver

No, there ain't a driver on this or any other line for that matter that...

That's seen nothin' but the taillights of Big Joe and Phantom 309'

So we rode and we talked the better part of the night

And I told my stories and Joe told his

And I smoked up all his Viceroys as we rolled along

Pushed her ahead with 10 forward gears

Man, that dashboard was lit like the old Madam La Rue pinball

Serious semi truck

Till almost mysteriously...

Well, it was the lights of a truck stop that rolled into sight

Joe turned to me, said 'I'm sorry son, but I'm afraid this is just as far as you go, you see...

You see, I kinda gotta be makin' a turn just up the road a piece'

I'll be damned if he didn't toss me a dime as he threw her in low and said

'Go on in there son, and get yourself a hot cup of coffee on Big Joe'

I mean to tell you, when Joe and his rig pulled off into the night

Man, in nothing flat they was clean outta sight

So I walked into this stop, well I ordered me up a cup of mud⁽⁵⁾,

sayin' 'Big Joe's settin' this dude up',

but it got so deadly quiet in that place

Yeah, it got so deadly quiet in that place, you could've heard a pin drop

And as the waiter's face turned kinda pale I said,

'What's the matter, did I say somethin' wrong?'

I kinda said with a half way grin

He said, 'No son, you see it'll kinda happen every now and then

Cause every driver in here knows Big Joe, son, but...

But let me tell you what happened just 10 years ago out there

Yeah, it was 10 years ago, out there at that cold lonely crossroads⁽⁴⁾

And there was a whole bus load of kids

And then they were just comin' from school

And they were right in the middle when Joe topped the hill and...

They could've been slaughtered except Joe turned his wheels

And he jacknifed, yeah he jacknifed, and he went into a skid

And you know, folks around here, well...

They say he gave his life to save that bunch of kids

And out there at that cold lonely crossroads

Well, they're saying it was the end of the line for Big Joe and Phantom 309

'But it's funny you know, cause... cause every now and then

Yeah, every now and then when the moon's holdin' the water

Well, they say that old Joe'll stop and give you a ride

It seems, just like you, some hitchhiker'll be comin' by'

'So here, son,' he said to me, 'you get yourself another cup of coffee

It's on the house, I kind of want you to hang on to that dime

Yeah, I kind of want you to hang on to that dime as a souvenir

I want you to keep that dime as a souvenir of Big Joe

Of Big Joe and Phantom

Big Joe and Phantom 309'

Written by: Tommy Faile⁽¹⁾

Published by: Fort Knox Music (BMI), � 1967

Official release: "Nighthawks At The Diner", Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:

N/A

Notes:

⁽¹⁾

- Intro to Big Joe & Phantom 309 (1973): "I don't know who wrote this, I don't know anybody who'd know who wrote this, in fact if somebody does know, maybe you could call and tell me. I first heard Ray Bierl do it, another San Diego musician. This is the first real folk song that just knocked me out. I heard Ray do it - it gave me chills up and down my back." (Source: Folkscene 1973, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7). Date: Los Angeles/ USA. August 12, 1973)

- Live intro from "Nighthawks At The Diner": "Well now, it's story time again. I'm gonna tell you a story 'bout a truck driver. This story was written by a guy named Red Sovine, and it's called the Ballad of Big Joe and Phantom 309."

- Actually this song was written by Tommy Faile (Sovine made it famous). Tommy Faile had a number of hit songs, and topped the country charts with a version of Scotty Wiseman's "Brown Mountain Lights." He was also a member of Arthur Smith's Crackerjacks, where he, among other things, played the part of "Cousin Phudd" in a comedy routine. Sovine, born: Woodrow Wilson Sovine, July 17, 1918 in Charleston, West Virginia. Died: April 4, 1980, Nashville, Tennessee. From 1954 Sovine was a regular at the Grand Ole Opry and, in all, he had 31 US country chart entries. Sovine acquired the nickname of 'The Old Syrup Sopper' following the sponsorship by Johnny Fair Syrup of some radio shows, and the title is apt for such narration's as 'Daddy's Girl'. He was particularly successful with maudlin narrations about truck-drivers and his hits include 'Giddyup Go' (a US country number 1 about a truck-driver being reunited with his son), 'Phantom 309' (a truck-driving ghost story!) and his million-selling saga of a crippled boy and his CB radio, 'Teddy Bear' (1976). Red Sovine's country music owed nothing to contemporary trends but his sentimentality was popular in country clubs around the world. He had no big-time image. In 1980 Sovine died of a heart attack at the wheel of his car in Nashville. 

- Big Joe And Phantom 309. Written by: Tommy Faile. Published by: Fort Knox Music (BMI), © 1967: "I was out on the west coast tryin' to make a buck, And things didn't work out; I was down on my luck. Got tired o' roamin' and bummin' around So I started thumbin' back East, toward my hometown Made a lotta miles the first two days And I figured I'd be home in a week if my luck held out this way. But the third night I got stranded way outta town At a cold lonely crossroads; rain was pourin' down I was hungry and freezin' and done caught a chill When the lights of a big semi topped the hill. Lord, I sure was glad to hear them airbrakes come on, And I climbed in that cab, where I knew it'd be warm At the wheel sat a big man; he weighed about 210. He stuck out his hand and said with a grin,"Big Joe's the name," and I told him mine. And he said, "The name o' my rig is Phantom 309." I asked him why he called his rig such a name. He said, "Son, this old Mac can put 'em all to shame. There ain't a driver or a rig a-runnin' any line That's seen nothin' but taillights from Phantom 309." Well, we rode and talked the better part o' the night, When the lights of a truck stop came in sight. He said, "I'm sorry, son, this is far as you go 'Cause I gotta make a turn just on up the road." Well, he tossed me a dime as he pulled 'er in low And said, "Have yourself a hot cup on ol' Big Joe." When Joe an' his rig roared out into the night In nothin' flat he was clean outta sight Well, I went inside and ordered me a cup; Told the waiter Big Joe was settin' me up. Oh, you coulda heard a pin drop; it got deathly quiet, And the waiter's face turned kinda white "Well, did I say somethin' wrong?" I said with a halfway grin. He said, "No, this happens every now and then. Every driver in here knows Big Joe, But, son, let me tell ya what happened about ten years ago "At the crossroads tonight, where you flagged 'im down, There was a busload o' kids a-comin' from town, And they were right in the middle when Big Joe topped the hill. It could've been slaughter, but he turned his wheels "Well, Joe lost control, went into a skid, And gave his life to save that bunch o' kids. And there at that crossroads was the end of the line For Big Joe and Phantom 309 "But every now and then some hiker'll come by And, like you, Big Joe'll give 'im a ride. Here, have another cup, and forget about the dime; Keep it as a souvenir from Big Joe and Phantom 309."

- It seems Waits was already performing the song when hooting at the San Diego Heritage, ca. 1971/ 1972. Barney Hoskyns (2009): "Waits often ended his hoot sets with the old cowboy ballad "Happy Trails". He also began performing Red Sovine's country classic "Big Joe and Phanthom 309" thaught to hum by (Ray) Bierl - about a truck driver who swerves to avoid a group of school kids and dies in the resulting crash. "'Big Joe' was one of his set-pieces," says Bob Webb, "He enjoyed the dramatic story-telling and the supernatural material in that song" (Source: “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

⁽²⁾ Bum around

- To loaf; to wander idly; to do nothing (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).

- Also mentioned in "Lucky Day" (But that Bonnie lass and her heart of glass Could not hold a candle to bummin' around)

⁽³⁾ Thumb v.: To hitch-hike (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁴⁾ Crossroads

- The term turns up in blues quite a bit, especially in the songs of Johnson, Robert. The crossroads were a place of mysticism, and the saying was that anybody who could play as well as Johnson must have sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in return for talent. According to the Funk & Wagnall's Dictionary of Folklore, crossroads have had superstituous connotations in most cultures - Europe, Asian, North American Indian, etc. Murderers and suicides were buried there, and it was the rendezvous point for witches - "anything could happen there." (Source: The Folk File, Bill Markwick)

- All (except suicides) who were excluded from holy rites were piously buried at the foot of the cross erected on the public road, as the place next in sanctity to consecrated ground. Suicides were ignominiously buried on the highway, with a stake driven through their body. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd)

⁽⁵⁾ Mud n.: Coffee prepared to drink. Orig. hobo use. Some lunch counter use and army use. Universally known (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

Eggs & Sausage

(In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson)⁽¹⁾

Nighthawks at the diner⁽²⁾ of Emma's 49'er

There's a rendezvous of strangers around the coffee urn tonight

All the gypsy hacks and the insomniacs⁽³⁾

Now the paper's been read, now the waitress said

Eggs and sausage and a side of toast

Coffee and a roll, hash browns⁽⁴⁾ over easy

Chile in a bowl with burgers and fries

What kind of pie? Yeah...

It's a graveyard⁽⁵⁾ charade, it's a late shift masquerade

And it's two for a quarter, dime for a dance

Woolworth⁽⁶⁾ rhinestone diamond earrings and a sideway's glance

Now the register rings, now the waitress sings

Eggs and sausage and a side of toast

Coffee and a roll, hash browns over easy

Chile in a bowl with burgers and fries

What kind of pie? Yeah

Now well, the classified section offers no direction

It's a cold caffeine in a nicotine cloud

Now the touch of your fingers lingers burning in my memory

I've been 86'ed⁽⁷⁾ from your scheme

Now I'm in a melodramatic nocturnal scene

Now I'm a refugee from a disconcerted affair

Now the lead pipe morning falls, now the waitress calls

Eggs and sausage, another side of toast

Coffee and a roll, hash browns over easy

Chile in a bowl with burgers and fries

Now what kind of pie?

A la mode if you will⁽⁸⁾

Just come in and join the crowd

Had some time to kill, yeah

You see, I just come in to join the crowd

Had some time to kill

Just come in to join the crowd

Cause I had some time to kill

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975

Official release:"Nighthawks At The Diner", Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975 &

"Bounced Checks", WEA/ Asylum Records, 1981

Arrangements and lyrics published in "Tom Waits - Anthology" (Amsco Publications, 1988/ Nuova Carisch, 2000)

Known covers:

None

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Eggs & Sausage". Taken from "Soundstage" PBS television show on Tom Waits and Mose Allison. Chicago/ USA (aired December 22, 1975, recorded November 3, 1975 or earlier).

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Intro: "I was always uh... kinda wanted like to consider myself kind of a pioneer of the palate. A restaurateur if you will. I've wined, dined, sipped and supped in some of the most demonstrably demi-epitomable bistros in the Los Angeles metropolitan region. Uh-huh-huh-huh... Yeah, I've had strange looking pattie melts at Norm's. I've had dangerous veal cutlets at the Copper Penny. Well, what you get is a breaded Salisbury steak and a Shake'n'Bake, and topped with a provocative sauce of Velveeta and half-and-half..., uh-huh-huh-huh. Smothered with Campbell's tomato soup. Huh-huh-huh-huh... You see, I had kind of a uh... well, I ordered my veal cutlet, Christ it left the plate and it walked down to the end of the counter. (...?...) waitress (...?...), boy she's wearing those rhinestone glasses with the little pearl thing clipped on her sweater. The veal cutlet come down trying to beat the shit out of my cup of coffee but... Coffee just wasn't strong enough to defend itself. Uh-huh-huh-huh..." (Transcript by Pieter from Holland as published on the Tom Waits Library)

- Pattie melt n.: A rissole (the pattie) with melted swiss cheese (the melt, q.v.) on top, served on a piece of rye bread soaked with melted butter and grilled (s.a. foods). (Source: American - Australian slang dictionary, O'Shea)

- Norm's: Norms Restaurant, 470 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles

- Shake 'n Bake: Brandname of a popular US instant food. Introduced in 1965 by Kraft Foods/ General Foods Company (SHAKE 'N BAKE� coating mix in two versions, chicken and fish)

- Velveeta: Brandname of a US soft processed-cheese spread. Introduced in 1928 by Kraft Foods/ General Foods Company (VELVEETA�)

- Half-and-Half: 1. Coffee creamer, semi-skimmed milk 2. A blend of dark and medium roast coffee beans 3. A cup of half coffee and half milk.

- Campbell: Brand of soup in the typical red-and-white can. Made famous by the graphic work of Andy Warhol in 1968.

- Intro to Eggs & Sausage (WAMU Radio, 1975): "This is new, I don't know what the hell to do with it really yet, but after you hang around enough diners, it seems a place you always go when you're feeling like a refugee from a disconcerted love affair - you end up at a 24 hour place, in LA we got a place called Norm's - all the losers are there and the waitresses are all good looking." (Source: WAMU Radio Interview Source: audio tape. Date: Washington, DC. April 18, 1975)

-Intro to Eggs & Sausage (Ebbets Field. Denver/ USA, 1975): "This is about a little diner in East Lansing/ Michigan..."

⁽²⁾ Nighthawks At The Diner

- Refers to Edward Hopper's famous painting: "Nighthawks", 1942. Oil on canvas: 30 x 60 in. The Art Institute of Chicago

- Dave Lewis (1979): "Cars, in fact, are one of Waits' real passions. He sports an elaborate tattoo on his arm emblazoned with the word 'Nighthawk', which was the name of a 'car-club' he belonged to as a teenager and he can readily run off a list of the wheels he's owned, including his current emerald green '64 T-bird." (Source: "Tom Waits: A Sobering Experience", Sounds magazine, by Dave Lewis. Date: August 4, 1979)

⁽³⁾ Insomniac adj: Experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness; "insomniac old people"; "insomniac nights"; "lay sleepless all night"; "twenty watchful, weary, tedious nights"- Shakespeare [syn: sleepless, watchful] n : someone who cannot sleep [syn: sleepless person] (Source: WordNet � 1.6, � 1997 Princeton University)

⁽⁴⁾ Hash browns, Hash-brown potatoes

- Finely chopped, cooked potatoes that are fried (often in bacon fat) until well browned. The mixture is usually pressed down into a flat cake in the pan and browned on one side, then turned and browned on the other. It's sometimes only browned on one side. Other ingredients such as chopped onion and green pepper are often added for flavor excitement (Source: Epicurious food dictionary, Cond�Net Inc.).

- Notice "Hash browns" also being mentioned in The Ghosts Of Saturday Night, 1974: "Hash browns, hash browns, you know I can't be late."

⁽⁵⁾ Graveyard shift n.: A working shift that begins at midnight or 2:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. It refers, of course, to the ghostlike hour of employment (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁶⁾ Woolworth: Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852-1919). U.S. merchant, born in Rodman, N.Y.; from profits of his chain of five-and-ten-cent stores built the Woolworth Building, New York City. The Woolworth Building is located at 233 Broadway and was completed in 1913, it was the tallest building in the world from 1913-1930. It was financed by Frank Woolworth and often called the "Cathedral of Commerce." So, "Woolworth rhinestone diamond earrings" would be really cheap earrings.

⁽⁷⁾ Eighty-six v.t.: 1. Lit. and fig., to reject or disqualify a person; to ignore, insult, or tease someone; to eject someone from a place or group esp. from a bar, against his will. Common lunch-counter use; used by the cook to inform waiters that there is no more of a specific dish 2. A person who is not to be served, as at a lunch counter, because he is thought to be undesirable or unable to pay; a person who is not to be served liquor, as at a bar, because he is or will become drunk and/ or disorderly. All uses because the term rhymes with "nix." Used by waiters, bartenders, etc. so that customers will not understand (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁸⁾ A la mode if you will: originally transcribed as: "Have a bowl if you will." A la mode: adj. Served with ice cream: apple pie � la mode. (Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright � 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company)

Emotional Weather Report

What we're talking about is late night and early morning low clouds

with a chance of fog, chance of showers into the afternoon

with variable high cloudiness and gusty winds

Gusty winds at times around the corner of Sunset and Alvorado⁽²⁾

Yeah, I know, things are tough all over

When the thunder storms start increasing over the

Southeast and South Central portions of my apartment, I get upset

And a line of thunderstorms was developing in the early morning

ahead of a slow moving coldfront, cold blooded

with tornado watches issued shortly before noon Sunday

for the areas including the western region of my mental health

and the northern portions of my ability to deal rationally

with my disconcerted precarious emotional situation

It's cold out there

Colder than a ticket taker's smile at the Ivar Theatre, on a Saturday night⁽³⁾

Flash flood watches covered the southern portion of my disposition, yeah

There was no severe weather well into the afternoon

except for kind of a lone gust of wind in the bedroom

A high pressure zone covering the eastern portion of a small

suburban community with a 1034 millibar high pressure zone

and a weak pressure ridge extending from my eyes down to my cheeks

cause since you left me baby and put the vice grips on my mental health

well, the extended outlook for an indefinite period of time

until you come back to me, baby, is high tonight, low tomorrow

and precipitation is expected

That wraps up the weather for this evening.

Now back to the eleven o'clock blues.

Doctor George Fishbeck⁽⁴⁾ ain't got nothing on me!

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975

Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:

None

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Emotional Weather Report". With: Frank Vicari (tenor saxophone), Fitz Jenkins (upright bass), Chip White (drums). Taken from Rockpalast, WDR television concert documentary. WDR Studio's/ Studio-L. Cologne/ Germany (aired April 18, 1977.  

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Opening intro: "Well... an inebriated good evening to you all. Welcome to Raphael's Silver Cloud Lounge. Slip me a lil' crimson, Jimson. Gimme the low-down, Brown. Now what's the scoop, Betty Boop? I'm on my way into town. Christ, while we're at it, I want to thank Dawna for opening the program for us. I'm so goddam horny that the crack of dawn better be careful around me! Yeah... I wanna pull on your coat about somethin' here tonight. Yeah, a little news I'd like to throw in your direction. See, I... I used to know a girl... Yeah, and it was a hubba-hubba and ding ding ding, I said baby you got everything. A week later it was a hubba-hubba and ding ding dong, baby it sure didn't last too long. I know, things are tough all over, and they ain't getting any better. I was moved to kinda squib a little bit of kind of an emotional weather forecast for you this evening. What I'm talking about is, well you know, I've been playing night clubs and staying out all night long. Comin' home late. Gone for three months, come back and everything in your refrigerator turns into a science project. So you get designs on a waitress, you know? She got three or four kids. She's sorting out her checks and she's counting out her change. You say, 'Hey baby, heat me up a bear claw on the radar range.' Well, then it gets real cold..." (Transcript by Pieter from Holland as published on the Tom Waits Library. August, 2000)

- Raphael's Silver Cloud Lounge: Located along I-25 in New Mexico, about 45 miles north of Albuquerque and 15 miles sounth of Santa Fe. A classic road house in the 70's. Lot's of cool (non-stadium level) bands played there. About 500 miles to Phoenix/ Dallas/ Denver. A logical stopover for any band road tour. (Source: Tom Waits Digest, Seth Nielssen)

- Low-down, lowdown n.: The real truth; confidential or authentic information; relevant facts; little known intimate facts; info; dope (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner). Also mentioned in Barber shop, 1977: "What's the low down Mr. Brown heard you boy's leavin town". Notice the same phrase being mentioned in Barber Shop, 1977: "What's the low down Mr. Brown, heard you boy's leavin' town."

- Hubba-hubba: excl. [1940s+] (US teen) term of approval, esp. when directed at a passing girl [hubba! hubba!, a college cheer] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9). Also mentioned in Standing On The Corner, Cleveland version, 1976: "I'm gonna watch 'em go by. Oh, hubba hubba, man."

⁽²⁾ Sunset and Alvarado: Corner in downtown L.A. about a mile from Dodgers Stadium. "Charles Bukowski lived for quite a while in this area and wrote of the whores, drugs, numerous bars and general depravity of the area. Most notably, it’s the site of one of the two original “Burrito King” restaurants, one of the great (used to be) all-night corner stands.“West Hollywood” is now a separate city, and more critically, it’s a part of town which has a completely different feel than the “East Hollywood” /downtown/ midtown area, and certainly from the Sunset/ Alvarado area from the late 70’s. Although the neighborhoods surrounding Sunset/ Alvarado have become more “gentrified” in the thirty years since then, at the time, the area was truly working-class, and had the feel that Waits and Bukowski documented" (Submitted by Richard Gould-Saltman. July 2009)

⁽³⁾ Ivar Theatre: further reading: Ivar Theatre full story

⁽⁴⁾ Doctor George Fishbeck: A well known now retired L.A. news weather caster for ABC (KABC in the 1970s). (Submitted by Adam Jackson as sent to Tom Waits Library. July, 2002)

Nighthawk Postcards

(From Easy Street)⁽²⁾

Yeah, you check out the street and it looks like there's kind of a...

Kind of a blur drizzle down the plate glass

And as a neon swizzle stick⁽³⁾ is stirrin' up the sultry night air

Looks like a yellow biscuit of a buttery cue ball moon

Rollin' maverick across an obsidian sky

And as the buses go groanin' and wheezin'

Down on the corner I'm freezin'

On a restless boulevard at a midnight road

I'm across town from Easy Street⁽²⁾

With the tight knots of moviegoers and out-of-towners⁽⁴⁾ on the stroll⁽⁵⁾

The buildings towerin' high above lit like dominoes or black dice

Used car salesmen dressed up in Purina checkerboard slacks⁽⁶⁾

and FosterGrant⁽⁷⁾ wrap-arounds

Pacing in front of Rainbow, Earl Scheib⁽⁸⁾, $39.95 merchandise.

Like barkers at a shootin' gallery

They throw out a Texas Guinan⁽⁹⁾ routine:

'Hello sucker, we like your money, just as well as anybody else's here

Come on over here now...

Let me put the cut back in your strut and the glide back in your stride

Now climb aboard a customs Oldsmobile, let me take you for a ride'

Or they give you that P. T. Barnum⁽¹⁰⁾ bit:

'There's a sucker born every minute!'

'You just happened to be comin' along at the right time, you know

Come over here now'

And you know, all the harlequin sailors are on the stroll

In search of: "LIKE NEW", "NEW PAINT"

and decent factory air and AM-FM dreams.

Yeah, and all the piss yellow gypsy cabs⁽¹¹⁾

They're stacked up in the taxi zones

And they're waitin' like pinball machines

to be ticking off a joy ride to a magical place

Like "Truckers Welcome" diners

with dirt lots full of Peterbilts and Kenworths and Jimmy's⁽¹²⁾ and the like

They're hi-ballin'⁽¹³⁾ with bankrupt brakes

Man, they're overdriven and they're underpaid

They're overfed, and they're a day late and a dollar short

But Christ, I got my lips around a bottle

and I got my foot on the throttle and I'm standin' on the corner

Standin' on the corner like a just got in town jasper⁽¹⁴⁾

I'm on a street corner with a gasper⁽¹⁵⁾

Lookin' for some kind of a Cheshire billboard grin⁽¹⁶⁾

Stroking a goateed chin

Using parking meters as walking sticks

Yeah, on the inebriated stroll

With my eyelids propped open at half mast

But you know, over at "Chubb's Pool and Snooker"

Well, it was a nickel after two, yeah, it was a nickel after two⁽¹⁷⁾

And in the cobalt steel blue dream smoke

Why, it was the radio that groaned out the hit parade

And the chalk squeaked and the floorboards creaked

And an Olympia sign⁽¹⁸⁾ winked through a torn yellow shade

Old Jack Chance himself leanin' up against a Wurlitzer

Man, he was eyeballin'⁽¹⁹⁾ out a five ball combination shot

Impossible you say? Hard to believe?

Perhaps out of the realm of possibility?

Naaaah!

Cause he be stretchin' out long tawny fingers

out across a cool green felt in a provocative golden gate

He got a full table railshot that's no sweat

And I leaned up against my bannister

I wandered over to the Wurlitzer and I punched A2

I was lookin' for maybe 'Wine Wine Wine' by the Night Caps

starring Chuck E. Weiss⁽²⁰

Or maybe... maybe a little somethin' called "High Blood Pressure"

by George "Cryin in the Streets" Perkins⁽²¹⁾, no dice⁽²²⁾

Cause that's Life, that's what all the people say

You're ridin' high in April, you're seriously shot down in May⁽²³⁾

I know I'm gonna change that tune⁽²⁴⁾

When I'm standing underneath a buttery moon

that's all melted off to one side

Parkay⁽²⁵⁾...

It was just about that time that the sun came crawlin' yellow

out of a manhole⁽²⁶⁾ at the foot of 23rd Street⁽²⁷⁾

And a Dracula moon in a black disguise

was making its way back to its pre-paid room at the St. Moritz Hotel⁽²⁸⁾

And the El train⁽²⁹⁾ tumbled across the trestles

And it sounded like the ghost of Gene Krupa⁽³⁰⁾

With an overhead cam and glasspacks⁽³¹⁾

And the whispering brushes of wet radials on wet pavement

Shhhhhhhhhhhhsh....

With a traffic jam session⁽³²⁾ on Belmont tonight

And the rhapsody of the pending evening

I leaned up against my bannister

And I've been looking for some kind of an emotional investment

With romantic dividends

Yeah, kind of a physical negotiation is underway

As I attempt to consolidate all my missed weekly rendezvous

into one low monthly payment, through the nose⁽³³⁾

With romantic residuals and legs akimbo⁽³⁴⁾

But the chances are that more than likely

Standin' underneath a moon holdin' water

I'll probably be held over for another

smashed weekend!

Thank you...

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975⁽³⁵⁾

Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:

None

<object height="344" width="425"></object> 

Waits performing "Nighthawk Postcards" (a-capella)

taken from Soundstage Show #208 (1975).

PBS television show on Tom Waits and Mose Allison. Chicago/ USA.

Aired December 22, 1975, recorded November 3, 1975 or earlier.

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ This song is most likely inspired by (or paying hommage to) "Poetry for the Beat Generation - Jack Kerouac and Steve Allen" (Hanover Records HML 5000, 1959). Fourteen poems read by the author to original piano accompaniment by Steve Allen. Waits has often expressed his appreciation for this album.

- Intro from "Nighthawks At The Diner": "[upright bass solo] Goodness gracious, my bass player should be chained up somewhere. Mongrel... canine... growl. I wanna take you on kind of an inebriational travelogue here Yeah, ain't got no spare, you ain't got no jack You don't give a shit, you ain't never comin' back. Maybe you're standin' on the corner of 17th and Wazee Streets. Out in front of the Terminal Bar There's a Thunderbird movin' in a muscatel sky... He-he. You've been drinkin' cleanin' products all night... Open for suggestions... Eh-he-he-he. It's kinda 'bout... well it's kinda 'bout goin' down to the corner. Say, 'Well, I'm just goin' down to the corner to get a pack of cigarettes, I'll be back in a minute' " (Transcription by Ulf Berggren, 2000)

- Terminal Bar: A sleezly little bar 2 blocks straight up from the train station in Denver, Colorado where Waits hung out long ago. It is at 17th and Wazee streets - or it was. Back when Waits hung out their it was a very sleezy part of Denver. Now however, with the baseball stadium (Coors Field) being built 3 blocks away, the area has been revitialized into the hippest part of Denver (called 'LODO'). Alas the terminal bar just succombed to property value pressures and sold out in the Fall of 1996 (it is being severely remodeled into a yuppie resturant). (Source: Tom Waits Digest, Seth Nielssen) 

- Tom Waits (WAMU Radio, 1975): "I'll tell you a story, I did this last night at the Cellar Door, a friend of mine, John Heard (Hurt?), accompanied me on piano, a great piano player, he sounds like George Shearing or early Dave Brubeck, Steve Allen, he's a great piano player - it's called Nighthawk Postcards From Easy Street which is going to be the title of my next forthcoming album and it'll be out in October some time, a little narrative piece, I started writing it on the corner of 12th & Wazee St in downtown Denver, Colorado, out in front of a place called the Terminal Bar, now that's about a half a block from the Santa Fe Freight Depot there and originally the name they gave to the bar had to do with the fact that it was so close to the Santa Fe Freight but now 20 years later every terminal case in town beats the pavement to get there. I started writing it in Denver, I finished it up on 23rd St in New York City - so this is kind of an improvisational adventure into the bowels of the metropolitan region, kind of a travelogue piece - when the highway is a wet slick anaconda of a 2 lane and you're motivating and negotiating a hairpin turn behind the wheel of a serious powder blue Ford Fairlane, with the whispering brushes of wet radials on wet pavement .." (Source: WAMU Radio Interview Source: audio tape. Date: Washington, DC. April 18, 1975)

- Tom Waits (Coffee Break radio show, 1975): "Let's see eh... Well I could do you a kind of a [snaps fingers] Vroooooooom... vroooooomm... vrooooooom... You know eh, it's kind of a little inebriational travelogue here eh.. about eh... It was kinda like say: Well, hey look baby, I'll be right back, I'm just going down the corner and get myself a pack of cigarettes see... And you know, you get down and you hit the bricks and you notice there's kind of a Thunderbird move rolling across a muscatel sky... You see... You're standing there down there on the corner of 5th and Vermouth, it's a block away from the corner of Baby Why Did You Leave Me and Why Don't You Please Come Back Home..." (Source: Coffee Break Concert Interview: The Coffee Break Concert radio show on WMMS-FM (Cleveland/ USA). Conducted by Kid Leo (Lawrence James Travagliante). December 3, 1975)

⁽²⁾ Easy street:1. Financial independence 2. A way of life characterized by wealth and luxury; a pleasant and successful life; successful business dealings (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽³⁾ Swizzle stick

- n.: A stick used to stir mixed drinks (Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary).

- Also mentioned in "Putnam County" (And swizzle stick legs jackknifed over naugahyde stools)

⁽⁴⁾ Out-of-towner n.: A visitor or transient from out of town (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁵⁾ Stroll

- n.: A road, highway, or street. c1935 jive use; some Negro use (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).

- Also mentioned in "Drunk On The Moon" (Tight-slack clad girls on the graveyard shift, 'Neath the cement stroll, catch the midnight drift), "Shore Leave" (Well, with buck shot eyes and a purple heart I rolled down the national stroll)

⁽⁶⁾ Purina Checkerboard Slacks: The small, red and white checkered square used as the logo for the Purina corporation (specializes in dog and cat food). So in this case: red checkered slacks (Submitted by Cheryl Dillis. August, 2000).

- Slacks: Trousers for casual wear. The word was used in the early 19th century as a coloquialism to describe trousers in general and, later, trousers worn by soldiers (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).  Ralston Purina's famous "checkerboard" logo was a marketing decision by Danforth (company's founder), based on his childhood memories of a family in which the mother dressed all of her children in clothing made from the same bolt of cloth. One year, her choice of material was the checkerboard design, and Danforth never forgot the distinctive red-and-white pattern. Today, more than a century after its founding, Ralston Purina is the world's largest producer of dry dog and dry and soft-moist cat foods, which are marketed under the Purina� brand name (Source: Ralston Purina Company official website) 

⁽⁷⁾ Foster Grant: At the time a very famous brand of sunglasses in the US. Promoting their brand with the slogan: "Who's that behind those Foster Grants?". You can buy your own pair at: The Foster Grant Homepage.

L) Louis Jordan M) Peter Sellers R) Terence Stamp

⁽⁸⁾ Earl Scheib: Earl Scheib, founded in 1937, is USA leader in low-cost auto-painting. They call themselves: "The world's largest company-owned and operated production auto-painting and body repair shop ". In the 60's their slogan was: "I'll paint any car any color for $ 29.95 ". The "any "color was not literal (mostly very simple primary colors). Their logo was decorated with a colourful rainbow.

 

1999 Internet advertising

⁽⁹⁾ Guinan, Texas: In the 20's Guinan owned several gin mills in New York City. Her trademark welcome was "Hello, Suckers!" She began her career as an actress, and was one of the original silent movie cowgirls. Legend has it that the joint was raided one night when the Prince of Wales was there. She popped an apron on him and hid him in the kitchen, washing dishes.

- Marv Hohman (1976): "How much of your audience do you think is hip to all the slang terminology you use? It seems you've made an exhaustive study of American pop culture, especially the underside of it. There are terms I know that I'm sure most people don't, things like Thunderbird, Stacy Adams, names like Texas Guinan.... Tom Waits: Yeah. Kerouac made a record back in '59 on Hanover Records with Steve Allen and he talked about her. Her famous line was, "Hello sucker." (Source: "Bitin' The Green Shiboda With Tom Waits" Down Beat magazine (USA), by Marv Hohman. Date: Victoria restaurant/ Chicago. June 17, 1976)

⁽¹⁰⁾ Barnum, P.T.: Flamboyant 19th century American entrepreneur Phineas Taylor Barnum. Born: 1810 - died: 1891. The first and perhaps greatest showman of the US. In 1842 he opened his "American Museum of Curiosities" in NY city, in which he displayed all kinds of real but also fake curiosities and freaks. In 1871 he opened his circus "The greatest show on earth" in Brooklyn. The original circus was called simply the P. T. Barnum Circus. He then merged with his competitor and formed the Barnum & Bailey Circus. When Barnum died, Bailey ran the circus. When Bailey died, the Ringling Brothers bought them out. That's how we get the incredibly long Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He obtained a considerable wealth through his malafide, commercial approach. Notorious swindler. The quote: "There's a sucker born every minute" typifies his cynical view of life. Check out this article by R.J. Brown claiming he never said it...

- Tom Waits (1999): "... Yeah, right. Barnum & Bailey had Sarah Bernhardt's leg on display for a couple of years. They had it in formaldehyde. There was a certain point where Sarah Bernhardt's leg was making more money than she was 'cause she was doing Shakespeare in bars. I don't know how that ties in, but help me." (Source: "Tom Waits '99, Coverstory ATN". Addicted to Noise: Gil Kaufman and Michael Goldberg. April, 1999).

- Tom Waits (1999): "... But I was trying to imagine what it would be like for a person [Eyeball kid ]with an enormous eyeball for a head to be in show business. If Barnum & Bailey were still around, I imagine he would have thrown in with them." (Source: "The Man Who Howled Wolf". Magnet: Jonathan Valania. June/July, 1999)

⁽¹¹⁾ Gypsy n.: A taxicab operating without a taxi license (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽¹²⁾ Jimmy, Jimmie n.: A car or engine built by GMC (General Motors Corp.). From pronouncing the initials GMC rapidly. Hot-rod use since c1955(Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

 ⁽¹³⁾ Highball, Hiball v.: To move ahead at full speed (Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin - Third Edition)

⁽¹⁴⁾ Jasper n.: An exceptionally pious or meek person. A rube. A fellow; a guy (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽¹⁵⁾ Gasper n.: A cigarette, esp. marijuana cigarette. Much more common in Eng. than in U.S.; now archaic in both countries (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽¹⁶⁾ Cheshire grin: 

- He grins like a Cheshire cat. Cheese was formerly sold in Cheshire moulded like a cat. The allusion is to the grinning cheese-cat, but is applied to persons who show their teeth and gums when they laugh. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd).

- Also quoted in Small Change: "And the naked mannequins with their Cheshire grins."

⁽¹⁷⁾ A nickel after two: meaning five minutes past two. Nickel: n. [1970s+] (US) the number five [nickel, a 5-cent coin] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽¹⁸⁾ Olympia: Brand name of a beer brewed in Washington. Popular in the NW part of USA. Olympia's attempts to go nationwide like Coors have not done well as far as I can tell (Submitted by Gary Duncan. Raindogs Listserv discussionlist. September, 2000)

⁽¹⁹⁾ Eyeball v.: To eye; look at; look around a place. Harlem Negro use. Teenage and synthetic hipster use since c1950 (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽²⁰⁾ Weiss, Chuck E.: Further reading: Chuck E. Weiss

⁽²¹⁾ "High Blood Pressure" by George "Cryin in the Streets" Perkins: Referring to "Cryin' In The Streets (Part 1)" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars (Golden-110/ Silver Fox Records, 1969) and "High Blood Pressure" (Ace-7102, 1971). (Thanks to Floris Cooman for researching release details)

⁽²²⁾ No dice, no-dice:

- No; without success; being refused or refused permission (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- phr. [1930s+] (orig. US) impossible, out of the question, on no account [the refusal of a gambling-house proprietor to allow a player to start or continue playing] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽²³⁾ Riding high

- v.:Feeling very good. Occasionally meaning snobbish or egotistical. ("He was riding high after he got into the college he wanted.") (Source: The Online Slang Dictionary, Walter Rader)

- Quoting: That's Life. Writers: Kay, Gordon. Recorded by Frank Sinatra: "That's life, that's what people say. You're riding' high in April, Shot down in May. But I know I'm gonna change that tune, When I'm back on top in June. That's life, funny as it seems. Some people get their kicks,  Steppin' on dreams; But I don't let it get me down, 'Cause this ol' word keeps getting around. I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, A poet, a pawn and a king. I've been up and down and over and out And I know one thing: Each time I find myself flat on my face, I pick myself up and get back in the race That's life, I can't deny it, I thought of quitting, But my heart just won't buy it. If I didn't think it was worth a try, I'd roll myself up in a big ball and die."

⁽²⁴⁾ Change that tune: To speak or act in a different manner; to assume a different attitude. Dates back 600 years. First seen in John Gower's Confessio Amantis (1390):"O thou, which hast desesed the Court of France be thi wrong Now schalt thou singe an other song." (Source: "2,107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings and Expressions" by Charles Earle).

- Change one's tune: phr. [late 16C+] to alter one's opinions or statements, esp. to go back on what one has previously said [musical imagery] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽²⁵⁾ Parkay: American brand of butter (ConAgra Brands, Inc.) (Further reading: Parkay official site. Thanks to Scott Fisher, May 9 2005, for pointing out this reference)

⁽²⁶⁾ Manhole: n. [1970s] (US Black) a bar, a saloon, a club etc. esp. for men only (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽²⁷⁾ 23rd Street: New York City (Chelsea Hotel).

- Tom Waits (1979): "This is a story here, takes place on 23rd Street, New York City, it is a place eh called Chelsea Hotel" (Intro to "Small Change", Cold Beer version), 1979)

⁽²⁸⁾ St. Moritz Hotel: Also mentioned in The One That Got Away, 1976: "Costello was the champion at the St. Moritz Hotel." Also mentioned in original intro by George Duke for Tom Waits at the Orpheum Theatre, Boston, November 9, 1974:

- George Duke: "Ladies and gentlemen, direct from the St. Moritz Hotel on the Sunset Strip, a friend of ours from Los Angeles, Mister Tom Waits! Sodden and wistful as he might be. How are you doing, buddy? Your beard's getting very good. He holds the distinction of being the only person at the St. Moritz Hotel in Los Angeles able to room next to Ray Collins for longer than three weeks at a time." (Transcription by Ulf Berggren as sent to Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000) 

St. Moritz Hotel, Los Angeles. Photo credit: Dorene LaLonde

⁽²⁹⁾ El (train): n. [late 19C+] (US) the elevated railway, usu. that of New York, but also in other cities, e.g. Chicago, where such transport systems existed(Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽³⁰⁾ Krupa, Gene: Born Eugene Bertram Krupa, January 15, 1909, in Chicago, IL; Died of heart failure, October 16, 1973, in Yonkers, NY. Drummer and swing band leader. Studied drums and performed with local Chicago groups in the 20's. Free-lanced with the bands of Bix Beiderbecke, Benny Goodman, and saxophonist Adrian Rollini. He joined Goodman's band and played on NBC-Radio's Let's Dance in 1934. Left Goodman to form Gene Krupa Orchestra four years later. He appeared at the last reunion of original Goodman Orchestra in 1973. In 1944 Krupa was voted: best drummer, Down Beat Readers' Poll.

⁽³¹⁾ Glasspacks n.: A type of muffler which gives a nice throaty and loud sound. (Source: Tom Waits Digest, Seth Nielssen)

⁽³²⁾ Jam session n. : Orig. an informal gathering of jazz musicians to play for their own pleasure, usu. in free and lengthy improvisations on well-known themes; later a term applied commercially to public jazz performances (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽³³⁾ Pay through the nose

- To pay excessively (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

- To pay reluctantly or to pay an exorbitant price. (Source: "2,107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings and Expressions" by Charles Earle)

- Lyrics might also refer to using cocaine.

- Also mentioned in The Wages Of Love, 1982: "You see, love has a graveyard nurtured for those, that fell on their sabers and paid through the nose."

⁽³⁴⁾ Leg akimbo: Leg bowed outward (Source: Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary, submitted by Cheryl Dillis. August, 2000)

⁽³⁵⁾ Earlier version:  as published in the Los Angeles Free Press. January, 1974: "You know there's a blurred drizzle down a plate glass. There's a neon swizzle stick a-stirrin' up a sultry night air, and a traffic jam session on Belmont as a yellow biscuit of a butter cueball moon is rollin' maverick across an obsidian sky... And you know the buses are groanin' and they're wheezin' down the corner I'm freezin' on restless boulevard, midnight road cross town from Easy Street. With the tight knots of moviegoers and out-of-towners on the stroll and the buildings tower high above lit like dominoes... Now you know the used car salesmen with all their Purina checkerboard slacks and Foster Grant wraparounds are pacing in front of that rainbow $39.95 Earl Scheib merchandise. Like barkers in an arcade, all dressed up in jackel-striped jackets with the blue denim dye and color TV test pattern, double-knit polyester slacks throwing out some kind of a Texas Guinan routine: " They say: 'Hello, sucker, we like your money, just as well as anybody else's here,' and luring all the harlequin sailors on the stroll. in search of like new; new paint, factory air and AM-FM dreams... But you know the piss yellow gypsy cabs are stacked up in the taxi zones And they're waitin' like pinball machines to take off a joy ride to some magical place or they're waitin' in line like Truckers Welcome diners with dirt-lots full of Peterbilts and Kenworths and Jimmy's and the like. Doing some serious highballin' with bankrupt brakes, and they got the overdriven, underfed, underpaid, a day late - a dollar short. With their eyes propped open and their eyelids at half mast and I'm on the corner... I'm standin' on the corner like a just-got-in-town jasper on a streetcorner with a gasper. Lookin' for some kind of a Cheshire billboard grin. Stroking a goateed chin and using parking meters as walking sticks... I'm out here on the inebriated stroll. I am... and you know the sun come crawlin' yellow out of a manhole at the foot of Twenty-third Street, and a Dracula moon is making its way back dodgin' shadows to its prepaid room at the St. Moritz Hotel and and the El train is tumblin' across the trestles. Soundin' like the ghost of Gene Krupa with an overhead cam and glass packs and over at Chub's Pool and Snooker it was a nickel after two... "Yeah, with a nickel after two and the cobalt steel blue dream smoked, the radio groaned out the hit parade. And the chalk squeaked and the floorboards creaked. And an Olympia sign winked through a torn yellow shade, and Jack Chance himself leaning up against a Wurlitzer seriously eyeballin' out a three-ball combination shot... "I'm looking for some kind of an emotional investment with romantic dividends and leaning up against a banister I'm held over... held over for another smashed weekend"

Nobody

(Early demo version, 1971)

Nobody, nobody
Will ever love you the way I loved you
Cause nobody is that strong

Love's bitter sweet
Life's treasure's deep
But no one can keep a love that's gone wrong

Nobody, nobody
Gonna love you the way I could
Cause nobody's that strong
No, nobody's that strong

Nobody, nobody
Gonna love you the way I loved you
Cause nobody, nobody is that strong, yeah

You've had many lovers
You'll have many others
But they'll only just break your poor heart in two

And nobody, nobody
Will love you the way that I could
Cause nobody, nobody's that strong
No, nobody's that strong

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Warner Chappell Music Ltd., 1971-1992 & Bizarre/ Straight Records, 1992
Official release: "The Early Years 2". Issued under licence from Bizarre/ Straight Records by Edsel Records, 1992
Recorded July - December 1971, Los Angeles, CA
(Not authorized by Tom Waits)



Nobody
(Nighthawks At The Diner album version, 1975)

Nobody, nobody
Will ever love you the way I could love you
Cause nobody, nobody is that strong

Love's bitter sweet
And life's treasure's deep
And no one can keep a love that's gone wrong

Nobody, nobody
Will love you the way that I could
Cause nobody, nobody's that strong
Cause nobody is that strong

Nobody, nobody
Will ever love you the way I can love you
Cause nobody, nobody's that strong

You've had many lovers
You'll have many others
But they'll only just break your poor heart in two

Nobody, nobody
Will love you the way that I could
Cause nobody, nobody's that strong
Cause nobody is that strong

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975
Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:
The Piano Has Been Drinking. The Piano Has been Drinking. April, 1990 Chlodwig (BMG Germany). Performed in German/ K�lsch
Love Or Nothin', Caroline Henderson. August 11, 2006. Sundance (Denmark).

On A Foggy Night

It was all upon a foggy⁽²⁾ night, an abandoned road

In a twilight mirror mirage

With no indication of any kind of service station

Or an all-night garage

I was misinformed⁽³⁾, I was misdirected

Cause the interchange never intersected

Leaving me marooned⁽⁴⁾ beneath a bloodshot moon

All upon a foggy night, a foggy night

All upon a foggy night

It was kind of an abandoned road, in a blurred brocade collage

Is that a road motel, I can't really tell

You gotta tell me, is that a vacancy lodge

There's no consolation, what kind of situation

To be aimlessly askew amidst a powder blue⁽⁵⁾

No tell tail light clue

Spun just like the spell you spin

This precarious pandemonium

Roslyn, I'm stranded, all upon a foggy night

Like a sweepstakes ticket for a Broadway arcade

Heads you win, tails I lose

I'm ramblin', I'm gamblin'

All upon a foggy night

Foggy night

Foggy night

Foggy night

You got the vice grips on my personality

It's all upon a foggy night

All upon a foggy night

All upon a foggy night

On a foggy night

All upon a foggy

All upon a foggy night

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975

Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:

None

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Intro from "Nighthawks At The Diner": "Well, I think it's about time I took you on an improvisational adventure into the bowels of the Metropolitan region. Looks like a bona fide high voltage decked out in full regalia Angelino audience, driving in Subarus, Pintos, Malibus, Oldsmobiles. A small suburban community. This is kinda 'bout two thirty in the morning. You been standing on the corner of 5th and Vermouth, and you climb into the helm of a 1958 monkey-shit brown Buick Super, and you're on your way home. A luxury automobile, bought at Dollar Bill's Easy Autos for next to nothin'. You're cruisin' along, everything's goin' fine. Put a little smooth music on the stereo. Light up an Old Gold, save the coupon! Gotta think in terms of that patio furniture and that Toro mower, man. Yeah. You're on the Santa Monica freeway headed in an easterly direction, you just passed the La Cienega good turn-off, and you run into a cold fogbank... " (Transcript by Pieter from Holland as published on the Tom Waits Library. August, 2000)

- Bonified/ Bona fide: adv. [20C] (US black) competent, qualified, the right man for the job [? Fr. bon, good + sfx, -ified or pron. of Lat. bona fide, genuine, lit. 'in good faith'] (Source: Cassel's Dictionary of Slang. Jonathon Green 1998. Cassel & Co., 2000)

- Old Gold: American cigarette brandname. Produced by Lorillard Inc. "During the 1950s Old Gold Cigarettes sponsored quiz show commercials that featured models dressed in oversized replicas of Old Gold cigarette boxes. Called "The Dancing Butts," they danced across the stage during commercial spots Unseen but for their gorgeous legs, the models in these classic TV ad spots included Gloria Vestoff as "Regular," Dixie Dunbar as "King Size" and Whitey as the "Little Matchbox." The cover for Small Change shows a pack of Old Golds lying on the table

- Intro to On A Foggy Night (Folkscene, 1974): "This is the soundtrack for a film - the soundtrack was written quite a bit later than the film - the film came out about 1947 and I wrote it just a couple of weeks ago and it's about a foggy night on one of those "triangle" films that you see on The Late Show and this is just about the eternal triangle - like George Raft and Fred McMurray and Rosalind Russell - and somebody has to go and it's going to be George Raft in this case and Fred McMurray's got this old Plymouth and he's on this foggy road with McMurray in the trunk, a little bit of his lapel sticking out the back of the trunk and this song comes on the radio ...." (Source: Folkscene 1974, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7) Source: audio tape. Date: Los Angeles/ USA. July 23, 1974 (June 10?))

- Chip White (2007) on touring with Waits from 1976 on: "Waits knew the script of Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity by heart... The whole band knew it. One of us would take Fred MacMurray's character and another would take Barbara Stanwyck's. It was like learning the lines to a song" (Source: Chip White interview December 11, 2007 as quoted in “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

- Intro to On A Foggy Night (Folkscene, 1975) "There's a stretch of highway from Blythe to San Diego - I drove all night from Nogalis and I got to Blythe and I hadn't washed my windshield. Driving through Blythe at about 3 o'clock in the morning I sort of imagined all these Eucalyptus trees hanging over the highway and these big radio towers which weren't really there. I was just driving a long time. And I've talked to truck drivers that say that same stretch of highway they imagined being in a forest - if you've been driving for a long time but there's something about coming into town on highway 8 that's exciting. But when we were going out there was a fog bank up around Hecumba(?) and - God, a mysterious wet fog was hanging over the highway and so we're coming down and this is about driving on a foggy night on an abandoned road late at night ..." (Source: Folkscene 1975, with Howard and Roz Larman (KPFK-FM 90.7) Source: audio tape. Date: Los Angeles/ USA. January 12 (February 13?), 1975)

⁽²⁾ Foggy adj.: Confused; confusing, perplexing; unrealized, not specific enough (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽³⁾ I was misinformed: This might be quoting from 'Casablanca': Louis: And what in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca? Rick Blaine: My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters. Louis: The waters? What waters? We're in the desert. Rick Blaine: I was misinformed.

⁽⁴⁾ Maroon v. adj.: 1. To put ashore on a desolate island or coast and leave to one's fate 2. To place or leave in isolation or without hope of ready escape(Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary)

⁽⁵⁾ Powder blue

- n. A moderate to pale blue or purplish blue. Etymology: From the color of powdered smalt (Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright � 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company)

- Notice the same phrase being used in Barber Shop, 1977: "I just bought myself a struggle buggy suckers powder blue." Downtown, 1980: "Just another dead soldier in a powder blue night."

Putnam County

I guess things were always kinda quiet around Putnam County

Kinda shy and sleepy as it clung to the skirts of the 2-lane

That was stretched out just like an asphalt dance floor

Where all the old-timers in bib jeans and store bought boots

Were hunkerin'⁽²⁾ down in the dirt

To lie about their lives and the places that they'd been

And they'd suck on Coca Colas, yeah, and be spittin' Day's Work

Until the moon was a stray dog on the ridge and...

And the taverns would be swollen until the naked eye of 2 a.m.

And the Stratocasters slung over the Burgermeister beer guts

And swizzle stick legs⁽³⁾ jackknifed over naugahyde⁽⁴⁾ stools... yeah

And the witch hazel spread out over the linoleum floors

And pedal pushers⁽⁵⁾ stretched out over a midriff bulge

And the coiffed brunette curls over Maybelline eyes

Wearing Prince Machiavelli⁽⁶⁾, or something... yeah

Estee Lauder, smells so sweet

And I elbowed up⁽⁷⁾ at the counter with mixed feelings over mixed drinks

As Bubba and the Roadmasters moaned in pool hall concentration and...

And knit their brows⁽⁸⁾ to cover the entire Hank Williams⁽⁹⁾ songbook

Whether you like it or not

And the old National register was singin' to the tune of $57.57... yeah

And then it's last call, one more game of eightball

Berniece'd be puttin' the chairs on the tables

And someone come in and say, 'Hey man, anyone got any jumper cables?'

'Is that a 6 or a 12 volt, man? I don't know...'

Yeah, and all the studs in town would toss 'em down

And claim to fame as they stomped their feet

Yeah, boastin' about bein' able to get more ass than a toilet seat⁽¹⁰⁾

And the GMC's⁽¹¹⁾ and the Straight-8 Fords were coughin' and wheezin'

And they percolated⁽¹²⁾ as they tossed the gravel underneath the fenders

To weave home a wet slick anaconda of a 2-lane

With tire irons and crowbars a-rattlin'

With a tool box and a pony saddle

You're grindin' gears and you're shiftin' into first

Yeah, and that goddam Tranny's just gettin' worse, man

With the melody of see-ya-later's and screwdrivers on carburetors

Talkin' shop about money to loan

And Palominos and strawberry roans⁽¹³⁾... yeah

See ya tomorrow, hello to the Missus!

With money to borrow and goodnight kisses

As the radio spit out Charlie Rich⁽¹⁴⁾, man,

and he sure can sing that son of a bitch

And you weave home, yeah, weavin' home

Leavin' the little joint winkin' in the dark warm narcotic American night

Beneath a pin cushion sky

And it's home to toast and honey, gotta start up the Ford, man

Yeah, and your lunch money's right over there on the drainin' board

And the toilet's runnin'! Christ, shake the handle!

And the telephone's ringin', it's Mrs. Randal

And where the hell are my goddam sandals?

What you mean, the dog chewed up my left foot?

With the porcelain poodles and the glass swans

Staring down from the knickknack shelf... yeah

And the parent permission slips for the kids' field trips

Yeah, and a pair of Muckalucks⁽¹⁵⁾ scraping across the shag carpet... yeah

And the impending squint of first light

And it lurked behind a weepin' marquee in downtown Putnam

Yeah, and it'd be pullin' up any minute now

Just like a bastard amber Velveta yellow cab on a rainy corner

And be blowin' its horn in every window in town

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975

Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:

None

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Intro from "Nighthawks At The Diner": I wanna tell you a story here. It's about a place called Putnam County. Yeah... How's the service here? Yeah, it's all right? I mean, I gave you a beer and everything. Don't gotta pay or nothin'. Well, they hit you up at the door on your way out...  

- Patrick Humphries quotes an unidentified Sound Magazine interview from 1976 by Mike Flood Page: "I used to listen to a lot of records by a guy called Lou Short. He made a lotta albums in the forties and nobody knew who he was. He used to pay to have them made. But everybody in Baxter, Putnam County knew who he was. And he was the town hypochondriac. I mean, there's a breeze coming up and he's got a little sniffle... Anyway, the town hypochondriac finally upped and died, and on his tombstone... it said 'Lou Short Died' and on the bottom it said 'I told you I was sick!'" (Source: "Small Change, A life of Tom Waits". Patrick Humphries, 1989. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-312-04582-4).

- Baxter is in Putnam County Tennessee. It's east of Nashville, more or less near the town of Murfreesboro (Pony: Mule Variations, 1999)

- Tom Waits (introducing Putnam County, Coffee Break radio show, 1975): "Why don't I tell a story? I could do this piece called "Putnam County". This is about a place in Tennessee eh... It's a real town, a small town. It's one of those towns where... It's so small that the main drag is a transvestite... and eh... " (Source: Coffee Break Concert Interview: The Coffee Break Concert radio show on WMMS-FM (Cleveland/ USA). Conducted by Kid Leo (Lawrence James Travagliante). December 3, 1975)

- Tom Waits (1976): "Those guys [country rockers like the Eagles] grew up in L.A. and they don't have cow-shit on their boots - they just got dog shit from Laurel Canyon. They wouldn't last two minutes in Putnam County, that's for sure. If somebody gets shot and killed there on a Saturday night, the Sunday papers say he just died of natural causes!" (Source: "Tom Waits: Would You Say This Man Was Attempting To Convey An Impression Of Sordid Bohemianism" New Musical Express (UK), by Fred Dellar. Date: June 5, 1976)

⁽²⁾ Hunker: "It sounds like the most typically American of phrases, but it seems originally to have been Scots, first recorded in the eighteenth century. Nobody seems to know exactly what its origin is, though it has been suggested it's linked to the Old Norse huka, to squat; that would make it a close cousin of the modern Dutch huiken and German hocken, meaning to squat or crouch, which makes sense. That's certainly what's meant by the word in American English, in phrases like hunker down or on your hunkers. The Oxford English Dictionary has a fine description of how to hunker: "squat, with the haunches, knees, and ankles acutely bent, so as to bring the hams near the heels, and throw the whole weight upon the fore part of the feet". The advantage of this position is that you're not only crouched close to the ground, so presenting a small target for whatever the universe chooses to throw at you, but you're also ready to move at a moment's notice. Hunker down has also taken on the sense of to hide, hide out, or take shelter, whatever position you choose to do it in. This was a south-western US dialect form that was popularised by President Johnson in the mid 1960s. Despite its Scots ancestry, hunker is rare in standard British English." (Source: World Wide Words is copyright � Michael Quinion, 1996-2004) 

⁽³⁾ Swizzle stick

- n.: A stick used to stir mixed drinks (Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary).

- Also mentioned in "Nighthawk Postcards" (And as a neon swizzle stick is stirrin' up the sultry night air)

⁽⁴⁾ Naugahyde: American trademark used for vinyl-coated fabrics (Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary)

⁽⁵⁾ Pedal pushers

- A style of pants in which the pant leg ends right at the calf; three-quarter length trousers (Submitted by Cheryl Dillis. August, 2000). 

- Also mentioned in "Heartattack And Vine" (See that little Jersey girl in the see-thru top. With the pedal pushers, suckin' on a soda pop)

⁽⁶⁾ Wearing Prince Machiavelli, or something: "A reference to a perfume that is in reality called Prince Matchabelli. This is a common confusion, one that Waits humorously plays up." (Submitted by Pablo Secca. May 24, 2007)

⁽⁷⁾ Elbow one's way in: To push one's way through a crowd; to get a place by hook or crook. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd)

⁽⁸⁾ Knit the/one's brows

- To frown; to scowl. To bend the brow (Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, � 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.)

- Also mentioned in "Gin Soaked Boy": "The dogs are barking out back, and you're knittin' your brow"

⁽⁹⁾ Williams, Hank: The father of contemporary country music. Williams was a superstar by the age of 25; he was dead at the age of 29. In those four short years, he established the rules for all the country performers that followed him. He lived a life as troubled and reckless as that depicted in his songs. Born in Mount Olive, Alabama, on September 17, 1923. "Move It On Over," released in 1947, became Hank Williams's first single for MGM. It was an immediate hit. In 1950 Williams began recording a series of spiritual records under the name Luke the Drifter. Williams continued to rack up hits in 1951, beginning with the Top Ten hit "Dear John" and its number one flip-side, "Cold Cold Heart." Hank had several other hits in 1951, including the number one "Hey, Good Lookin'" and "Howlin' at the Moon," "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)," Though his professional career was soaring, Hank Williams's personal life was beginning to spin out of control, he began to drink frequently. Hank turned completely reckless in 1952, spending nearly all of his waking hours drunk and taking drugs, while he was frequently destroying property and playing with guns. Williams continued to play a large number of concerts, but he was always drunk during the show, or he missed the gig altogether. The Grand Ole Opry fired him for that very reason. He was told that he could return once he was sober. Instead of heeding the Opry's warning, he just sank deeper into his self-destructive behaviour. Hank Williams was scheduled to play a concert on January 1, 1953. Before he and his chauffeur left Ohio, Williams was injected with two shots of the vitamin B-12 and morphine by a doctor. The driver was stopped for speeding when the policeman noticed that Williams looked like a dead man. Williams was taken to a hospital and he was officially declared dead at on January 1, 1953. Hank Williams had died in the back of the Cadillac, on his way to a concert. The last single released in his lifetime was "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive."

⁽¹⁰⁾ To get more ass than a toilet seat: Have more arse than a toilet seat, to phr. [1960s+] of a man, to have an active, even excessive, sex live (Source: Cassel's Dictionary of Slang. Jonathon Green 1998. Cassel & Co., 2000)

⁽¹¹⁾ GMC: A car or engine built by GMC (General Motors Corp.). Hot-rod use since c1955 (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽¹²⁾ Percolate v.i.: 1. To become hot and boil over, said of early automobile engines. c1915-c1925. 2. To run smoothly and easily, said of automobiles and motors. Some use since c1920 (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽¹³⁾ Palominos and Strawberry Roans

- Light golden color and auburn color horses. Roan actually means chestnut-colored. Roy Rogers's horse was Trigger, a beautiful palimino which made that color very popular (Submitted by Gary Duncan. Raindogs Listserv discussionlist. September, 2000)

- They're in a parking lot in that part of the song, chatting away while leaving for home. I thought they were talking about upholstery. Palomino leather and strawberry roan leather (Submitted by Ulf Berggren. Raindogs Listserv discussionlist. September, 2000) 

⁽¹⁴⁾ Rich, Charlie: Born in Forrest City on December 14, 1934, to a poor Arkansas family. Rich was a multi talented artist, bridging Jazz, Blues, and Rock, in a more versatile way than many other artists. "I didn't dig country" Rich would say. As he struggled to find his musical niche, the bluesy "Don't Put No Headstone On My Grave" brought Rich underground fame. Rich with his famous grey streak of hair, recorded "Big Boss Man", and "Behind Closed Doors" in 1973. After making over $2 million in 1975 alone (the time Nighthawks was recorded), Rich settled into a quiet Memphis suburb. An interesting moment came when Charlie was presenting the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award. As Rich opened the envelope, he discovered to his horror that John Denver had won. Rich set fire to the award on stage, in a rage of fury and disbelief, later attributed to a painkiller reaction. Like Jerry Lee Lewis, Rich is haunted by a deeply religious upbringing which is at odds with his Rock n' Roll profession. Charlie's son Alan is an outstanding keyboard session man for major Rock bands today. Personal quote: "I really don't like happy music. I don't think it says anything." Waits opened shows for Rich in the early 70's.

- Tom Waits (1976): "I played at Max's, Kansas City and opened a show for Charlie Rich." (Source: WNEW FM: Vin Scelsa's Idiot's Delight Date: Recorded MediaSound Studios NYC. December 14, 1976. Aired December 18, 1976 on WNEW-FM. Rebroadcast March 24, 1996 WNEW-FM.) Further reading: Perfomances.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Muckalucks

- Tom Waits (1976): "Muckalucks are carpet slippers, a Peterbilt is a truck and Stacey Adams once were a very prestigious shoe..."(Source: "Tom Waits: Would You Say This Man Was Attempting To Convey An Impression Of Sordid Bohemianism" New Musical Express (UK), by Fred Dellar. Date: June 5, 1976)

Spare Parts 1

(A Nocturnal Emission)

Well, the dawn cracked hard just like a bullwhip

Cause it wasn't takin' no lip from the night before

And it shook out the streets, as the stew bums⁽¹⁾ showed up

Like bounced checks⁽²⁾, rubbin' their necks

And the sky turned the color of Pepto-Bismol⁽³⁾

Yeah, and the parking lots growled

My old sport coat full of promissory notes

And a receipt from a late night motel

The hawk⁽⁴⁾ had his whole family out there in the wind

And he got a message for you to beware

Kickin' your ass in, in a cold-blooded fashion

And dishin' out more than a good man can bear

And I got shoes untied, my shirttail's out

Ain't got a ghost of a chance⁽⁵⁾ with this old romance

Just an apartment for rent down the block

Ivar Theater⁽⁶⁾ with live burlesque

Man, the manager's scowlin', with his feet on the desk

Boom boom against the curtain, you're still hurtin', ay-ay

And then push came to shove⁽⁷⁾, and shove came to biff

Girls like that just lay you out stiff

Maybe I'll go to Cleveland and, you know, get me a tattoo or somethin'

My brother-in-law lives there

And it's a skid mark tattoo on the asphalt blue

Was that a Malibu?

Vroooooom, vroooooom

Yeah, it's Liz Taylor⁽⁸⁾ and Montgomery Clift⁽⁹⁾

Coming on to the broads with the same ol' riff, yeah

'Hey baby, why don't you come up to my place?

We'll listen to some smooth music on the stereo' eh-he-he

'No thank you,' she said, eh-he-he, 'you got any Stan Getz⁽¹⁰ records?'

'No man, I got eh... Smothers Brothers'⁽¹¹⁾

So I combed back my Detroit⁽¹²⁾, jacked up my pegs⁽¹³⁾

I wiped my Stacy Adams⁽¹⁴⁾ and I jackknifed my legs

Yeah, I got designs on a movin' violation

Yeah baby, you put me on hold and I'm out in the wind

And it's gettin' mighty cold

It's colder than a gut-shot bitch wolf dog with nine suckin' pups

pullin' a number 4 trap up a hill in the dead of winter

in the middle of a snowstorm with a mouth full of porcupine quills

Well, I don't need you, baby

You see, it's a well known fact, you know

I'm four sheets to the wind⁽¹⁵⁾, I'm glad you're gone

I'm glad you're gone, cause I'm finally alone

Glad you're gone, but I wish you'd come home

Yeah, and I struggled out of bed

Cause the dawn was crackin' hard just like a bullwhip

And it wasn't takin' no lip from the night before

Yeah, as it shook out the streets and the stew bums showed up

Just like bounced checks, rubbin' their necks

And the sky turned the color of Pepto-Bismol⁽³⁾

And my old sport coat full of promissory notes

And the hawk had his whole family out there in the wind

He got a message for you to beware

Kickin' your ass in, in a cold blooded fashion

He'll be dishin' out more than a good man can bear

Well, let's take it to Bakersfield, get a little apartment somewhere

Written by: Tom Waits and Chuck E. Weiss

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975

Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:

None

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Stewbum

- n.: An unemployed, homeless street beggar, or hobo, who has reached this lowly position through alcoholism. Orig. any beggar or hobo, as one who lives on stew; but the association has changed to one who is, or has too often been, stewed (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- Stew bum: n. [1900s-30s] a down-and-out alcoholic, the most deprived of vagrants (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽²⁾ Bounced check n.: A check that is returned for lack of funds = "rubber check" (Source: New dictionary of American slang, Chapman) 

⁽³⁾ Pepto-Bismol: A bright pink medicine that helps soothe your stomach. Sickly sweet to the taste. Anyone who grew up with it never forgets it... (Submitted by Andy and Jodi, September, 2000)

⁽⁴⁾ Hawk: Person with agressive stance in life. In politics: advocate of active warfare.

 ⁽⁵⁾ Ghost of a chance: phr. [mid-19C+] no chance whatsoever (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

 ⁽⁶⁾ Ivar Theater: Further reading: Ivar Theatre

⁽⁷⁾ Push came to shove: phr. [1950s+] (orig. US) in the final assesment, when all other alternatives have been exhausted [SE push is seen as less aggressive as shove] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽⁸⁾ Taylor, Liz: Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in London, England on February 27, 1932. Her parents were art dealers from St. Louis, Missouri. She lived in London for the first seven years of her life before the family left when the dark clouds of war began brewing in 1939. Liz was a close friend of Montgomery Clift until his death in 1966. They met for the first time when Paramount decided that she had to accompany him to the premiere of "The Heiress (1949) " because they were both to star in the upcoming "A Place in the Sun (1951) ". They liked each other right away. Clift used to call her "Bessie Mae". When he had the road accident a few years later that disfigured him, he came from a party at Liz's house. And it was she that found him first, got into the wreck and removed some teeth from his throat that threatened to choke him

⁽⁹⁾ Clift, Montgomery: Edward Montgomery Clift born: 17 October 1920 Omaha, Nebraska. Died: 23 July New York. The release of "Red River" (1948) made Clift an overnight sensation and instant star. He embodied a new type of man on screen, the beautiful, sensual and vulnerable man that seemed to appeal to women and men alike. He was also by that time exclusively homosexual, though he maintained a number of close friendships with theatre women (heavily promoted by studio publicists). He was troubled with allergies and, along with pill problems he was alcoholic. After "A Place in the Sun" (1951) came out he was Hollywood's hottest male star and adored by millions. Clift's mental problems prevented him from staying at the top as his drinking and drug problem began to affect his acting and bankability. In 1956 during filming of "Raintree County" (1957) he ran his car into a tree after leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor's; it was she who saved him from choking by pulling out two teeth lodged in his throat. What followed could be described as the longest suicide in show-business history. The accident left him with the left side of his face almost paralysed and with a small scar on his upper lip. The recurring pain in the rest of his body would remain for the rest of his life, only serving to increase his dependence on alcohol and prescription drugs. He never looked the same again and to a man who had greatly valued his looks, that was a blow. Producers and directors avoided him because of the problems he caused on set. But Elizabeth Taylor remained a loyal friend. It was Elizabeth Taylor who came to the rescue, using her position to win him a role in "Reflections in a Golden Eye" as her husband. On July 23 1966 his companion Lorenzo James found him lying nude on top of his bed, dead from what the autopsy called "occlusive coronary artery disease". Check out: The Montgomery Clift Shrine

⁽¹⁰⁾ Stan Getz: Stanley Gayetzky. Born: Philadelphia, Penns., February 2 1927. American bandleader and jazz saxofonist. Worked with Astrid Gilberto amongst others. Is regarded as representative of Cool Jazz and West Coast Jazz

⁽¹¹⁾ Smothers Brothers: In the early 60s, Dick and Tom Smothers became famous for hilarious parodies of folksongs and recorded many wide-selling albums. They used this style of comedy for cutting social satire as well. Eventually they were given a CBS TV show in 1967 and it proved popular, introducing the public to a wide range of folk musicians and comedians, but it was seen as too controversial and eventually canceled. In 1975 Tom and Dick made a come-back on NBC (this is when Spare parts was recorded). Mr. Waits appeared on on their TV show in 1982 singing "Old boyfriends ". The brothers are still doing shows. To engage them go to: The Smothers Brothers Homepage

⁽¹²⁾ Detroit n.: A type of men's haircut in which the hair on the top of the head is cut short and the hair on the sides long. Detroit cut, crew on top, normal trim on sides. (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽¹³⁾ Peg n. pl.: The legs; trousers. Jive use (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽¹⁴⁾ Adams, Stacy

- Slang expression: Born from Stacy Adams which is a fancy dress shoe. To buy your own Stacys check out this site.

- Also mentioned in Tom Traubert's Blues, 1976: "No one speaks English, and everything's broken And my Stacys are soaking wet."

- Tom Waits (1976): "Stacey Adams once were a very prestigious shoe... if you had them on then nobody messed with you and you could go anywhere. Stacey's stayed ahead of current affairs and were considered extremely hip." (Source: "Tom Waits: Would You Say This Man Was Attempting To Convey An Impression Of Sordid Bohemianism" New Musical Express (UK), by Fred Dellar. Date: June 5, 1976) 

⁽¹⁵⁾ Four sheets to the wind

- Drunk. Synonymous with the phrase "Three Sheets to the Wind" (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- Unsteady from over-drinking, as a ship when its sheets are in the wind. The sail of a ship is fastened at one of the bottom corners by a rope called a "tack;" the other corner is left more or less free as the rope called a "sheet" is disposed; if quite free, the sheet is said to be "in the wind," and the sail flaps and flutters without restraint. If all the three sails were so loosened, the ship would "reel and stagger like a drunken man." "Captain Cuttle looking, candle in hand, at Bunsby more attentively, perceived that he was three sheets in the wind, or, in plain words, drunk."- Dickens; Dombey and Son.(Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd).

- "It's a sailor's expression, from the days of sailing ships. The terminology of sailing ships is excessively complicated and every time I refer to it people write in to say I've got it wrong, usually contradicting each other. So treat what follows as a broad-brush treatment, open to dispute on fine points. We ignorant landlubbers might think that a sheet is a sail, but in traditional sailing-ship days, a sheet was actually a rope, particularly one attached to the bottom corner of a sail (it actually comes from an Old English term for the corner of a sail). The sheets were vital, since they trimmed the sail to the wind. If they ran loose, the sail would flutter about in the wind and the ship would wallow off its course out of control. Extend this idea to sailors on shore leave, staggering back to the ship after a good night on the town, well tanked up. The irregular and uncertain locomotion of these jolly tars must have reminded onlookers of the way a ship moved in which the sheets were loose. Perhaps one loose sheet might not have been enough to get the image across, so the speakers borrowed the idea of a three-masted sailing ship with three sheets loose, so the saying became three sheets in the wind. Our first written example comes from that recorder of low life, Pierce Egan, in his Real life in London of 1821. But it must surely be much older. The version you give, incidentally, is comparatively recent, since the older one (the only one given in the big Oxford English Dictionary) is three sheets in the wind. However, online searches show that your version is now about ten times as common as the one containing in, so it may be that some day soon it will be the only one around. The version with to seems to be gaining ground because so many people think a sheet is a sail" (Source: World Wide Words is copyright � Michael Quinion, 1996-2004. All rights reserved)

- Also mentioned in Tom Traubert's Blues (sub title), 1976: "Four sheets to the wind in Copenhagen"

Spare Parts 2

I wanna thank you all very much for comin' this evening. It really made my
night. It would have been real strange here if nobody would have showed up.
I'd like to introduce my group this evening and... it's been a real pressure
and... A pressure and a pliviledge to work with these gentlemen.
I'd like to introduce...
Please give a warm round of applause for Michael Melvoin(1) on piano!
On saxophone, Pete Christlieb!(2)
On bass, Jim Hughart!(3)
And on drums, Bill Goodwin!(4)
Yeah... They all come from good families, but... over the years they just
kinda individually developed some ways about them that just aren't right,
you know.
I was real pleased... I noticed everybody coming in this evening, you're all
decked out in full regalia and everything and... appreciate you gettin'
dressed up for an affair such as this. You know, I think it's something that
I've always tried to be as concerned about as possible and... Somebody said
to me one day, 'Christ, Waits! You look so goddam raggedy, why don't you get
yourself something to wear, you know?'
I said, 'Yeah well, not a bad idea'. Maybe a serious seersucker(5) Saturday
evening cranberry accoutrement ensemble would be nice. So I went down to
Seider & Seider and I said, 'I want something sharp!' I said, 'I'm kinda in the
market, in the neighborhood of something like... maybe some green gabardines
with boneroo britches. And a leviticously duteronomous sort of catastrophic
lunch-box Stetson, you know. I'd like to get some Danger High Voltage
slacks, with high top, mid noon, brushed suede penny loafers, so I can be
passing out wolf tickets(6) regardless of where I go.' Walk into the 20 Grand
Club... And the Soul & Inspirations are playin'. Yeah, and you're cuttin' a
rug and pullin' on a coat and emotin'. Band is kickin' into some long
version of 'Harlem Nocturne' or somethin'. You get designs on a girl in the
corner. You say, 'Say baby... live around here?'
Yeah... I think I'm gonna plant(7) you now and I'm gonna dig you later. Make
like a bakery truck and haul buns. Make like a(8) hockey player and get the
puck out of here. I gotta go see a man about a dog(9), I'll see you later.
Thank you very much for comin' this evening!

Written by: Tom Waits and Chuck E. Weiss
Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975
Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975
(Transcribed by Ulf Berggren as sent to: Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000)

Known covers:
None

Notes:

(1) Michael Melvoin.
- Born: Oshkosh/Wisc. May 10 1937. Orchestral arrangement and direction on: The heart of Saturday night. Piano on: Nighthawks at the diner. He is based in Los Angeles and has worked extensively in the studios. Has not yet gained the fame that he deserves for his impressive technique and strong jazz improvising talents. He began playing piano when he was three but graduated from Dartmouth in 1959 with a degree in English. However, Melvoin soon chose to become a professional musician. He moved to Los Angeles in 1961 and worked with many top West Coast players and performers including Frank Rosolino, Leroy Vinnegar, Gerald Wilson, Paul Horn, Terry Gibbs, Joe Williams, Peggy Lee, Gabor Szabo and off course Jim Hughart. Played for Phil Spector's "Wrecking Crew ". Although busy in the studios, he recorded for Concord in the mid-'70s. Has worked occasionally in L.A. area clubs and often teams up with singer Bill Henderson. He led two albums for Liberty in 1966 and one for Discwasher in 1979
- Michael Melvoin on studio recordings with Waits in 1974: "I knew that I was dealing with an extraordinary, different kind of talent. There were a couple of things about it. First of all, the lyrics ... I would describe them as top-rank American poetry. I thought then, and I still believe, that I was dealing with a world-class poet. My degree from school was in English literature, so I felt that I was in the presence of one of the great Beat poets. Tom's work was "a counterpoint to that experience. I was amazed by the richness of it. The musical settings that he was using reminded me of certain roots jazz experiences that I thought were very, very appropriate for that." (Source: "Wild Years, The Music and Myth of Tom Waits". Jay S. Jacobs, ECW Press 2000. Telephone conversation. June 25, 1999)

(2) Pete Christlieb: Born: Los Angeles, CA, 16-02-1945. American jazz-clarinetist, flutist and saxophonist. He also played on the 1976 "Mainstreet" album

(3) Jim Hughart: James David Hughart. Born: Minneapolis, MI, July 28 1936. American jazz bass player. Played together with Waits from 1975 till 1980. Also played with Ella Fitzgerald amongst others

(4) Bill Goodwin: William Richard Goodwin. Born: Los Angeles, Ca., January 8 1942. American percussionist. Played on the "Mainstreet" album of 1976. In 1995 he played on the Bellingham Festival of Music

(5) Seersucker: n. A light thin fabric, generally cotton or rayon, with a crinkled surface and a usually striped pattern (Source: "The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language", Fourth Edition Copyright � 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company)

(6) Wolf tickets
- Tom Waits (1988): "Another one I like is wolf tickets, which means bad news, as in someone who is bad news or generally insubordinate. In a sentence, you'd say, "Don't fuck with me, I'm passing out wolf tickets." Think it's either Baltimore Negro or turn-of-the-century railroad use." (Source: Tom Waits 20 questions. Playboy magazine: Steve Oney. -- March 1988)
- Sell a woof/ wolf ticket, to: phr. [1960s+] (US Black) 2a. To boast, to brag. 2b. to talk nonsense, to lie [trash talk] 2c. to threaten, to intimidate (buy a woof ticket) (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)
- "As early as 1985, Clarence Page of The Chicago Tribune defined selling woof tickets as "an invitation to fight." In 1996, Jane Kennedy of The San Francisco Examiner called it "telling lies." In The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Betty Parham and Gerrie Ferris wrote in 1992, "Although its origin is uncertain, 'woof ticket' is a somewhat dated phrase that refers to an outrageous or exaggerated boast meant to intimidate or impress the listener." Woof is a Black English pronunciation of "wolf." According to Geneva Smitherman's 1994 "Black Talk," a woof ticket is "a verbal threat, which one sells to somebody; may or may not be real. Often used as a strategy to make another person back down and surrender to what that person perceives as a superior power." Tom McIntyre, professor of special education at Hunter College in New York, noted nearly a decade ago: "Woofing is especially effective against those who are unfamiliar with it and don't realize that it is most often 'all show and no go.' . . . The menacing behavior can usually be defused and eliminated by informed, tactful action." He advised teachers to "look secure and self-assured while you withdraw." In the context of the basketball star Howard's remarks, woof tickets are not to be bought; on the contrary, he uses the phrase to show that performance, and not intimidating attitude, is needed to "get it together." (Source: "On Language by William Safire, Crying Woof!". Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company. Submitted by Monika Kottenhahn, eGroups Tom Waits discussionlist. October, 2000)
- Also mentioned in Trouble's Braids, 1983: "Passin' out wolf tickets, downwind from the bloodhounds."

(7) Plant, to: v. [early 19C] to abandon, to leave (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

(8) Make like a...: v. [1950s+] (US) as part of a number of phrs. all of which mean 'go away', 'get lost', e.g. make like a fart and blow away, ... dragster and lay rubber, ... drum and beat it, ... banana and splitt, ... cow pat and hit the trail, ... paper doll and cut out, ... tree and leave, ... rubber and roll on. (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

(9) See a man about a dog, have to
- The traditional and jocular excuse to leave a person, group, or room. Thus = excuse me, I have to leave, c1920 usu. used to excuse oneself to go out and buy bootleg liquor. c1940 usu. used as an excuse to go to the bathroom (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)
- phr. [mid-19C+] a euph. used to disguise one's need or desire to visit the lavatory.
- [mid-19C+] an excuse to absent oneself from home in order to visit one's mistress or to go out for a drink (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)
- "This has been a useful (and usefully vague) excuse for absenting oneself from company for about 150 years, though the real reason for slipping away has not always been the same. Like a lot of such colloquial sayings, it is very badly recorded. However, an example turned up in 1940 in a book called America's Lost Plays, which proved that it was already in use in the US in 1866, in a work by a prolific Irish-born playwright of the period named Dion Boucicault, The Flying Scud or a Four-legged Fortune. This play, about an eccentric and superannuated old jockey, may have been, as a snooty reviewer of the period remarked, "a drama which in motive and story has nothing to commend it", but it does include our first known appearance of the phrase: "Excuse me Mr. Quail, I can't stop; I've got to see a man about a dog". I don't have access to the text of the play itself, so can't say why the speaker had to absent himself. From other references at the time there were three possibilities: 1) he needed to visit the loo (read WC, toilet, or bathroom if you prefer); 2) he was in urgent need of a restorative drink, presumed alcoholic; or 3) he had a similarly urgent need to visit his mistress. Of these reasons-which, you may feel, encompass a significant part of what it meant to be male in nineteenth-century America - the second became the most common sense during the Prohibition period. Now that society's conventions have shifted to the point where none of these reasons need cause much remark, the utility of the phrase is greatly diminished and it is most often used in a facetious sense, if at all." (Source: World Wide Words is copyright � Michael Quinion, 1996-2004. All rights reserved)

Warm Beer And Cold Women

It's warm beer and cold women, no I just don't fit in

Every joint I stumbled into tonight, that's just how it's been

All these double-knit strangers with gin and vermouth

And recycled stories, in the naugahyde⁽²⁾ booths

And the platinum blondes and tobacco brunettes

I'll just be drinkin' to forget you, I light another cigarette

And the band's playin' somethin' by Tammy Wynette⁽³⁾

And the drinks are on me tonight

All my conversations now, I'll just be talkin' about you, baby

I'm borin' some sailor as I try to get through

I just want him to listen now, I say that's all you have to do

He said I'm better off without you, until I showed him my tattoo

And now the moon's risin', ain't no time to lose

Time to get down to drinkin', tell the band to play the blues

And the drink's are on me, I'll buy another round

At the last ditch attempt saloon

Warm beer and cold women, no I just don't fit in

Every joint I stumbled into tonight, that's just how it's been

All these double-knit strangers with gin and vermouth

Receding hairlines, in the naugahyde booths

And the platinum blondes and tobacco brunettes

I'll just be drinkin' to forget you, baby, I light a menthol cigarette

And the band's playin' somethin' by ⁽⁴⁾Johnnie Barnette

At the last ditch attempt saloon

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music Inc. (ASCAP), �1975

Official release: Nighthawks At The Diner, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1975

Known covers:

The Piano Has Been Drinking. The Piano Has Been Drinking. April, 1990. Chlodwig/ BMG Germany (in German/ K�lsch)

Songs Of Tom Waits. Dolphin Blue. 1995. Self-released demo (Germany)

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Warm Beer And Cold Women". With: Frank Vicari: tenor saxophone. Dr. Fitz(gerald) Jenkins: upright bass. Chip White: drums. Taken from "Sange Efter Lukketid" DR2 television live music show. Copenhagen/ Denmark: June, 1976. Directed by Ole Koefoed, produced by Edmondt Jensen.

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Warm Beer And Cold Women intro's

- Live intro from "Nighthawks At The Diner: "Hey, how are ya? This is about a... well, I'd kinda reached the end of an emotional cul-de-sac one particular evening. It was a strange sort of evening. I ended up at a little vino place called The Three Little Pigs. Well, I was starin' at the beer nuts, and the swizzle sticks, and the three little pigs... I was gettin' a lot of visual and verbal insubordination from a double-knit character in the corner, and... One of those nights... "

- Live intro from "The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, December 3, 1976": "Well, I'm all disoriented here! We'd like to do a... The ensemble here is completely nerve-ridden Well, we're gonna do a little song here... It's about a... I started out with bad directions to a party one night. You know how that is. The guy didn't speak English. Told us to get on 32 and run it all the way out. Ended up in a small little bar. And I've been into a lot of bars and... this was one of them. This (?) little place originally was a men's room, and they decided to knock out a wall and build on. A livin', breathin' example of urban renewal, extensive renovations, under new management, please pay when served, and... well..."

⁽²⁾ Naugahyde: American trademark used for vinyl-coated fabrics (Source: Merriam - Webster collegiate dictionary)

⁽³⁾ Tammy Wynette: Tammy Wynette, born Virginia Wynette Pugh in Itawamba/Mpi May 5 1942. Two of her biggest hits were "Stand by Your Man" and "DIVORCE." Her 1969 album, Tammy's Greatest Hits, sold more copies than any female country recording artist ever had and crossed over to the Top 40 pop lists. Wynette married her third husband, country superstar George ("No Show") Jones, in 1968, and the couple became known as "Mr. & Mrs. Country Music." They were also frequent fodder for the tabloids, due to Jones' fondness of the bottle. Jones was a violent drunk, however, and Wynette finally left him in 1975 ( this is when Mr.Waits recorded Warm beer). Stress-related hospitalizations; the torching of her tour bus and fifteen-bathroom house; and a 1978 kidnapping, during which she was held at gunpoint, strangled, and beaten severely by her abductor. She came honestly by her nickname, "The Heroine of Heartache." The nineties witnessed one of the most unusual collaborations in musical history: Wynette teamed with British dance band K.L.F. for the strange single, "Justified and Ancient," The First Lady of Country Music died in her sleep in April of 1998. She was fifty-five.

⁽⁴⁾ Jonnie Barnett: Jonnie Barnett, co-writer of the Clay Walker hit, "The Chain Of Love," died August 18, 2002 at Baptist Hospital in Nashville. According to information provided the Tennessean newspaper, Barnett was 56 and died of a stroke. In addition to "Chain," a 2001 BMI award-winner, Barnett also co-wrote "One Foot In The Blues," which was recorded by Johnny Adams and nominated in 1997 at the W. C. Handy Blues Awards for blues song of the year. Born Jonathan Barnett Kaye in Sumpter, SC, Barnett broke into the entertainment business as a performer, sharing the bill with such acts as Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Cheech & Chong, Howlin' Wolf, Eric Burdon and Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry. However, he was primarily a songwriter for the last 20 years of his life. Among those who recorded his songs were Hank Williams Jr., Etta James, the Holmes Brothers, Joe Simon, Eric Burdon, Irma Thomas and his sometimes co-writer Dan Penn. Occasionally doubling as a movie actor, Barnett had small parts in Robert Altman's Nashville (1975) and Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (1980). Barnett and his co-writer, Rory Lee, wrote a short-story version of "The Chain of Love" that appeared in the inspirational book Chicken Soup For The Country Soul before Walker released it in song form. (Source: Traditional Country Hall Of Fame, 2002 -Edward Morris, CMT)

- Tom Waits (1975): "I've played audiences that hate me, that'd love to do damage to my physical person. Interviewer - what do you do? Well, you think up a lot of insults before you go on stage, I learned a lot of 'em from Jonnie Barnett." (Source: WAMU Radio Interview. Date: Washington, DC. April 18, 1975)

Small Change, 1976

Bad Liver And A Broken Heart

Well, I got a bad liver and a broken heart

Yeah, I drunk me a river since you tore me apart

And I don't have a drinking problem 'cept when I can't get a drink

And I wish you'd known her, we were quite a pair

She was sharp as a razor and soft as a prayer

So welcome to the continuing saga

She was my better half, and I was just a dog

And so here am I slumped

I've been chipped and I've been chumped on my stool

So buy this fool some spirits and libations⁽²⁾

It's these railroad station bars

And all these conductors and the porters

And I'm all out of quarters

And this epitaph is the aftermath

Yeah, I choose my path, hey come on, Kath

He's a lawyer, he ain't the one for ya

No, the moon ain't romantic, it's intimidating as hell

And some guy's trying to sell me a watch

And so I'll meet you at the bottom of a bottle of bargain Scotch⁽³⁾

I got me a bottle and a dream, it's so maudlin⁽⁴⁾ it seems

You can name your poison⁽⁵⁾

Go on ahead and make some noise I ain't sentimental

This ain't a purchase, it's a rental, and it's purgatory

And hey, what's your story, well I don't even care

Cause I got my own double-cross to bear⁽⁶⁾

And I'll see your Red Label, and I'll raise⁽⁷⁾ you one more

And you can pour me a cab, I just can't drink no more

cause it don't douse the flames

that are started by dames, It ain't like asbestos

It don't do nothing but rest us assured

And substantiate the rumors that you've heard

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), � 1976

Official release: Small Change, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976

Known covers:

None

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Bad Liver And A Broken Heart". With: Frank Vicari (tenor saxophone), Fitz Jenkins (upright bass), Chip White (drums). Taken from Rockpalast, WDR television concert documentary. WDR Studio's/ Studio-L. Cologne/ Germany (aired April 18, 1977.  

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Tom Waits (1976): "I put a lot into 'Bad Liver and a Broken Heart'. I tried to resolve a few things as far as this cocktail- lounge, maudlin, crying-in-your-beer image that I have. There ain't nothin' funny about a drunk. You know, I was really starting to believe that there was something amusing and wonderfully American about a drunk. I ended up telling myself to cut that shit out. On top of everything else, talking about boozing substantiates the rumours that people hear about you, and people hear that I'm a drunk. So I directed that song as much to the people that listen to me and think they know me as much as I directed it to myself." (Source: "Smelling like a brewery, lookin' like a tramp". Rolling Stone: David McGee. 1976) 

⁽²⁾ Libation n.: 1. The pouring of a liquid offering as a religious ritual; the liquid so poured. 2. A beverage, especially an intoxicating beverage, informal(Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin - Third Edition)

⁽³⁾ And so I'll meet you at the bottom of a bottle of bargain Scotch: 

- Tom Waits (1978): "I don't drink when I'm working. John, my road manager, does. He buys bargain stuff, like Frank's Scotch, or Bensen & Hedges brewed in Rochester. He was my inspiration for my line, "I'll meet you at the bottom of a bottle of bargain Scotch." (Source: "Sleazy Rider - A man who works at being a derelict". RELIX magazine by Clark Peterson. May - June, 1978. Vol. 5 No. 2) 

⁽⁴⁾ Maudlin: Stupidly sentimental. Maudlin drunk is the drunkenness which is sentimental and inclined to tears. Maudlin slip-slop is sentimental chitchat. The word is derived from Mary Magdalen, who is drawn by ancient painters with a lackadaisical face, and eyes swollen with weeping. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd) 

⁽⁵⁾ Poison: n. [19C+] an ironic term for drink in general; thus [1910+] (Aus.) poison-shop, a public house (name your poison). (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9) 

⁽⁶⁾ Cause I got my own double-cross to bear: "Double-cross to bear" is a play on two common expressions - "double cross" (a deliberate betrayal; violation of a promise or obligation) and "cross to bear" (a heavy burden: referring to the account in the Bible where Jesus was made to carry his own cross to the hill where he was crucified). (Source: Email by Leroy Larson to Tom Waits Library. October, 2005)

⁽⁷⁾ Raise v.: After someone has opened betting in a round, to increase the amount of the bet is to raise. For example, if the betting limit is $5 and player A bets $5, player B can fold, call the $5, or raise it to $10 (Source: Dan's poker dictionary, Dan Kimberg)

I Can't Wait To Get Off Work

(And See My Baby On Montgomery Avenue)⁽¹⁾

I don't mind working, cause I used to be jerking off

Most of my time in the bars

I've been a cabbie and a stock clerk and a soda-fountain jock-jerk⁽²⁾

And a manic mechanic on cars

It's nice work if you can get it⁽³⁾, now who the hell said it?

I got money to spend on my girl

But the work never stops, and I'll be busting my chops⁽⁴⁾

Working for Joe and Sal⁽⁵⁾

And I can't wait to get off work and see my baby

She said she'd leave the porch light on for me

I'm disheveled and I'm disdainful

And I'm distracted and it's painful

But this job sweeping up here is gainfully employing me tonight

Well, "Tom, do this" and "Tom, do that" and "Tom, don't do that"

"Count the cash, clean the oven, dump the trash"

Oh, your loving is a rare and a copacetic⁽⁶⁾ gift

And I'm a moonlight watchmanic, it's hard to be romantic

Sweeping up over by the cigarette machine

Sweeping up over by the cigarette machine

I can't wait to get off work and see my baby

She'll be waiting up with a magazine for me

"Clean the bathrooms and clean 'em good"

Oh, your loving, I wish you would

Come down here and sweep me off my feet

This broom'll have to be my baby

If I hurry, I just might get off before the dawn's early light

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music, Inc. (ASCAP), � 1976

Official release: Small Change, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976

Known covers:

Live At The Lodge. Veronica Klaus. May, 2005. Black Diamond Music 

Innocent When You Dream. Brandon Bernstein. February 26, 2010. Jazz Collective Records

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ I can't wait to get off work:  

Tom Waits (introducing I Can't Wait To Get Off Work, 1999): "I worked at a Pizza place when I was a kid. It was next to a mortuary and there were a lot of jokes about the food. And eh... anyway I guess this is the... this is for all the restaurant workers out there in the world...  " (Source: "KBCO Interview With Tom Waits" KBCO-C studios Los Angeles (USA), by Bret Saunders. October 13, 1999)

- And See My Baby On Montgomery Avenue: There doesn't seem to be a Montgomery Avenue in San Diego (where young Tom Waits would get off work). Closest Montgomery Avenue seems to be in Cardiff By The Sea? (near Encinitas)

⁽²⁾ Soda jerker, soda jerk: One, usu. a youth who prepares and dispenses refreshments at a soda fountain (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽³⁾ It's nice work if you can get it

- Referring to: "Nice Work If You Can Get It". Writers: George & Ira Gershwin. From "A Damsel in Distress", 1937: "The man who only lives for making money Lives a life that isn't necessarily sunny Likewise the man who works for fame There's no guarantee that time won't erase his name The fact is, the only work that really brings enjoyment Is the kind that is for girl and boy meant Fall in love and you won't regret it That's the best work of all, if you can get it Holding hands at midnight 'Neath a starry sky Nice work if you can get it And you can get it if you try Strolling with the one girl Sighing sigh after sigh  Nice work if you can get it And you can get it if you try Just imagine someone Waiting at the cottage door Where two hearts become one Who could ask for anything more? Loving one who loves you And then taking that vow It's nice work if you can get it And if you get it, won't you tell me how? Just imagine someone Waiting at the cottage door Where two hearts become one Who could ask for anything more? Loving one who loves you And then taking that vow Nice work if you can get it And if you get it, won't you tell me how?"

- Nice work - if you can get it phr. [1940s+] implying fairly open jealousy of the previous speaker. [often lit. referring to a job/ occupation/ activity, but not invariably so] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽⁴⁾ Bust one's chops: phr. [1950s] to make a great fuss about something (cf. beat one's chops, break one's chops) (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9). 

- Chops [1960s+] synon. for arse, esp. in phr. freeze/ sweat/ work one's chops off. [16C SE. jazz musicians fig. ref. to the use of one's mouth and lips in playing a wind instrument] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽⁵⁾ Joe and Sal

- Refers to Napoleone Pizza House (a pizza house in National City, San Diego). Further reading: Napoleone Pizza House

- Also mentioned in the subtitle for "The Ghosts Of Saturday Night".

Napoleone Pizza House. Summer, 2001. Photography: Dalsh

⁽⁶⁾ Copacetic, copesetic, kopasetic, kopesetic, kopasetee, kopesetee

- adj.: Fine, excellent, all right, o.k. (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- "Copacetic, fine, excellent, going just right. "It's possible that this word has created more column inches of speculation in the USA than any other apart from OK. It's rare to the point of invisibility outside North America. People mostly become aware of it in the sixties as a result of the US space program-it's very much a Right Stuff kind of word. But even in the USA it doesn't have the circulation it did thirty years ago. Dictionaries are cautious about attributing a source for it, reasonably so, as there are at least five competing explanations, with no conclusive evidence for any of them. One suggestion that's commonly put forward is that it was originally a word of the African-American community in the USA. The name of Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, a famous black tap-dancer, singer and actor of the period round the turn of the twentieth century is commonly linked to this belief about its origin. Indeed, he claimed to have invented it as a shoeshine boy in Richmond. But other blacks, especially Southerners, said later that they had heard it earlier than Mr Robinson's day. But he certainly did a lot to popularise the word. A second explanation that's given credence is that it derives from one of two Hebrew expressiona, hakol b'seder, "all is in order", or kol b'tzedek, "all with justice", which it is suggested were introduced into the USA by Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants. Other accounts say it derives from a Chinook word copasenee, "everything is satisfactory", once used on the waterways of Washington State, or from the French coupersetique, from couper, "to strike", or, in a hugely strained derivation, from the cop is on the settee, supposedly a hoodlum term used to describe a policeman who was not actively watching out for crime, and so one who was OK." (Source: World Wide Words is copyright � Michael Quinion, 1996-2004)

Invitation To The Blues

Well, she's up against the register with an apron and a spatula

With yesterday's deliveries, and the tickets for the bachelors

She's a movin' violation from her conk⁽²⁾ down to her shoes

But it's just an invitation to the blues

And you feel just like Cagney⁽³⁾, she looks like Rita Hayworth⁽⁴⁾

At the counter of the Schwab's Drugstore⁽⁵⁾

You wonder if she might be single, she's a loner, likes to mingle

Got to be patient, try and pick up a clue

She said: How you gonna like 'em, over medium or scrambled?

You say: Anyway's the only way, be careful not to gamble

on a guy with a suitcase and a ticket gettin' out of here

in a tired⁽⁶⁾ bus station, in an old pair of shoes

cause it ain't nothin' but an invitation to the blues

But you can't take your eyes off her, get another cup of Java

It's just the way she pours it for you, jokin' with the customers

Mercy mercy, Mr. Percy, there ain't nothin' back in Jersey

but a broken down jalopy⁽⁷⁾ of a man I left behind

and a dream that I was chasin', and a battle with the booze

and an open invitation to the blues

But she used to have a sugar daddy⁽⁸⁾ and a candyapple Caddy

And a bank account and everything, accustomed to the finer things

He probably left her for a socialite, and he didn't love her 'cept at night

And then he's drunk and never even told her that he cared

So they took the registration, and the car keys and his shoes

and left her with an invitation to the blues

But there's a Continental Trailways leavin' Local bus tonight, good evenin'

You can have my seat, I'm stickin' round here for a while

Get me a room at the Squire, and the fillin' station's hirin'

Now I can eat here every night, what the hell have I got to lose?

Got a crazy sensation, go or stay, and I gotta choose

And I'll accept your invitation to the blues

Written by: Tom Waits⁽⁹⁾

Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), � 1976

Official release: Small Change, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976

Arrangement and lyrics published in "Tom Waits - Anthology" (Amsco Publications, 1988/ Nuova Carisch, 2000)

Known covers:

Live 1989-1993. The Piano Has Been Drinking. November 15, 1993. Chlodwig /BMG Germany (in German/ K�lsch)

Vanity. Jan Vayne. 1994. EMI (The Netherlands)

Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by Giant Sand

Temptation. Holly Cole, 1995. Blue Note Records/ Capital (Japan/ USA)

It Happened One Night. Holly Cole. June, 1995. Blue Note Records (Japan)

By Heart. Maggie Holland. September 14, 1995. Rhiannon (RHYD5008)

Halia. Foivos Delivorias. July, 1998. Sony Music/ BMG (in Greek)

Collection. Holly Cole Trio. September, 1998. EMI (Australia)

Strike When Your Iron Is Hot. David Basse. October, 2000. City Light Records

Saving All My Love For You (a tribute to Tom Waits). Claudia Bettinaglio. January, 2001. Taxim Records (Germany)

Night Rhythms 2. Various artists. 2002. Taxim Records (performed by Claudia Bettinaglio)

The Well. Jennifer Warnes. September 4, 2001. Sin-Drome Records

Ausgelacht. Arnim T�pel. September, 2002. Self-released

It's About Time. James Naughton. October 8, 2002. Drg

Ain't Your Train. The Tremors Bluesband. 2003. Self-released (live)

Too Many Spare Parts In The Yard ("Tom Waits Tribute"). Giant Sand (Howe Gelb). 2003. Self-released

Who Is D.W. Ditty? D.W. Ditty. January, 2003. Dittydisc

Pornoshow - Laura Fedele Interpreta Tom Waits. Laura Fedele. May, 2003. Auditorium, AUD 00902 (in Italian)

The Fourth Stream. The Fourth Stream. 2004. J. Dog Music

Bukowski Waits For You. Michael Kiessling. June 14, 2004. Buschfunk (Germany)

Journal On A Shelf. Bill Sheffield. June, 2005. American Roots & Blues Records

Journal On A Shelf. Bill Sheffield. April 22, 2006. American Roots Records (re-issue of 2005 release)

2 Blues Shoes On 2er. 2 Blues Shoes. 2006. Self-released

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Invitation To The Blues". With: Frank Vicari (tenor saxophone), Fitz Jenkins (upright bass), Chip White (drums). Taken from Rockpalast, WDR television concert documentary. WDR Studio's/ Studio-L. Cologne/ Germany (aired April 18, 1977.   

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Intro from Sala Kongresowa. Warsaw, Poland. May 26, 2000: "Okay, this is about a restaurant... where the food is lousy... consistently... But there is a beautiful girl in there. And it's worth eating there... for an opportunity to see her. ... In fact they can poison you for all you care. As long as it's her shift. She's up against the register... "

⁽²⁾ Conk

- n.: The head/ the face (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽³⁾ Cagney

- The epitome of rough manhood. Cagney's energetic acting style with raspy voice became synonymous with the Hollywood "tough guy" role. James Francis Cagney, Jr., born on July 17, 1899, was the child of an Irish father and Norwegian mother and was raised on New York's Lower Eastside. He was quite successful in the musical "Penny Arcade". He was signed to a contract by Warner Brothers and his role as Tom Powers in "The Public Enemy" made him a star. He went on to star in such classics as "Angels With Dirty Faces", "The Roaring Twenties", "White Heat". Cagney retired in 1961. He made a big screen comeback in 1981's "Ragtime" and starred in the small screen movie "Terrible Joe Moran" in 1984. He died of a heart attack on his farm in upstate New York on March 30, 1986. President Ronald Reagan delivered the eulogy at his funeral. Hayworth and Cagney both appeared in: "The strawberry blonde ", 1941 and the Warner Brothers musical "One Sunday Afternoon ", 1948.

- Also mentioned in Romeo Is Bleeding: "Like an angel with a bullet and Cagney on the screen."

⁽⁴⁾ Hayworth, Rita: Margarita Carmen Cansino. Born: Brooklyn, NY, October 17 1918 - Died: New York City, NY, May 14 1987. American actress and dancer. Married to E.C. Judson, Orson Welles, Prince Ali Kahn, D.Haymes and James Hill successively. She played in films such as: Tales of Manhattan, The lady from Shanghai and The Wrath of God. Hayworth and Cagney both appeared in: "The strawberry blonde", 1941 and the Warner Brothers musical "One Sunday Afternoon", 1948.

⁽⁵⁾ Schwab's drugstore: Los Angeles drugstore/ soda fountain (The Strip, Sunset Boulevard) where several famous stars were said to be discovered. Since Hollywood is a place of dreams, this anecdote may be inflated to dream size proportions. The place to be in the 50's and 60's. Here stars were born. It is said Lana Turner was discovered here. In the 70's Schwab's drugstore was on the downgrade and had lost all it's glory and magic. It was demolished in 1983

⁽⁶⁾ Tired adj. Dull, boring; unimaginative; specif., out of fashion, reminiscent or repetitive of things previously seen or heard (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁷⁾ Jalopy, jaloppy n.: An old and/ or battered automobile. 'A Jalopy is a model one step above a "junker" ... it still runs but only at great peril to life, limb and the common wealth' Any vehicle regardless of its condition or age (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁸⁾ Sugar daddy

- A male sweetheart well provided with money, esp., a wealthy, usu. elderly man who spends money freely on girls; specif., a worldly, sophisticated man, usu. not young and usu. wealthy, who pays the rent and other expenses of a young woman in return for her sexual favors and companionship (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).

- Also mentioned in "Blow, Wind Blow" (Put my Raleigh's on the dashboard, Sugar daddy caught a polocar)

⁽⁹⁾ Invitation To The Blues: Song might be inspired by or refering to Roger Miller's "Invitation To The Blues". Released as the B-side of Ray Price's 1958 hit "City Lights", "Invitation to the Blues" rose to #3 on the US charts, giving Roger Miller his first major success in the business. "I couldn't sleep last night, just walked the floor. Don't know how i'll stand this anymore. Lonely all the time since i lost you. Received your invitation to the blues. I don't know why you cause me such pain. I just hope i'll never go through this much again. Lonely me, i don't know what to do. Received your invitation to the blues. You took the laughter from this world of mine. Thanks to you the sun will never shine. Walked the floor so much wore out my shoes. Received your invitation to the blues. I don't know why you cause me such pain. I just hope i'll never go through this much again. Lonely me, i don't know what to do. Received your invitation to the blues."

I Wish I Was In New Orleans

(In the Ninth Ward)(2)

Well, I wish I was in New Orleans
I can see it in my dreams
Arm in arm down Burgundy(3)
A bottle and my friends and me

Hoist up a few tall cool ones
Play some pool and listen
To that tenor saxophone
Calling me home

And I can hear the band begin
"When the Saints Go Marching In"
And by the whiskers on my chin
New Orleans, I'll be there

I'll drink you under the table
Be a red nose, go for walks
The old haunts, what I wants
Is red beans and rice

And wear the dress I like so well
Meet me at the old saloon
Make sure that there's a Dixie moon
New Orleans, I'll be there

And deal the cards, roll the dice
If it ain't that old Chuck E. Weiss(4)
And Clayborn Avenue(5), me and you
Sam Jones(6) and all

And I wish I was in New Orleans
Cause I can see it in my dreams
Arm in arm down Burgundy
A bottle and my friends and me
New Orleans, I'll be there

Written by: Tom Waits
Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), � 1976
Official release: Small Change, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976

Known covers:
Angel Of New Orleans. David Roe and The Royal Rounders. March, 2000. The Orchard
Big Easy Classics. Tom Hook. 2005. Self-released
Now Or Never. Dave Holt Band. August 17, 2006. Lucky Lobster (USA)
American Storyteller Vol 2 & 3. Chris Chandler And Davd Roe. September 4, 2007. Self-released
I Wish I Was In New Orleans. Tipitina. November 6, 2007. Big Bear Records
Anywhere I Lay My Head. Scarlett Johansson. May 20, 2008. Atco Records

Notes:

(1) Live intro from 'Cold Beer'/ Sydney, 1979: "I used to know this girl named Suzy Montelongo. And her brother's name was Joe Montelongo. Joe always wanted to kill me. He sang in a band called the Rodbenders. Suzy Montelongo used to wear these angora sweaters. I'm crazy about angora sweaters. I guess it's kind of a hang-up of mine. She had angora socks, and angora shoes. I believe she was originally *from* Angora. I don't know where she is anymore, but every time I see an angora sweater, I think maybe inside will be Suzy Montelongo. Eh-he-he... Maybe she's in New Orleans. Well, I'll be there... " (Transcribed by Ulf Berggren. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000)
- Live intro from 'Paris at Midnight': "This is about a guy who lived at a place called the Taft Hotel, which is in St Louis. He spent most of the afternoon starring at the wallpaper. And it was a water stain there. He thought it was a map of South America. Heck, it was good enough for him. This was his... the way he was traveling was just from going inside the water stains on the wallpaper in the hotels. It's just a concept... And he saved most of his time in a little bag, with a string on it." (Transcribed by Ulf Berggren. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000)
- Francis Thumm (1988): "When did you first see yourself as a songwriter?" Tom Waits: "Actually, even after I had made records. I didn't feel completely confident in the craft until maybe Small Change. When I first put a story to music. I fell I was learning and getting the confidence to keep doing it. "Tom Traubert's Blues" "Small Change" and "I Wish I Was in New Orleans" gave me some confidence." (Source: "Tom's Wild Years" Interview Magazine (USA), by Francis Thumm. October, 1988)
- In the late 1970s Waits often used to perform this song as a medley with "I Dream Of Jeannie", "Since I Fell For You", "When The Saints Go Marching In"
- I Dream Of Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair (Written by Stephen Foster, 1854): "I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair. Borne like a vapor on the summer air. I see her tripping where the bright streams play. Happy as the daisies that dance on her way. Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour, Many were the blithe birds that warbled them o'er. I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair. Floating like a vapor on the soft, summer air. I sigh for Jeannie, but her light form strayed. Far from the fond parts round her native glade; Her smiles have vanished and her sweet songs flown. Flitting like the dreams that have cheered us and gone."
- Since I Fell For You (Lenny Welch. Words and music by: Buddy Johnson, 1948): "When you just give love, and never get love, you'd better let love depart. I know it's so, and yet I know, I can't get you out of my heart. You made me leave my happy home. You took my love, and now you've gone, since I fell for you. Love brings such misery and pain. I guess I'll never be the same, since I fell for you. Well it's too bad, and it's too sad, but I'm in love with you. You love me, then you snub me. But what can I do, I'm still in love with you. Well, I guess I'll never see the light. I get the blues most every night, since I fell for you. Since I fell for you."
- When The Saints Go Marching In (Wrritten in 1896 by James M Black (music) and Katherine E Purvis (words) (Emma Cotton[?]). Copyright: unknown): "We are trav'ling in the footsteps. Of those who've gone before, And we'll all be reunited, On a new and sunlit shore. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Lord how I want to be in that number. When the saints go marching in. And when the sun begins to shine. And when the sun begins to shine. Lord, how I want to be in that number. When the sun begins to shine. Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call. Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call. Lord, how I want to be in that number. When the trumpet sounds its call. Some say this world of trouble, Is the only one we need, But I'm waiting for that morning, When the new world is revealed."

(2) In the Ninth Ward
- Ward: A division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes (Source: The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright � 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company).
- Apparently when in New Orleans, one will hear people give directions, or talking about the city in terms of wards. The term comes from the city's voting districts, which are called wards. There are 17 wards in New Orleans and one will hear the natives and the news media refer to this or that ward. Boundaries of Ward 9 are: Almonaster, Lake Pontchartrain, St. Bernard Parish Line, & the Mississippi River. (North) Claiborne Avenue and Burgundy Street are indeed in the 9th Ward.
- Bunny Matthews: "The Ninth Ward has always been the part of New Orleans that was mired in last place. Its residents, the poorest of the poor-black and white, had no political clout, no drainage, no sewerage, and in some places, no sidewalks. The Ninth Ward was the only place in city limits where hunting game was a viable nutritional option. In 1914, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, also known as the Dock Board, decided to create an artificial waterway connecting the river and Lake Pontchartrain. The Ninth Ward was considered the perfect site because it was "a virtually uninhabited area" or at least, uninhabited by anyone capable of stopping the captains of industry. Between 1918 and 1923, the Industrial Canal was built through the heart of the Ninth Ward, resulting in the divisions known as the Ninth Ward and the Lower Ninth Ward... (Today the Ninth Ward) is a neighborhood where 99-year-old ladies wearing housecoats and hairnets sit on their stoops, making sure that everyone else's business is their business. They own Chihuahuas because, pound for pound, they're the meanest of all canines. The last time these ladies visited Canal Street, it was the site of department stores named D.H. Holmes, Maison Blanche, Gus Mayer, Krauss and Godchaux's. To them, Metairie might as well be the moon. There is no Uptown seersucker suit pretension around here, no ponytailed joggers with glistening tans and personal CD players, nobody eating free range chickens or Light 'n Fit yogurt... The staff of life in the Ninth Ward is the po-boy, limp with gravy, hot sauce and Blue Plate mayonnaise, washed down with a draft beer-no particular brand, as long as it's cheap. Dessert is a Hubig's Pie (388 calories), baked across the border in the Eighth Ward. Half the people are drunk by noon, a quarter suffer from vague but incapacitating diseases causing crusty skin inflammations and dementia, a third would rather endure root canals instead of missing their daily soap operas. Everybody is Catholic or a voodoo variant thereof. As the saying goes, people from the Ninth Ward don't mind dying, either because they've already had so much fun or because they'll try anything once. Fats Domino, residing in the Lower Ninth Ward, is the area's most famous musician. His home on Caffin Avenue is a monument to Fats' status as a pop artist second only to Elvis Presley, as well as a testament to Mr. Domino's devotion to his home turf. He could've easily deserted the Ninth Ward for a gated community or country estate, but chose to live in New Orleans' funkiest zone-a place where murders are as common as mirlitons." (Source: "WISH YOU WERE HERE, DAWL!" By Bunny Matthews. OffBeat magazine: July 2003. Copyright �2002, OffBeat, Inc.)

(3) Burgundy: Burgundy Street, New Orleans (Ninth Ward, Holy Cross Neighborhood)

(4) Weiss, Chuck E.: Chicago born and old time friend Chuck E. Weiss. Further reading: Chuck E. Weiss

(5) Clayborn Avenue: misspelled and should read "Claiborne Avenue", New Orleans (Lower Ninth Ward). Bart Bull (2005): "Claiborne runs through the Ninth Ward (prounounced Nint') and the Sevent and Sixt and all through Uptown and Downtown....It was the great street of black New Orleans, the High Street, Main Street, which is why when Urban Redevelopment came along in the 1960s, they yanked out its looming, shady oak trees and plunked the freeway right over top of it, killing all the thriving black business. Yet, in a miracle of how Afrocentric culture can respond to such as that, folks still congregate beneath along Claiborne, using the freeway for shade in the absence of the oak trees, and every second line parade makes sure that it travels under the freeway (usually called "the bridge" because the brass band booms all more reverberatingly underneath all that concrete." (Source: email conversations Bart Bull/ Tom Waits Library, October 2005)

(6) Jones, Sam: Jones is mentioned in the linernotes of the album "Nighthawks at the diner": "Special thanks to Sam (I'll pay you if I can and when I get it) Jones." In Waits' 1974 press release for The Heart Of Saturday Night a Sam Jones is listed as one of his favourite writers.
- Tom Waits: "I hitchhiked to Arizona with Sam Jones while I was still a high school student. And on New Year's Eve, when it was about 10 degrees out, we got pulled into a Pentecostal church by a woman named Mrs. Anderson. We heard a full service, with talking in tongues. And there was a little band in there - guitar, drums, and bass along with the choir." (Source: "Tom's Wild Years" Interview Magazine (USA), by Francis Thumm. October, 1988)
- Tom Waits: "I have slept in a graveyard and I have rode the rails. When I was a kid, I used to hitchhike all the time from California to Arizona with a buddy named Sam Jones. We would just see how far we could go in three days, on a weekend, see if we could get back by Monday. I remember one night in a fog, we got lost On this side road and didn't know where we were exactly. And the fog came in and we were really lost then and it was very cold. We dug a big ditch in a dry riverbed and we both laid in there and pulled all this dirt and leaves over us Iike a blanket. We're shivering in this ditch all night, and we woke up in the morning and the fog had cleared and right across from us was a diner; we couldn't see it through the fog. We went in and had a great breakfast, still my high-water mark for a great breakfast. The phantom diner." (Source: "The Man Who Howled Wolf ". Magnet: Jonathan Valania. June/July 1999)
- Tom Waits: "Well actually I had some good things that happened to me hitchhiking, because I did wind up on a New Year's Eve in front of a Pentecostal church and an old woman named Mrs. Anderson came out. We were stuck in a town, with like 7 people in this town and trying to get out you know? And my buddy and I were out there for hours and hours and hours getting colder and colder and it was getting darker and darker. Finally she came over and she says: "Come on in the church here. It's warm and there's music and you can sit in the back row." And then we did and eh... They were singing and you know they had a tambourine an electric guitar and a drummer. They were talking in tongues and then they kept gesturing to me and my friend Sam: "These are our wayfaring strangers here." So we felt kinda important. And they took op a collection, they gave us some money, bought us a hotel room and a meal. We got up the next morning, then we hit the first ride at 7 in the morning and then we were gone. It was really nice, I still remember all that and it gave me a good feeling about traveling." (Source: "Fresh Air interview with Tom Waits", Fresh Air with Terry Gross, produced in Philadelphia by WHYY. Radio show as archived on Fresh Air website. May 21, 2002)

Jitterbug Boy

(Sharing a Curbstone With Chuck E. Weiss, Robert Marchese, Paul Body And The Mug And Artie)⁽¹⁶⁾

Well, I'm a jitterbug boy⁽²⁾, by the shoe-shine

Resting on my laurels and my hardys⁽³⁾ too

Life of Riley⁽⁴⁾ on a swing shift⁽⁵⁾, girls follow my drift

Once upon a time I was in show biz too

I've seen the Brooklyn Dodgers⁽⁶⁾ playing at Ebbets Field⁽⁷⁾

Seen the Kentucky Derby⁽⁸⁾ too

It's fast women, slower horses, I'm reliable sources

And I'm holding up a lamp post if you want to know

I've seen the Wabash Cannonball⁽⁹⁾, buddy, I've done it all

Because I slept with the lions, and Marilyn Monroe⁽¹⁰⁾

Had breakfast in the eye of a hurricane

Fought Rocky Marciano⁽¹¹⁾, played Minnesota Fats⁽¹²⁾

Burned hundred-dollar bills, I've eaten Mulligan stew⁽¹³⁾

Got drunk with Louis Armstrong⁽¹⁴⁾, what's that old song?

I taught Mickey Mantle⁽¹⁵⁾ everything that he knows

So you'll ask me what I'm doing here, holding up a lamp-post

Flipping this quarter, trying to make up my mind

And if it's heads I'll go to Tennessee, and tails I'll buy a drink

If it lands on the edge I'll keep talking to you

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), � 1976

Official release: Small Change, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976⁽¹⁷⁾

Known covers:

None

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Live intro's:

- Westchester Jazz Festival, 1976: "You know, I was just thinking about my first Senior Prom, just before I came out here. I tried to perish the thought. I don't know... I took a girl named Margaret Terentino to the Senior Prom. And she wasn't that good looking really... I've seen better legs on a table, but eh... Better teeth on a comb. Better hair on my ass, as a matter of fact. Well, I wasn't... I wasn't any great catch myself! I had hemorrhoids, dandruff, and terminal acne. They used to use me for third base. I took a girl named Margaret Terentino and... Her brother was a big sumo wrestler, and her parents owned an Italian restaurant. And I had to borrow a car. And I was working... It was a dish washing job and a paper route at the same time. Doing a little social climbing. So I drove her all the way to Tijuana, and parked illawstrous right in front of a big sign that said, "Toe-away! No parking! We're not responsible for articles lost or stolen". Well, to make a long story shorter, the car got towed away, I got all juiced and shit, and threw up all over her dress. That was right after she threw up all over my slacks. So I ended up hitch-hiking and I got picked up by a guy named Joe Montelongo, and Joe was a big guy who used to sing in a band, and they did one song, it was 'Walking the Dog'. But they did it for about a half hour or so. So he let us in the car, and we got into a big fight and I dropped her off at a Sanders station, to go in and fix herself up. And I went home. And just about that time was when I ran into Chuck E. Weiss, a partner of mine. And he told me a long story 'bout when he was thirteen years old and he went into a telephone booth, and he found the key in the coinbox. If you think about that it's fascinating, because not only did that key fit in that particular coinbox, but it also fit about seven hundred and fifty other telephone booths. Eh-he... Well, push came to shove, he called up 'bout ten friends in there, and they had to drag him all over the city, and a week later Chuck E was thirteen years old, ridin' a limousine and smokin' Cuban cigars. Eh-he-he... And the headlines in the newspapers said, 'Ma Belle (?) Raided by Mafia'. A real caper. This is 'bout a jitterbug cat I met in the Pennsylvania station at three o'clock in the morning, named Rocky. One of those guys who's been everywhere, knows everything, done everything, you know... I mean, he definitely would sell you a rat's asshole for a wedding ring, and I'll say that without fear of contradiction. He told me he was wearing Hank Williams' boots. And they were loafers, you know... He said, 'Well, I had the tops cut off, cause you know... ' 

- The Shaboo Inn, Willimantic. November 9, 1976: "Well... I'd like to do eh... Well, this is a new song about an evening I spent in the Pennsylvania station In the wee small hours of the morning in New York City one night I was just trying to get to Philadelphia Cause every now and then you just have to go to Philadelphia That's all there is to it Regardless of whether you know anybody there or not, you just have to go to Philadelphia I woke up in the middle of the night and [?] to get to Philadelphia so I called on the phone to the Pennsylvania station There weren't no trains, there weren't anybody answering the phone I just had to get to Philadelphia, so I ran all the way up to 34th Street Walked inside and the place was just loaded with a veritable convoluted evening compendium And one straggler of a cat named Rocky leaning up outside of the information booth I took one look at him and I knew that he'd probably been involved at some point with an academic institution of higher learning And he was all over me like a cheap suit, eh-he-he-he Couldn't shake him, eh-he-he So we went to a place called Blarney Stone Yeah, so I went to Blarney Stone and drank cheap shots and beer in the memory of a guy named Charlie Denton that died in 1937 And sang songs aaaaall night long I said, I want a girl just like the girl that married dear old Dad [cheers from the audience] You too, huh? When I fall in love it will be forever Or I'll never fall in love [scat sings] Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think Destroy yourself, it's later than you think The girl that I marry will have to be Soft as a kitten and have a whole lot of money Well, at least a Bank Americard and Master Charge As we walked up 8th Avenue he was telling me all about when he used to hang out with... it was him and Mickey Mantle and Igor Stravinski and John F. Kennedy, and... Those were back in the old days... Said, me and Sly was like this... eh-he-he-he Don Drysdale, and I knew him when he was nothing and he hasn't changed a bit So I was sitting around with the Pope one night And who dropped in but Hank Williams, let me tell ya! And Hank was eh... cause those were the days when Hank was hanging out with Louis Armstrong, so they all came in together So we got Charlie Parker on the phone and said, 'You gotta get over here, man' And he looked me right in the eyes ...?... and said I'm the jitterbug boy..."

- One Night Stand, 1976. Version 1:"Somewhere across the sea My love, she waits for me [scat sings] Well, when I fall in love Y'know, it will be forever Or I'll never fall in love Heeey, baby! I wanna know if you'll be my girl Cause wise men say, only fools rush in Well, won't you take me out to the ball game And take me out to the crowd Friendship, friendship Just a perfect friendship When other friendships have been forgotten Ours will still be hot Cause there's a place for us A time and place for us I got plenty of nuttin' And nuttin' is plenty for me I got the sun in the morning And the moon at night Cause I'm a jitterbug boy..."

- One Night Stand, 1976. Version 2: "And I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair Cause when I fall in love, it will be forever Or I'll never fall in love Because the girl that I marry will have to be Soft as a kitten and have a whole lot of money And then you can take me out to the ball game Take me out to the crowd You know, one of these days I'm gonna get me a little place down there on Primrose Lane Life's a holiday on Primrose Lane Such a holiday on Primrose Lane And I got the sun in the morning And the moon at night Cause I'm a jitterbug boy..."

- WNEW radio. December 14, 1976: "This is a song about eh... a cat I met at eh Pennsylvania station eh real late one night and eh... his name's Rocky... It seems there's always a guy named Rocky at Pennsylvania station... or any station for that matter. If there isn't you know eh, they usually have a (...?...) and rent one. And eh... The guy'd been everywhere, done everything. I was going to Philadelphia. He said: "Man, I'm going to Philadelphia." He said: "I'm gonna take a train." I said: "Well you know eh, don't take a train, let the train take you.". Huh, huh... "

- Roslyn, Long Island, New York, October 10, 1977: "Somewhere across the sea my love, she waits for me... There's a place for us. A time and place for us. On a bicycle built for two. Well, you can take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the crowd. Well, the girl that I marry will have to be soft as a kitten and have a whole lot of money. Because when I fall in love it will be forever or I'll never fall in love. Friendship, friendship just a perfect friendship. When other friendships have been forgotten ours will still be hot. Cause I'm a jitterbug boy..."

- Sydney. March, 1979: "Well, this is a little song about a buddy-wuddy of mine. His name is Chuck E. Weiss. Chuck E. Weiss is the kind of guy that would steal his own car. Eh-he-he-he... And I'm a jitterbug boy..."

- Kansas City, 1979: "Well... thank you. It's really nice to be here. The only time I ever had any honest affiliation with Kansas City was when a friend of mine named Montclair de Havilland drove here over the weekend in a powder blue Lincoln Continental, just to get himself a can of Falstaff and some orange pants. Eh-he-he-he-he-he. Eh-he-he. He said, 'Man, this is the only city in the United States where you can get orange pants!' Eh-he-he-he... Eh-he-he... [With a voice from hell:] All right, calm down back there! Well, I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair Flowing like a river Oh, but Jeanie won't talk to me anymore And I've got plenty of nuttin' And nuttin's plenty for me And I've got the sun in the morning And the moon at night Cause I'm a jitterbug boy..."

- Storming Heaven Benefit, Healdsburg. August 11, 1996: "Good evening. Thank you! I know: what have I been doing? Well, I've gone back to school... traffic school. I don't have to pick a major right away, that's what I loved about it. I'm gonna go with something really light at first, just like "seven units", and "failure to yield", something like that. Actually, I ran into somebody just the other day that I went to traffic school with, and I said 'Jeff! How are you?' And we exchanged greetings. And he was the guy that first told me that there are only two things that you can throw out the window of a moving vehicle on the freeway without getting arrested. And I know what those two things are. The first one is easy. [someone in the audience yells 'Water'] Water, exactly! The second one's a little tougher. Are you ready for this? Feathers! Think about that for a while. Now that's without the bird. That's why I got arrested. I assume. I argued... I'm a jitterbug boy..."

- Draken Theatre. Stockholm, Sweden. November, 1987: "This is about when I lived in a hotel. I lived in a hotel for a long time and... Long beyond the time necessary for me to stay in a hotel. I had an analyst who insisted that I'd stay in a hotel under all circumstances. And under no circumstances was I to move out of this hotel. And I was paying him a lot of money, so I thought I'd better take his advice. So I stayed in this hotel, forever! And there was a nice little cigarette machine in the lobby, and a swimming pool that was painted black. It matched my mood in the water most of the time. It was a thrilling place. And my analyst is now living in that hotel. And he pays ME three hundred dollars, so it all balances out. Actually, I get asked a lot of questions. I guess that the question I get asked the most... well, I mean I get asked often enough that I would remark on it to you tonight. In fact, somebody just today came up to me and asked me... [somebody in the audience yells 'How's the wife and kids?'] That's the one! Thank you very much, Sir! Everybody wants to get in the act! How long have you been out of prison now, Sir? See, that's what happens when cousins marry. Anyway, you're still working out at the airport, right? Okay, we'll be seeing you bright and early! Actually, the question I get asked the most is... and somebody today, just... I mean, out of the clear blue sky, somebody came up to me and said 'Tom, is it possible for a girl to get pregnant without intercourse?' I get that all the time. I mean, I get asked that all the time! Anyway... I said, for the answer to this we're gonna have to go all the way back to the civil war. Apparently a stray bullet... This is the truth! A stray bullet actually pierced the testicle of a Union soldier, and then it went on to lodge itself in the ovaries of an eighteen year old girl who was standing two hundred, maybe three hundred feet from him at the time. They'd never even met! How's that for luck! Anyway, you know, she was very happy of course, cause there was something kind of immaculate about the conception, and she did a lot of interviews and that type of thing, and people flew in, and she was on the cover of a lot of magazines at the time. The baby was healthy. Of course, the soldier was pissed off, wouldn't you be? It's actually a FORM of intercourse, but I don't think it's for everybody. Unless you like action. I like action! This is a little song about eh... I got it right out of the encyclopedia..."

⁽²⁾ Jitterbug

- n.: adj. One who, though not a musician, enthusiastically likes or understands swing music; a swing fan.. A devotee of jitterbug music and dancing; one who follows the fashions and fads of the Jitterbug devotee (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).

- [1960s] (US Black) a youth who lives a street life but is not invariably a criminal [app. coined 1934 by US band leader Cab Calloway (1907-44)] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽³⁾ Resting on my Laurels and my Hardys: To rest on ones laurels, referring to the comical Hall Roach duo: Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy.

⁽⁴⁾ Life Of Riley: The good life. William and Mary Morris, in "Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins", conclude that this phrase arose when the vaudevillian Pat Rooney sang a song called "Are You the O'Reilly" during the late 19th century. The audience would sing along with this song, which dealt with what it would be like to be wealthy. The lyrics included such lines as `A hundred a day will be small pay' and `on the railroads you'll pay no fare.' However, H. L. Mencken attributes the origin of the phrase to "The Best in the House is None Too Good for Reilly," popular at the turn of the century. (Submitted by Ulf Berggren. eGroups Tom Waits Discussionlist. March, 2000)

⁽⁵⁾ Swing shift n.: A work period or shift between the standard day and night shifts, usu. beginning in the afternoon and ending in the evening, but sometimes beginning in the early morning and ending in the afternoon; a work crew or group of workers who work during these hours (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁶⁾ Brooklyn Dodgers: The Brooklyn Dodgers was a New York baseball team that much to the dismay of the Brooklyn people moved to LA and became the LA Dodgers. When still in New York they played their home games at Ebbets Field. In the movie 'Blue in the Face' you can hear talk about how nothing was ever the same in Brooklyn after they left.(Submitted by Ulf Berggren. eGroups Tom Waits Discussionlist. March, 2000)

⁽⁷⁾ Ebbets Field: Once the home arena for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Not to be confused with the Ebbets Field Nightclub in Denver where Waits has played in the seventies

⁽⁸⁾ Kentucky Derby: The Kentucky Derby stands as the oldest, consecutively held Thoroughbred race in America. The first Kentucky Derby was held May 17, 1875. Further reading: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/kderby/history/index.html (Submitted by Ulf Berggren. eGroups Tom Waits Discussionlist. March, 2000)

⁽⁹⁾ Wabash Cannonball

- A train. It ran for years along the Wabash River between St. Louis and Detroit. It was a steam engine that carried people, supplies, and food. The last run was in March of 1971 (Submitted by Cheryl Dillis. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist. September, 2000)

- Train, made famous by Roy Acuff's hit country song in the 40's. Wabash,a river flowing from W Ohio through Indiana, along part of the boundary between Indiana and Illinois, into the Ohio River (Submitted by Gary Duncan. Raindogs Listserv discussionlist. September, 2000)

⁽¹⁰⁾ Monroe, Marilyn

- Norma Jean Mortenson. Born Los Angeles/ Cal. 01-06-1926. Died Brentwood/ Cal. 05-08-1962. American actress and sex-symbol. Was married to Joe Dimaggio for a while.

- Also mentioned in A Sweet Little Bullet, 1978: "I'd rather die before I wake like Marilyn Monroe" and Hold On, 1999: "With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips she went and took that California trip"

⁽¹¹⁾ Marciano, Rocky: American actor and undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. Real name Rocco Marchegiano. Born: Brockton, Ma, September 1 1924 - Died: near Des Moines, Lo, August 31 1964.

⁽¹²⁾ Minnesota Fats: Born Rudolf Wanderone Jr., Minnesota Fats was known as New York Fats early in his career, and adopted the nickname Minnesota Fats after the 1961 movie "The Hustler". Known to fans as "the sultan of stroke", "dean of the green", and the "bank shot bandit", Minnesota Fats was probably the most famous player ever to play the game of billiards. Fats could shoot pool with either hand, but more importantly, he could entertain while doing it. Minnesota Fats had his own television show called "Celebrity Billiards Show", on which he played. Fats shot pool competitively well into the 1980's. (Submitted by Ulf Berggren. eGroups Tom Waits Discussionlist. March, 2000)

⁽¹³⁾ Mulligan stew

- n.: A stew made of any available meat(s) or vegetable(s). Orig. hobo use, perhaps from "salmagrundi". Often used facetiously about any stewlike food, however excellent (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner).

- A hobo dish containing just about anything you have handy. How to make just like they make it at the yearly hobo convention in Britt. Iowa. "Britt Mulligan Stew" = 450 lbs. of Beef, 900 lbs. of Potatoes, 250 lbs. of carrots, 35 lbs. of green peppers, 300 lbs. of cabbage, 100 lbs. of turnips, 10 lbs. of parsnips, 150 lbs. of tomatoes, 20 lbs. of chili peppers, 25 lbs. of rice, 60 lbs. of celery, 1 lb bay leaves, 24 gallon of mixed vegetables, 10 lbs. of kitchen bouquet flavoring, about 400 loaves of bread are served, a total of 5000, 8 oz. cups ordered to serve the stew. (Submitted by Ulf Berggren. eGroups Tom Waits Discussionlist. March, 2000).

- Might also refer to the famous verse from "Babes In Arms" (Rodgers and Hart, 1937): "I've wined and dined on Mulligan stew, and never wished for turkey."

- Also mentioned in "Whistin' Past The Graveyard": "Cooked up a mess of Mulligan and got into a fight."

⁽¹⁴⁾ Armstrong, Louis

- Born in New Orleans on Aug. 4, 1901, Louis grew up in the poorest part of the city. Armstrong began to play with jazz groups and brass bands in New Orleans, developing quickly. In 1925 he began his remarkable series of Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. In 1928 Armstrong led the Savoy Ballroom Five. "West End Blues", was considered by many (including Louis himself)to be his greatest recording. During the next decade he became a household name, making two acclaimed visits to Europe during 1932-34, appearing in small but memorable roles in movies and leading a swing-oriented big band. By the mid-'40s Louis Armstrong was considered out of style. His orchestra had declined and his own solos and clowning sounded at odds with his younger more bop-oriented sidemen. But after appearing with a variety of veteran players in the Hollywood film "New Orleans "and having success playing at an acclaimed Town Hall concert in 1947, Armstrong broke up his big band and formed the All-Stars. His sextet was an immediate success, and Armstrong began a schedule of nearly non-stop travelling.After a few years the routines became fairly predictable and critics tired of them while some in the Civil Rights community thought of Armstrong as an Uncle Tom. However when he died on July 6 1971, there was no jazz musician who could approach him in popularity.

- Tom Waits (1998): "...You always hear him smiling in his songs. I heard that the biggest disappointment for him was that he was never asked to sing the National Anthem at the opening game of the World Series. It was his big dream, and they never asked him." (Source: "Mixed Bag, WNEW New York". Interview on WNEW FM. October 1998)

⁽¹⁵⁾ Mantle, Mickey

- Mickey Charles Mantle. Born: Spavinaw, Ok, October 20 1931 - Died: Dallas, Tx, August 13 1995. A famous American baseball player in the 1950's (successor of Joe DiMaggio with the New York Yankees). He was a friend of Whitey Ford. In 1969 he resigned from professional baseball.

- Also mentioned in A Sight For Sore Eyes, 1977: "That we toast to the old days and Dimagio too and old Drysdale and Mantle, Whitey Ford and to you."

⁽¹⁶⁾ Sharing a curbstone with Chuck E. Weiss, Robert Marchese, Paul Body and The Mug and Artie:

- Notice this excerpt from It Rains On Me (Chuck E. Weiss, Extremely Cool, 1999): "Louie Lista and Marchese, Everywhere I go it rains on me, Robert Sheehan and Paul Body, Everywhere I go it rains on me."

- Chuck E. Weis: Chicago born musician and longtime friend. Further reading: Chuck E. Weiss.

- Robert Marchese: manager of the Troubadour in the 1970's

- Paul Body: doorman of the Troubadour in the 1970's. "... Paul Body, is active in the music and spoken word and literary community. He's released a solo compact disc, "Love Is Like Rasputin" for New Alliance Records, and participated in the laserdisc collection audio/visual document L.A. JOURNAL released by The Voyager Company. He's also just completed a reading in the July, '95 "Rock and Roll In Literature" series at The MET Theater in Hollywood that featured actors Ed Harris, Bill Pullman, Chloe Webb, Beverly D'Angelo and other musicians and poets. He's also a clerk at Video Journeys and a film fanatic. (Source: "From The B's Nest", Alternative Cinema issue #6 - pgs. 8-9, 1995). "... Paul Body has many claims to fame: poet, writer, accordionist, and longtime friend of Tom Waits. On his album Love Is Like Rasputin, Body lays out his humorous and sometimes-touching thoughts on 1965 Los Angeles in a series of diary entries. Thirty years after witnessing the Watts riots, his mother's death, and the rise of his beloved Rolling Stones, Body is still actively performing across the city where he came of age." (Source: "SXSW Spoken Word: 1996" by Phil West. The Austin Chronicle) 

- The Mug: Troubadour barman, blues harmonica player, actor, poet Louie Lista. Name checked in the Blue Valentine linernotes as Louis Lista. "Louie got his start in the field of blues and folk music in the early 1960's when he studied harmonica with the legendary blues musician Taj Mahal. After playing countless shows at such popular venues as the Ash Grove and Troubadour in Hollywood, he helped to found the seminal 1970's powerhouse roots rock group, The Sheiks of Shake. They recorded for Mystic Records and shared stages with such musical "national treasures" as Clifton Chenier and Muddy Waters. In the late 1970's, after David Wulff completed a year long performing stint with the Shieks, Louie and Wulff started playing as an acoustic duo covering a wide range of musical styles from folk to country to blues, jazz and even contemporary popular songs. They shared stages with a "who's who" list of then popular recording artists, including R.E.M., Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, X, and The Knitters. In the 1980's they added electric guitars, bass and drums to the mix, founded the Outer City Allstars and expanded our venues to include such unlikely performance opportunities as opening for Pro Wrestling matches. In the early 1990's, Louie signed with New Alliance Records and showcased his talent as a spoken word artist on two CDs, "To Sleep With the Lights On" and "Walkin' and Talkin'". The first CD contained several songs that David Wulff produced and the second was recorded with longtime friend David Crittendon, a talented singer, pianist and author. As the 1990's progressed, Louie's love of and training in theater (Santa Monica City College) led to a series of high profile acting jobs. He played opposite Emmy award winning Kay Lenz ("Rich Man, Poor Man", "The Big Chill") as Sir Toby Belch in Spike Stewart's modern day tribute to William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" ("The 12th Nite"). He also was a featured actor working alongside none other than Ringo Starr in Century 21 Real Estate's television commercial "Perfect Hook-ups". (Source: "Louie Lista Benefit at La Ca�ada United Methodist Church", by David Wulff. March 8, 2003)

- Artie: It seems this doesn't refer to Art Fein (The L.A. Musical History Tour/ Art's Poker Party) but to one Artie Leichter, as pointed out by Barney Hoskyns in his 2009 Waits biography “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" (Faber/ Broadway, 2009). Artie Leichter was songwriter and lighting man at the Troubadour in the 1970's.

⁽¹⁷⁾ In the late 1970s Waits often used to open this song with a medley quoting from: "Can't Help Falling In Love","Enjoy Yourself","Friendship, friendship","Hey Baby!","I Got Plenty Of Nuttin'","I Got The Sun In The Morning","Primrose lane","Take Me Out To The Ball Game","The Girl That I Marry", "When I Fall In Love" 

- Dan Forte (1977): "Of his approach to composing, Tom comments, "I start with a couple of changes, you know. Maybe a single-note melody sometimes. I usually have the lyrics all written; I just have to find something to hang them on. On 'Jitterbug Boy' [from Small Change), I was thinking about George Gershwin's 'I Got Plenty O' Nuthin', Nuthin's Plenty For Me.'" (Source: "Tom Waits - Offbeat Poet And Pianist" Contemporary Keyboard magazine, by Dan Forte. April, 1977)

Quoted at: "Wise men say only fools rush in..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (Agora Ballroom, Cleveland USA. August 25, 1976)Quoting: Can't Help Falling In Love. Words & music by George Weiss - Hugo Peretti - Luigi Creatore, 1961

Can't Help Falling In Love

Wise men say only fools rush in

but I can't help falling in love with you

Shall I stay would it be a sin

If I can't help falling in love with you

Like a river flows surely to the sea

Darling so it goes some things are meant to be, take my hand,

take my whole life too for I can't help falling in love with you

Like a river flows surely to the sea

Darling so it goes some things are meant to be, take my hand,

take my whole life too for I can't help falling in love with you

for I can't help falling in love with you

Quoted at: "Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (Willimantic or New York. May, 1976 - Shaboo version)Quoting: Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think). Written by Carl Sigman and Herb Magidson. Transcribed, as recorded in New York November 28, 1949 by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians

Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)

You work and work for years and years, you're always on the go

You never take a minute off, too busy makin' dough

Someday, you say, you'll have your fun when you're a millionaire

Imagine all the fun you'll have in your old rockin' chair

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

Enjoy yourself, while you're still in the pink

The years go by as quickly as a wink

Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

You're gonna take that ocean trip, no matter, come what may

You've got your reservations made but you just can't get away

Next year, for sure, you'll see the world, you'll really get around

But how far can you travel when you're six-feet under ground?

Your heart of hearts, your dream of dreams, your ravishing brunette

She's left you and she's now become somebody else's pet

Lay down that gun, don't try my friend to reach the great beyond

You'll have more fun by reachin' for a redhead or a blonde

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

Enjoy yourself, while you're still in the pink

The years go by as quickly as a wink

Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

You never go to nightclubs and you just don't care to dance

You don't have time for silly things like moonlight and romance

You only think of dollar bills tied neatly in a stack

But when you kiss a dollar bill, it doesn't kiss you back

Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

Enjoy yourself, while you're still in the pink

The years go by as quickly as a wink

Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think

Quoted at: "Friendship, friendship, just a perfect friendship..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (Agora Ballroom, Cleveland USA. August 25, 1976)Quoting: Friendship. Words and music by Cole Porter. Introduced by Ethel Merman and Bert Lahr in the Broadway musical "DuBarry was a Lady", 1939. Words and music by Cole Porter. Popularized by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra. Also recorded by: Al Jolson, Judy Garland and Johnny Mercer (1940), Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway (1996)

Friendship

If you're ever in a jam, here I am

If you're ever in a mess, S-O-S

If you ever feel so happy, you land in jail; I'm your bail.

It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship

When other friendships have been forgot, Ours will still be hot.

Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle dig, dig, dig.

If you're ever up a tree, phone to me.

If you're ever down a well, ring my bell.

If you ever lose your teeth, and you're out to dine; borrow mine.

It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship

When other friendships have been forgate, Ours will still be great.

Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle, chuck, chuck, chuck.

If they ever black your eyes, put me wise.

If they ever cook your goose, turn me loose.

If they ever put a bullet through your brain; I'll complain.

It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship

When other friendships have been forgit, Ours will still be it.

Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle, hep, hep, hep

Quoted at: "Hey baby, I wanna know if you'll be my girl..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (Agora Ballroom, Cleveland USA. August 25, 1976) Quoting: Hey Baby!. Margaret Cobb And Bruce Channel, 1962

Hey Baby!

Hey, hey, baby, I wanna know

if you'll be my girl;

Hey, hey, baby, I wanna know

if you'll be my girl

When I saw you walking down the street,

I said, "that's the kind of girl I just like to meet."

She's so pretty, lord, she's so fine,

I'm gonna make her mine, mine

I said, "hey, hey, baby, I wanna know

if you'll be my girl."

When you turned and walked away,

that's when I wanna say,

"come on, baby, give me a whirl,

I wanna know if you'll be my girl."

I said, "hey, hey, baby, I wanna know

if you'll be my girl."

When you turned and walked away,

that's when I wanna say,

"come on, baby, give me a whirl,

I wanna know if you'll be my girl."

I said, "hey, hey, baby, - hey, baby!

I wanna know if you'll be my girl."

All right, be my girl

Quoting at: "I got plenty of nuttin' and nuttin's plenty for me..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (Sydney, Kansas City, Austin, 1979) Quoting: I Got Plenty Of Nuttin'. Lyrics by: Du Bose Heyward/ Ira Gershwin. Music by: George Gershwin (b. Jacob Gershwin). Originally performed by Todd Duncan in the jazz opera "Porgy and Bess" in 1935. Early recording by Leo Reisman and his Orchestra. Transcribed from: Ella Fitzgerald / Louis Armstrong

I Got Plenty Of Nuttin'

I got plenty of nothing

And nothing's plenty for me

I got no car - got no mule I got no misery

Folks with plenty of plenty

They've got a lock on the door

Afraid somebody's gonna rob 'em

While there out (a) making more

- what for I got no lock on the door

- that's no way to be

They can steal the rug from the floor - that's OK with me

'Cause the things that I prize - like the stars in the skies - are all free

I got plenty of nothing

And nothing's plenty for me

I got my gal - got my song

(I) Got heaven the whole day long -

Got my gal - got my love - got my song

Quoted at: "I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (several shows in mid/ late 70's). Quoting: I Got The Sun In The Morning. Words and music by Irving Berlin. Introduced by Ethel Merman in the musical "Annie Get Your Gun". Sung by Betty Hutton in the 1950 film version

I Got The Sun In The Morning

Taking stock of what I have and what I haven't,

What do I find?

The things I've got will keep me satisfied.

Checking up on what I have and what I haven't

What do I find?

A healthy balance on the credit side

(chorus)

Got no mansion, got no yacht, Still I'm happy with what I've got;

I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

(I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.)

Got no silver, got no gold,

What I've got can't be bought or sold;

I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

(I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.)

Sunshine gives me a lovely day

Moonlight gives me the Milky Way

Got no checkbooks, got no banks,

Still I'd like to express my thanks;

I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

(I've got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.)

And with the sun in the morning and the moon in the evening,

Why I'm all right!

Quoted at: "A little place down there on Primrose Lane..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy-2 (Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, USA. August 25, 1976) Quoting: Primrose Lane. Writers: George Callender and Wayne Shanklin, 1959. Top chart position reached: # 8 in 1959. Re-made by O. C. Smith at # 86 in 1970

Primrose Lane

Primrose Lane, life's a holiday on Primrose Lane

Just a holiday on Primrose Lane with you

Can't explain when we're walkin' down the Primrose Lane

Even roses bloomin' in the rain with you

Sweet perfume

Those little old roses bloom

And I want to walk with you my whole life through Primrose Lane,

life's a holiday on Primrose Lane

Just a holiday on Primrose Lane with you

Sweet perfume

Those little old roses bloom

And I want to walk with you my whole life through Primrose Lane,

life's a holiday on Primrose Lane

Just a holiday on Primrose Lane with you

With you

With you

With you

Quoted at: "Won't you take me out to the ball game..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (several shows in mid/ late 70's). Jack Norworth, who wrote the lyrics to baseball's anthem in 1908, knew the game but never saw a major league game until 34 years later. His composer was Albert Von Tilzer, who himself never saw a major league game until 1928. The song is now in the public domain

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Katie Casey was baseball mad

Had the fever and had it bad

Just to root for the home town crew

Every soul Katie blew

On a Saturday her young beau

Called to see if she'd like to go

To see a show, but Miss Kate said ... No,

I'll tell you what you can do

(Chorus:)

Take me out to the ball game

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack

I don't care if I ever get back

Let me root, root, root for the home team

If they don't win it's a shame

For it's one, two, three strikes you're out

At the old ball game

Katie Casey saw all the games

Knew the players by their first names

Told the umpire he was wrong

All along, good and strong

When the score was just two to two

Katie Casey knew what to do

Just to cheer up the boys she knew

She made the gang sing this song

Chorus.

Quoted at: "The girl that I marry will have to be soft as a kitten..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (Willimantic or New York, May, 1976 - Shaboo version). Quoting: The Girl That I Marry (Annie Get Your Gun, 1946). Irving Berlin

The Girl That I Marry

The girl that I marry will have to be

As soft and as pink as a nursery

The girl I call my own

Will wear wear satins and laces and smell of cologne

Her nails will be polished and in her hair

She'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there

'Stead of flittin', I'll be sittin'

Next to her and she'll purr like a kitten

A doll I can carry

The girl that I marry must be

Quoted at: "When I fall in love, it will be forever..." Performed as part of: Jitterbug Boy (several shows in mid/ late 70's). Quoting:When I Fall In Love. Words by Edward Heyman, music by Victor Young. Prime artist: Nat King Cole (whose recording, released as a single, did not chart) - Doris Day's version hit #20 in 1952 and the Lettermen's went to # 7 in 1962

When I Fall In Love

When I fall in love it will be forever

Or I'll never fall in love

In a restless world like this is

Love is ended before it's begun

And too many moonlight kisses

Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun

When I give my heart it will be completely

Or I'll never give my heart

And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too

Is when I fall in love with you.

And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too

Is when I fall in love with you

Pasties And A G-String

(At The Two O'Clock Club)⁽²⁾

Smellin' like a brewery, lookin' like a tramp

I ain't got a quarter, I got a postage stamp

Been five o'clock shadow boxin' all around the town

Talkin' with the old men, sleepin' on the ground

Bazanti bootin' al zootin' al hoot and Al Cohn⁽³⁾

Sharin' this apartment with a telephone pole

And a fishnet stocking, spike heeled shoes

Striptease, pricktease⁽⁴⁾, car keys blues

And the porno floor show, live nude girls

Dreamy and creamy and brunette curls

Chesty Morgan⁽⁵⁾ and Watermelon Rose

Raise my rent and take off all your clothes

With trench coats, magazines, a bottle full of rum

She's so good, it make a dead man cum⁽⁶⁾

Pasties and a G-string, beer and a shot⁽⁷⁾

Portland through a shot glass and a Buffalo squeeze

Wrinkles and Cherry and Twinkie and Pinkie

And Fifi live from Gay Paree

Fanfares, rim shots, backstage, who cares

All this hot burlesque for me

Cleavage, cleavage, thighs and hips

From the nape of her neck to the lipstick lips

Chopped and channeled and lowered and lewd⁽¹⁰⁾

And the cheater slicks⁽¹¹⁾ and baby moons⁽¹²⁾

She's a-hot and ready, creamy and sugared

And the band is awful and so are the tunes

Crawlin' on her belly, and shakin' like jelly

And I'm gettin' harder than Chinese algebra-ssieres

And cheers from the compendium here

Hey sweetheart, they're yellin' for more

You're squashin' out your cigarette butts on the floor

And I like Shelly, and you like Jane

And what was the girl with the snakeskin's name?

And it's an early bird matinee, come back any day

Get you a little something that you can't get at home

And get you a little something that you can't get at home

It's pasties and a G-string, beer and a shot

Portland through a shot glass and a Buffalo squeeze

Popcorn, front row, higher than a kite

And I'll be back tomorrow night

And I'll be back tomorrow night

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), � 1976

Official release: Small Change, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976⁽¹³⁾

Known covers:

The Piano Has Been Drinking. The Piano Has been Drinking. April, 1990 Chlodwig (BMG Germany). Performed in German/ K�lsch

Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by Jeffrey Lee Pierce

New Coat Of Paint. Various artists. May, 2000. Manifesto Records. Performed by Andre Williams

Live! At The Blue Raccoon. Bill Sheffield. 2002. Mojo

Pornoshow - Laura Fedele Interpreta Tom Waits. Laura Fedele. May, 2003. Auditorium, AUD 00902 (in Italian)

Dolphin Blue Live. Dolphin Blue. December, 2007. Rising Sun Productions (German CDR)

<object height="385" width="480"></object> 

Waits performing "Pasties And A G-string". With: Frank Vicari (tenor saxophone), Fitz Jenkins (upright bass), Chip White (drums). Taken from Rockpalast, WDR television concert documentary. WDR Studio's/ Studio-L. Cologne/ Germany (aired April 18, 1977.  

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Pasty, pastie n. One of a pair of small circular pieces of adhesive material, often decorated with sequins, etc., applied to the nipples by a burlesque performer, exotic dancer, etc., in order to satisfy laws banning the display of bare breasts, or as a gesture of propriety. Burlesque and theatrical use(Source: Dictionary Of American Slang - Supplement, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽²⁾ At The Two O'Clock Club: This would most likely refer to the famous Two O'Clock Club in Baltimore (Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.) The club is owned by Bella Fleming, aka Blaze Starr, a retired striptease artist which made the place famous in the 1950s. Two years before the release of Small Change, Blaze Starr had published her autobiography: "Blaze Starr: My Life As Told to Huey Perry by Blaze Starr and Huey Perry" (Published by Praeger Publishers, 1974). "The famous stripper, born Fannie Belle Fleming in a West Virginia mountain cabin, ten miles from the nearest town, attended a one-room schoolhouse during the Depression but had "filled out" by the age of 13, as they say... By the age of 16 she was off to see the world, in the form of a Washington, D.C., donut shop, where she was discovered and given her showbiz name by one Red Snyder. Snyder turned out to be another would-be rapist, but he had already performed his one service to mankind by convincing her to strip at the club where she thought she was going to be playing banjo and singing. As it turns out, she loved the applause. Pretty soon she was researching the subject for herself and, still 16, turned up on "The Block," the famous night-life district in Baltimore where burlesque still thrived in the fifties. Most of her stripping career would be spent at a joint called the Two O'Clock Club in Baltimore, with the exception of the years she spent in New Orleans at the Sho-Bar on Bourbon Street. That's where she met Governor Earl Long, who was a devotee of strip joints in general, and their fabled love affair eventually inspired the movie "Blaze," with Lolita Davidovich in the title role and Paul Newman as the guv."

⁽³⁾ Cohn, Al: Alvin Gilbert Cohn. Born: Brooklyn, NY, November 24 1925 - Died: February 15 1988. American arranger, composer and jazz saxophonist. Also played on Jack Kerouac's "Blues and Haikus", 1960.

- Tom Waits (1976): "Al [Cohn] played with me for a couple of weeks once and I hope to have him on my next album if everything fits in with his schedule. I admire him and his style. And he drinks about a quart of Johnnie Walker Red Label a night - though how he does it I just don't know." (Source: "Tom Waits: Would You Say This Man Was Attempting To Convey An Impression Of Sordid Bohemianism" New Musical Express (UK), by Fred Dellar. Date: June 5, 1976)

⁽⁴⁾ Pricktease: n. [1950s+] a woman who appears to be offering unrestrained sexual favours but stops short of intercourse, leaving the male partner frustrated. v. [1950s+] to lead on sexually but to stop short of intercourse (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

⁽⁵⁾ Morgan, Chesty: Porn actress. Due to her popularity in the striptease scene in the 60's, Chesty came to the attention of filmmaker extraordinaire Doris Wishman. In 1973, Doris cast Chesty in the role of Krystal in the film "Deadly Weapons". In 1974, Doris again sought her to portray the sleuth in the film "Double Agent 73" (named for the freakishly endowed 73"-bosomed Chesty Morgan). In 1976, following her success in Wishman's films, Chesty was asked to appear in the film Casanova -- directed by none other than Frederico Fellini.You probably won't be surprised to hear there's a Chesty Morgan Worship page ...

⁽⁶⁾ Make a dead man come: The phrase comes from Lucille Bogan's 1935 raunchy blues song "Shave 'Em Dry": (unexpurgated version) "I got nipples on my titties, big as the end of my thumb, I got somethin' between my legs'll make a dead man come, Oh daddy, baby won't you shave 'em dry? Aside: Now, draw it out! Want you to grind me baby, grind me until I cry. (Roland: Uh, huh.) Say I fucked all night, and all the night before baby, And I feel just like I wanna, fuck some more, Oh great God daddy, (Roland: Say you gonna get it. You need it.) Grind me honey and shave me dry, And when you hear me holler baby, want you to shave it dry. I got nipples on my titties, big as the end of my thumb, Daddy you say that's the kind of 'em you want, and you can make 'em come, Oh, daddy shave me dry, (Roland: She ain't gonna work for it.) And I'll give you somethin' baby, swear it'll make you cry. I'm gon' turn back my mattress, and let you oil my springs, I want you to grind me daddy, 'til the bell do ring, Oh daddy, want you to shave 'em dry, Oh great God daddy, if you can't shave 'em baby won't you try? Now if fuckin' was the thing, that would take me to heaven, I'd be fuckin' in the studio, till the clock strike eleven, Oh daddy, daddy shave 'em dry, I would fuck you baby, honey I'd make you cry. Now your nuts hang down like a damn bell sapper, And your dick stands up like a steeple, Your goddam ass-hole stands open like a church door, And the crabs walks in like people. Aside: Ow, shit! (Roland: Aah, sure enough, shave 'em dry?) Aside: Ooh! Baby, won't you shave 'em dry A big sow gets fat from eatin' corn, And a pig gets fat from suckin', Reason you see this whore, fat like I am, Great God, I got fat from fuckin'. Aside: Eeeeh! Shave 'em dry (Roland: Aah, shake it, don't break it) My back is made of whalebone, And my cock is made of brass, And my fuckin' is made for workin' men's two dollars, Great God, round to kiss my ass. Aside: Oh! Whoo, daddy, shave 'em dry." (Source: submitted by Floris Cooman, 2005. Lyrics: http://www.deltahaze.com/, 2005)

⁽⁷⁾ Shot: n. A drink of straight whisky, usu. drunk in one gulp (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽¹⁰⁾ Lewd: "Lewd is the most negative of all the words that refer to having or arousing sexual desire, such as lascivious, lecherous, licentious, lustful, prurient, salacious, and wanton. Dictionaries give the main sense as something like "inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery" (to quote the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary) but add a subsidiary one of "obscene, indecent". (The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines the main sense as "lascivious", which has the merit of brevity, but little else, as surely that word is even less likely to be known to the enquirer than lewd, forcing him or her to the extra effort of turning that up in turn, where it is defined as "inciting to or evoking lust".)" (Source: World Wide Words is copyright � Michael Quinion, 1996-2004. All rights reserved)

⁽¹¹⁾ Cheater slicks: Customized cars slang from the 60's, slicks were treadless tires popular in drag racing (Submitted by Gary Tausch. Raindogs Listserv discussionlist. September, 2000)

⁽¹²⁾ Baby moons: Customized cars slang from the 60's, baby moons were a type of blank polished hub cap that was smaller than normal, moons were full size, blank, polished hub caps (Submitted by Gary Tausch. Raindogs Listserv discussionlist. September, 2000)

⁽¹³⁾ In the late 1970s Waits often used to perform this song as a medley with "Hokey Cokey" or "Saturday Night Fish Fry" or "Shake Rattle And Roll".

Hokey Cokey: Hokey Cokey (aka. "Hokey Pokey"). Words and music by: Jimmy Kennedy, 1942 Kennedy Music Co. Limited, England.

- Version 1 (Jimmy Kennedy): "Way out West where there ain't no swing Old time dancing's still the thing They've a little song they like to dance and sing It's called the Cokey Cokey! Ev'rybody on their toes This is the way it goes You put your left arm out, left arm in Left arm out and shake it all about You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See? You put your right arm out, right arm in Right arm out and shake it all about You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See? You put your left foot out, left foot in Left foot out and shake it all about You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See? You put your right foot out, right foot in Right foot out and shake it all about You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See? You put your left hip out, left hip in Left hip out and shake it all about You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See? You put your right hip out, right hip in Right hip out and shake it all about You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See? You put your chest right out, chest right in Chest right out and shake it all about You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See? The folks away out West, 'way out west Dance this song and never take a rest They do the Cokey Cokey and turn around That's what it's all about. See?" 

- Version 2 (nursery rhyme): "You put your right foot in, You put your right foot out; You put your right foot in, And you shake it all about. You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your left foot in, You put your left foot out; You put your left foot in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your right hand in, You put your right hand out; You put your right hand in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your left hand in, You put your left hand out; You put your left hand in, And you shake it all about. You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your right side in, You put your right side out; You put your right side in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your left side in, You put your left side out; You put your left side in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your nose in, You put your nose out; You put your nose in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your tail in, You put your tail out; You put your tail in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your head in, You put your head out; You put your head in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around. That's what it's all about! You put your whole self in, You put your whole self out; You put your whole self in, And you shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey, And you turn yourself around." Source: Zelo Nursery Rhymes ((c)1996-2000 C. Thomas Wright III)

Saturday Night Fish Fry (Louis Jordan, Ellis Walsh, Al Carters. Transcribed from vocals by Louis Jordan, recorded 8/9/49): "Now, if you've ever been down to New Orleans Then you can understand just what I mean, Now all through the week it's quiet as a mouse, But on Saturday night, they go from house to house; You don't have to pay the usual admission If you're a cook or a waiter or a good musician. So if you happen to be just passin' by Stop in at the Saturday night fish fry! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! Now, my buddy and me was on the main stem, Foolin' around, just me and him, We decided we could use a little something to eat, So we went to a house on Rampart Street; We knocked on the door and it opened with ease, And a loose little miss said, "Come in please," And before we could bat an eye, We were right in the middle of a big fish fry! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! Now the folks was havin' the time of their life, And Sam was jivin' Jimmy's wife, And over in the corner was a beat-up grand Being played by a big, fat piano man! Some of the chicks wore expensive frocks, Some of them had on bobby socks, But everybody was nice and high At this particular Saturday night fish fry! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! Now, my buddy and me, we fell right in, And we hollered, "Let the joy begin!" Now, we figured this was a good place to play, 'Cause the party was already underway; But all of a sudden the lights went low, And everybody made straight for the front door, Man, I was so scared I didn't know where to go, I stood right there, then I fell on the floor! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! Now, the women was screamin' and jumpin' and yellin', The bottles was flyin' and the fish was smellin'; And way up above all the noise they made, Somebody hollered, "Better get out of here; this is a raid!" Now, I didn't know we was breakin' the law, But somebody reached up and hit me on the jaw, They had us blocked off from the front and the back, And they was puttin' 'em in the wagon like potatoes in a sack. It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! I knew I could get away if I had a chance, But I was shakin' like I had the St. Vitus dance, Now, I tried to crawl under a bathtub, When the policeman said, "Where you goin' there, bub?" Now, they got us out of there like a house on fire, Put us all in that Black Maria, Now, they might have missed a pitiful few, But they got both me and my buddy, too! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! We headed for jail in a dazed condition, They booked each one of us on suspicion; Now my chick came down and went for my bail, And finally got me out of that rotten jail; Now, if you ever want to get a fist in your eye, Just mention a Saturday night fish fry! I don't care how many fish in the sea, But don't ever mention a fish to me! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! It was rockin'! It was rockin'! You never seen such scufflin' and shufflin' till the break of dawn! [Spoken] Give me one of them there fish sandwiches! Get away from there, boy! Yowza!"

Shake, Rattle, And Roll (Words and music by Charles Calhoun. Originally recorded by Joe Turner. First performed by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954).

- Version 1 (as performed by Joe Turner): "Get outta that bed, wash your face and hands Get outta that bed, wash your face and hands Well, you get in that kitchen, make some noise with the pots and pans Well, you wear low dresses, the sun comes shining through Well, you wear low dresses, the sun comes shining through I can't believe my eyes all that mess belongs to you I believe to my soul you're a devil in nylon hose I believe to my soul you're a devil in nylon hose Well, the harder I work, the faster my money goes I said, shake, rattle and roll, shake, rattle and roll Shake, rattle and roll, shake, rattle and roll

Well, you won't do right to save your doggone soul I'm like a one-eyed cat peeping in a seafood store I'm like a one-eyed cat peeping in a seafood store Well, I can look at you and tell you ain't no child no more Ah, shake, rattle and roll, shake, rattle and roll Shake, rattle and roll, shake, rattle and roll Well, you won't do right to save your doggone soul I said, over the hill and way down underneath I said, over the hill and way down underneath You make me roll my eyes, Baby, make me grit my teeth I said, shake, rattle and roll, shake, rattle and roll Shake, rattle and roll, shake, rattle and roll Well, you won't do right to save your doggone soul."

- Version 2: (as performed by Bill Haley and His Comets): "Get out from that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans, Get out from that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. Well, roll my breakfast, 'cause I'm a hungry man. I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll; Well you never do nothin' to save your doggone soul Wearin' those dresses, your hair done up so right Wearin' those dresses, your hair done up so right; You look so warm, but your heart is cold as ice I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, Well you never do nothin' to save your doggone soul I'm like a one-eyed cat, peepin' in a sea-food store, I'm like a one-eyed cat, peepin' in a sea-food store; I can look at you, till you don't love me no more I believe you're doin' me wrong and now I know, I believe you're doin' me wrong and now I know; The more I work, the faster my money goes I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, I said Shake rattle and roll, Well you never do nothin' to save your doggone soul. Shake rattle and roll."

Small Change

(Got Rained On With His Own .38)

Small Change got rained on with his own thirty-eight

And nobody flinched down by the arcade

And the marquees weren't weeping, they went stark raving mad

And the cabbies⁽²⁾ were the only ones that really had it made

And his cold trousers were twisted, and the sirens high and shrill

And crumpled in his fist was a five-dollar bill

And the naked mannequins with their Cheshire grins⁽³⁾

And the raconteurs and roustabouts said, Buddy, come on in, cause...

Cause the dreams ain't broken down here now, they're walking with a limp

Now that Small Change got rained on with his own thirty-eight

And nobody flinched down by the arcade

And the burglar alarm's been disconnected and the newsmen start to rattle

And the cops are telling jokes about some whorehouse in Seattle

And the fire hydrants plead the Fifth Amendment⁽⁵⁾

And the furniture is bargains galore

But the blood is by the jukebox on an old linoleum floor

And what a hot rain on 42nd Street, and now the umbrellas ain't got a chance

And the newsboy's a lunatic with stains on his pants, cause...

Cause Small Change got rained on with his own thirty-eight

And no one's gone over to close his eyes

And there's a racing form in his pocket, circled 'Blue Boots' in the third

And the cashier at the clothing store didn't say a word

As the siren tears the night in half, and someone lost his wallet

Well, it's surveillance of assailants, if that's what you wanna call it

And the whores hike up their skirts⁽⁶⁾ and fish for drugstore prophylactics⁽⁷⁾

With their mouths cut just like razor blades and their eyes are like

stilettos

And her radiator's steaming and her teeth are in a wreck

Nah, she won't let you kiss her, but what the hell did you expect?

And the Gypsies are tragic and if you want to buy perfume

Well, they'll bark you down like carneys, sell you Christmas cards in June,

but...

But Small Change got rained on with his own thirty-eight

And his headstone's a gumball machine

No more chewing gum or baseball cards or overcoats or dreams

Someone's hosing down the sidewalk, and he's only in his teens, cause...

Cause Small Change got rained on with his own thirty-eight

And a fistful of dollars can't change that

And someone copped his watch fob, and someone got his ring

And the newsboy got his pork-pie Stetson hat⁽⁸⁾

And the tuberculosis old men at the Nelson wheeze and cough

And someone will head south until this whole thing cools off, cause...

Cause Small Change got rained on with his own thirty-eight, yeah

Small Change got rained on with his own thirty-eight

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), � 1976 & Warner Bros. Music Ltd, 1986

Official release: "Small Change", Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976 &

"Anthology Of Tom Waits", WEA/ Elektra, 1984 &

"Asylum Years", WEA International Inc., 1986

Known covers:

Vox Poppin'. Stormy Weather. 1993. Street Gold. "Small Change/ The One That Got Away" (a cappella medley). Re-released on "Looking For An Echo", 1999

Looking For An Echo. Stormy Weather. July 13, 1999. Street Gold. Songs covered: "Small Change/ The One That Got Away" (a cappella medley). Same version as on "Vox Poppin'", 1993

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Small Change: n. [1970s+] (US) an insignificant, weak person [monetary imagery] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

- Tom Waits (1976): "It was the first time I ever covered a homocide, and the incident is a true one. I was in New York City, stayin' at the Chelsea Hotel, and a young cat was shot and killed across the street from the restaurant where I was goin' to eat - just as I walked in the door. It happened two years before I wrote anything about it. I just didn't know how to deal with it, y'know" "I was just trying to deal with the whole murder thing in New York, the whole ambience... It's all just like 'so what?, somebody got shot and killed, I don't care.' By the time you read it in the newspapers, it's gone. I mean, a newspaper doesn't weep, it's not wet, it doesn't bleed, doesn't croak. It's just facts, no ideas, no mess, no funeral, no phone calls in the middle of the night explaining it to somebody, no tears, no nothing. "The night I saw this cat blown away, the cops were sittin' around sayin', 'Hey, Charley, where you goin' on your vacation?' And there's this little cat oozin' life, lyin' in his own blood. I don't know it was just... sssshhhheeewwww," Waits said, shaking his head, unable to find the words to describe it further. (Source: "For Waits City Life Is Small Change" by Bob Claypool. The Houston Post. December 12, 1976)

- Barney Hoskyns (2009): "It was during this brief stay in New York [Sep. 16-20 1975] that Waits and [writer David] McGee witnessed a singularly shocking scene one night, just along 23rd Street from the Chelsea. The two men had left the hotel to eat at a nearby pizza parlour, only to find it blocked off with police tape. Inside, with his head at the foot of a gumball machine, was a black teenager, a puddle of blood fanning out from him as he lay dead on the floor. "Some guy had just shot him," Waits recalled. "He was sprawled right there against the wall. I was scared shitless." The two men speculated as to what had happened. "Tom said something like, 'Maybe he got rained on by the pizza man's 38 "' says McGee. Born in the conjecture of that conversation was the spoken word masterpiece "Small Change". (Source: David McGee email interview April 1, 2008 as quoted in “Lowside Of The Road: A Life Of Tom Waits" by Barney Hoskyns. Faber/ Broadway, 2009)

- Live intro from State Theatre, Sydney, Australia. May 2, 1979:"This is a story that takes place on 23rd street in New York City On a hot summer night A place called the Chelsea Hotel On this particular night, there was an incident that never made the papers No one squandered over this thing Kojak wasn't there this night Some little guy with bovine perspiration on the upper lip area walked over and said 'Bag 'im and tag 'im' It's about a guy named Small Change On this particular night he got rained on with his own thirty-eight..." (Transcribed by Ulf Berggren. Tom Waits eGroups discussionlist, 2000).

- Francis Thumm (1988): "When did you first see yourself as a songwriter?" TW: "Actually, even after I had made records. I didn't feel completely confident in the craft until maybe Small Change. When I first put a story to music. I fell I was learning and getting the confidence to keep doing it. "Tom Traubert's Blues" "Small Change" and "I Wish I Was in New Orleans" gave me some confidence." (Source: "Tom's Wild Years" Interview Magazine (USA), by Francis Thumm. October, 1988)

- In the late 1970s Waits often used to perform Small Change as a medley with "Big Spender" Written by Coleman and Fields. Originally performed by Helen Gallagher, Thelma Oliver and The Girls in the musical "Sweet Charity " in 1965. Originally recorded by Shirley Bassey in 1967. Big Spender: "The minute you walked in the joint. I could see you were a man of distinction. A real big spender. Good looking, so refined. Say wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind. So let me get right to the point. I don't pop my cork for every gal I see. Hey big spender. Spend a little time with me."

⁽²⁾ Cabbie n. A cab-driver; now specif. a taxi driver (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽³⁾ Cheshire grin: 

- He grins like a Cheshire cat. Cheese was formerly sold in Cheshire moulded like a cat. The allusion is to the grinning cheese-cat, but is applied to persons who show their teeth and gums when they laugh. (Source: "The First Hypertext Edition of The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable", E. Cobham Brewer. � 1997-99 Bibliomania.com Ltd).

- Also quoted in "Nighthawk Postcards": "Lookin' for some kind of a Cheshire billboard grin."

⁽⁵⁾ Plead the fifth/a five

- To refuse to do something; to refuse to state one's opinion, reason, or objection. Derived from taking the Fifth Amendment (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

- phr. [1950s+] (US) to avoid committing oneself, to refuse to take an action or make a statement. [the Fifth Amendment (1791) to the US Constitution states that no person 'shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself'] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9) 

⁽⁶⁾ And the whores hike up their skirts: In earlier versions this goes: "But the whores still smear on Revlon and they all look like Jayne Meadows."(American actress and sex symbol. As Meadows got older she became known for using too much make-up, hence the reference). In later versions of Small Change the above line is removed for legal reasons (Revlon) and replaced with "And the whores hike/ kike up their skirts, and fish for drug-store prophylactics". The censored booklet of the Small Change album gives the incorrect and incomplete lyrics. Strangely enough the orginal lyrics are used again on the later album Asylum Years.

- Jay S. Jacobs (2000): "Here, in the details, is everything that Waits had learned about telling a story with music. Unfortunately, a couple of those details had to be edited out. Tom was forced to change the lines, "The whores all smear on Revlon / And they look just like Jayne Meadows," when the cosmetic giant threatened legal action. And Meadows - the wife of Steve Allen, who had performed on Waits's favorite Jack Kerouac album - also had a problem with this vivid image. When the LP Small Change was reissued the offending passage was replaced with, "The whores all hike up their skirts / And fish for drug-store prophylactics." On the CD version of the album Waits sings the compromise lines, but the printed lyrics read: "The whores all smear on / And they look just like." Apparently Waits wasn't willing to let Revlon and Meadows off the hook so easily after all." (Source: Wild Years, The Music and Myth of Tom Waits. Jay S. Jacobs, 2000).

- Clark Peterson (1978): "You (also) got into trouble for singing your 'Small Change' song when you said, 'And the whores still smear on Revlon and they all look like Jayne Meadows.' When you recorded it, you changed it to, 'But the whores still kike up their skirts and search for drug store prophylactics. Tom Waits "I deleted the Jayne Meadows reference from the album 'cause Steve Allen (her husband) would have been upset. You can use a personality's name in a song but not if it's slanderous. If you say that all the whores like Jayne Meadows, regardless of whether they look like her or not you can't say that ... 'cause the whores'll get pissed off." (Source: "Sleazy Rider - A man who works at being a derelict". RELIX magazine by Clark Peterson. May - June, 1978. Vol. 5 No. 2)

⁽⁷⁾ Prophylactic n.: A rubber; a condom. "A thin rubber sheath worn over the penis during sexual intercourse, usually as a contraceptive device, but legally available only 'for prevention of [veneral] disease." :-)(Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

⁽⁸⁾ Pork-pie hat: 

- n. [1920s+] a style of men's hat. [resemblance] (Source: "Cassell's Dictionary Of Slang". Jonathon Green. Cassel & Co., 1998. ISBN: 0-304-35167-9)

- Etymology: from its shape. Date: 1860: a hat with a low telescoped crown, flat top, and brim turned up all around or up in back and down in front (Source: Merriam-Webster online dictionary. � 2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated) 

- "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" was a tune written by Charles Mingus. The tune came up instinctively when at a gig Mingus learned that Lester Young (who most often was seen wearing the hat) had died. (Source: "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" on the album "Mingus"). 

- Stetson, John B. Stetson: A hat made by the John B. Stetson hat company. "My good old John B. Stetson. That was 'the' hat in those days.' L. Armstrong, Satchmo, My life in New Orleans. Any man's hat, regardless of make (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner)

Step Right Up

Step right up, step right up, step right up

Everyone's a winner, bargains galore

That's right, you too can be the proud owner

Of the quality goes in before the name goes on

One-tenth of a dollar, one-tenth of a dollar, we got service after sales

You need perfume? we got perfume, how 'bout an engagement ring?

Something for the little lady, something for the little lady

Something for the little lady, hmm

Three for a dollar

We got a year-end clearance, we got a white sale

And a smoke-damaged furniture, you can drive it away today

Act now, act now, and receive as our gift, our gift to you

They come in all colors, one size fits all

No muss, no fuss, no spills, you're tired of kitchen drudgery

Everything must go, going out of business, going out of business

Going out of business sale

Fifty percent off original retail price, skip the middle man

Don't settle for less

How do we do it? how do we do it? volume, volume, turn up the volume

Now you've heard it advertised, don't hesitate

Don't be caught with your drawers down

Don't be caught with your drawers down

You can step right up, step right up

That's right, it filets, it chops, it dices, slices

Never stops, lasts a lifetime, mows your lawn

And it mows your lawn and it picks up the kids from school

It gets rid of unwanted facial hair

it gets rid of embarrassing age spots

It delivers a pizza, and it lengthens, and it strengthens

And it finds that slipper that's been at large under the chaise lounge⁽²⁾ for several weeks

And it plays a mean Rhythm Master

It makes excuses for unwanted lipstick on your collar

And it's only a dollar, step right up, it's only a dollar, step right up

'Cause it forges your signature

If not completely satisfied, mail back unused portion of product

For complete refund of price of purchase

Step right up

Please allow thirty days for delivery, don't be fooled by cheap imitations

You can live in it, live in it, laugh in it, love in it

Swim in it, sleep in it

Live in it, swim in it, laugh in it, love in it

Removes embarrassing stains from contour sheets, that's right

And it entertains visiting relatives, it turns a sandwich into a banquet

Tired of being the life of the party?

Change your shorts, change your life, change your life

Change into a nine-year-old Hindu boy, get rid of your wife

And it walks your dog, and it doubles on sax

Doubles on sax, you can jump back Jack, see you later alligator

See you later alligator

And it steals your car

It gets rid of your gambling debts, it quits smoking

It's a friend, and it's a companion

And it's the only product you will ever need

Follow these easy assembly instructions it never needs ironing

Well it takes weights off hips, bust, thighs, chin, midriff

Gives you dandruff, and it finds you a job, it is a job

And it strips the phone company free take ten for five exchange

And it gives you denture breath

And you know it's a friend, and it's a companion

And it gets rid of your traveler's checks

It's new, it's improved, it's old-fashioned

Well it takes care of business, never needs winding

Never needs winding, never needs winding

Gets rid of blackheads, the heartbreak of Psoriasis⁽³⁾

Christ, you don't know the meaning of heartbreak, buddy

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon

'Cause it's effective, it's defective, it creates household odors

It disinfects, it sanitizes for your protection

It gives you an erection, it wins the election

Why put up with painful corns any longer?

It's a redeemable coupon, no obligation, no salesman will visit your home

We got a jackpot, jackpot, jackpot, prizes, prizes, prizes, all work guaranteed

How do we do it, how do we do it, how do we do it, how do we do it

We need your business, we're going out of business

We'll give you the business⁽⁴⁾

Get on the business end of our going-out-of-business sale

Receive our free brochure, free brochure

Read the easy-to-follow assembly instructions, batteries not included

Send before midnight tomorrow, terms available

Step right up, step right up, step right up

You got it buddy: the large print giveth, and the small print taketh away

Step right up, you can step right up, you can step right up

C'mon step right up

(Get away from me kid, you bother me...)

Step right up, step right up, step right up, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon

Step right up, you can step right up, c'mon and step right up

C'mon and step right up

Written by: Tom Waits

Published by: Fifth Floor Music (ASCAP), � 1976

Official release: Small Change, Elektra/ Asylum Records, 1976⁽⁵⁾

Known covers:

Step Right Up (The Songs Of Tom Waits). Various artists. November, 1995. Manifesto Records. Performed by The Violent Femmes

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Waits performing "Step Right Up". With: Frank Vicari (tenor saxophone), Fitz Jenkins (upright bass), Chip White (drums). Taken from Rockpalast, WDR television concert documentary. WDR Studio's/ Studio-L. Cologne/ Germany (aired April 18, 1977).

Notes:

⁽¹⁾ Tom Waits (1977): "I'm learning about stuff, too. Through the songs I'm writing now I'm changing my attitude towards things. I'm becoming a little more shrewd, a little more ..." DG: Cynical? TW: "Yeah. I don't take things at face value like I used to. So I dispelled some things in these songs that I had substantiated before. I'm trying to show something to myself, plus get some things off my chest. 'Step Right Up' - all that jargon we hear in the music business is just like what you hear in the restaurant or casket business." (Source: "Smelling like a brewery, lookin' like a tramp". Rolling Stone: David McGee. 1977)

- Song might be inspired or referring to "Little Egypt" (The Coasters, 1961). Intro and theme certainly seem similar: "Step right up folks, and see Little Egypt do her famous dance of the pyramids, she walks, she talks, she crawls on her belly like a reptile; just one dime, one tenth of a dollar. Step right up folks! - I went and bought myself a ticket and I sat down in the very first row, wo wo. They pulled the curtain but then when they turned the spotlight way down low, wo wo, little Egypt came out strotting, wearing nothing but a button and a bow, wo wo, singing, "Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah''. She had a ruby on her tummy and a diamond big as Texas on her toe, wo wo. She let her hair down and she did the hoochie koochie real slow, wo wo, When she did her special number on a zebra skin, I thought she'd stop the show, wo wo, singing, "Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah!". She did a triple somersault and when she hit the ground, she winked at the audience and then she turned around. She had a picture of a cowboy tattooed on her spine, saying Phoenix, Arizona, nineteen forty-nine. Yeah, but let me tell you people, little Egypt doesn't dance there anymore, wo wo. She's too busy mopping and a taking care of shopping at the store, wo wo. 'Cause we got seven kids and all day long they crawl around the floor, wo wo, singing, "Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah! Yeah yeah!" (Thanks to Floris Cooman, 2005 for submitting lyrics)

⁽²⁾ Chaise lounge: "Many visitors to the US are surprised to find that the name for the article of furniture is not only still known (in Britain, for example, it is now virtually obsolete outside historical contexts), but is indeed often called a chaise lounge (though by no means all Americans describe it thus). This spelling and pronunciation appears in dictionaries of American English and is now so established that no amount of remonstration, condemnation or ridicule will affect its status one jot. The original form, chaise longue, is French, meaning "long chair". Though the chaise lounge form is a classic example of folk etymology's changing an odd foreign word into something more meaningful, in one way it's hard to criticise-it is, after all, a seat that one lounges on. And it's an old error-I've found examples in American literature back into the 1850s. In the issue of Scribners Monthly for April 1876 appears this sentence, which suggests the confusion had even by then become common enough to need noting: "This particular 'chaise longue', or lounge, is said to be the one on which George Fox slept". (Source: World Wide Words is copyright � Michael Quinion, 1996-2004) 

⁽³⁾ Heartbreak of Psoriasis: quoted from a very popular US 1970's Tegrin^� shampoo commercial

⁽⁴⁾ Business, give (someone) the: Rough treatment; murder; a beating; a bawling out; planned rudeness (Source: Dictionary Of American Slang, Wentworth/ Flexner) 

⁽⁵⁾ Linernotes to "Step Right Up": "For the lyrics to "Step Right Up" send by prepaid mail a photo of yourself, two dead creeping charlies, and a self addressed stamped envelope to: the Tropicana Motor Hotel, Hollywood, California c/o Young Tom Waits"

- Creeping Charlie: Tom Waits (1980): "Ah yeah, well it's like a houseplant that you have to murder primar to sending it. And eh, what you do is eh you commit like first degree murder on your houseplant and you put it in an envelope and eh I would like send the lyrics to that particular selection. And eh I received a lot of enthusiasm over there. The offer has been discontinued so eh.." (Source: Interview for: "Radio-Radio" on W-PIX102 FM. New York. February 17, 1980)

The One That Got Away

Well, this gigolo is jumpin' salty⁽¹⁾, ain't no trade out on the streets

Half past the unlucky⁽²⁾, and the hawk's a front-row seat

Dressed in full orchestration, stage-door Johnny's⁽³⁾ got to pay

And send him home and talkin' about the one that got away

Could have been on Easy Street⁽⁴⁾, could have been a wheel⁽⁵⁾

With irons in the fire and all them business deals

But the last of the big time⁽⁶⁾ losers shouted before he drove away

'I'll be right back, as soon as I crack the one that got away'

The ambulance drivers they don't give a shit, they just wanna get off work

And the short stop⁽⁷⁾ and the victim already gone berserk

And the shroud tailor measures him for a deep six holiday⁽⁸⁾

The stiff is froze, the case is closed on the one that got away

Now Jim Crow's⁽⁹⁾ directin' traffic with them cemetery blues

With them peculiar looking trousers, them old Italian shoes

And a wooden kimona⁽¹⁰⁾ was all ready to drop in San Francisco Bay

But he's mumblin' something all about the one that got away

Costello was the champion at the St. Moritz Hotel⁽¹¹⁾

And the best this side of Fairfax, reliable sources tell

But his reputation is at large, and he's at Ben Frank's⁽¹²⁾ every day

Waiting for the one that got away

He's got a snake skin sports shirt, and he looks like Vincent Price⁽¹³⁾

With a little piece of chicken, and he's carvin' off a slice

Someone tipped her off⁽¹⁴⁾, and she'll be doin' a Houdini⁽¹⁵⁾ now any day

She shook his hustle, and a Greyhound bus'll take the one that got away

Andre's at the piano behind the Ivar⁽¹⁶⁾ in the Sewers

With a buck a shot for pop tunes⁽¹⁷⁾, and a fin for guided tours

He could've been in 'Casablanca', he stood in line out there all day

Now he's spillin' whiskey and learnin' songs about the one that got away