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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]“Jersey Girl” by Tom Waits
(Words/Music: Tom Waits, from Heart Attack and Vine, Elektra 1980)
At some point it became tres chic to like Tom Waits. It could have been after Rod Stewart covered “Downtown Train”; it could have been after Sarah McLachlan covered “Ol’ 55”; it could have been when “The Heart of Saturday Night” started appearing in every romantic film (and The Perfect Storm); if could have been when fellow Jersey-ites Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi started covering “Jersey Girl” live; it could have been when Kevin Smith made a movie called “Jersey Girl”. While I’m not sure when, I am positive that Tom Waits’ music is now loved and adored my many more fans than it was 30 years ago. Although much of his acclaim came from his deep gravelly voice, the success of the cover songs suggests that he is also one of America’s finest songwriters and placing him alongside the likes of Bob Dylan would not be deemed inappropriate. His versatility as a musician (comfortable on both guitar and piano) and the seediness of his lyrics ensure that Tom Waits will also be looked at as an “underground” artist. That he is enjoying some mainstream success now, while long overdue, can be attributed not only to changes in taste but also the fact that his influences are now influential – they are determining what gets heard, when, and by whom. Somewhere Tom Waits is sitting in a smoky bar, playing to 15 people, smoking like a chimney and laughing, knowing that he has been providing Shelter From the Norm, and that the Norm has finally figured it out.
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]“Ob-La-Di, Ob La Da” by The Beatles
(Words/Music: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, from The Beatles aka The White Album, Apple 1968)
This song never ceases to put a smile on my face. It is bright, upbeat, and tells the story of the life of Desmond and Molly Jones, whose life works out wonderfully. They meet, flirt, fall in love, and raise a family. Nothing else seems present in their lives. Basically, no matter what problems they have they manage to overcome and “life goes on”. Watching The Beatles A-Z perform this song earlier was a delight because Tim Palmieri surprised me once again by putting down his guitar and playing saxophone on this song (Later, he played trumpet on a couple songs, also!). Overall, the series of shows in which they are playing every Beatles song in alphabetical order is going off with phenomenal precision and is simply a joy to watch.
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if you watch the movie Jaws backwards, it's a movie about a shark that keeps throwing up people until they have to open a beach.
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]“Heartattack and Vine” by Tom Waits
(Words/Music: Tom Waits, from Heartattack and Vine, Elektra 1980)
Favorite Lines:
’”Don’t you know there ain’t no devil,
That’s just God when he’s drunk”
Final thoughts on Tom Waits on Monday.
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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]“Warm Beer and Cold Women” by Tom Waits
(Words/Music: Tom Waits, from Nighthawks at the Diner, Elektra/Asylum 1975)
Favorite Lines:
“And now the moon’s rising, ain’t no time to lose
Time to get down to drinkin’, tell the band to play the blues
And the drinks are on me, I’ll back up another round
At the last ditch attempt saloon”
More Tom Waits coming soon…
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