Why I Love Tom Waits

The Vocal Creators Chronicle used a Tom Waits image and quote and I thought of the many times I tell people about Tom Waits and am immediately shunned as a weirdo (though that’s not the only reason.

So I thought why not say why I love Tom Waits and create a playlist for people to listen to and maybe start to appreciate his music.

Like Bob Dylan a lot of people are put off by his voice and also the fact that his music is often produced using non musical instruments.

His words drift from the downright dives in the bad part of town to the absolutely surreal , to the tender, for his wife Kathleen Brennan , to the playful.

This playlist will be a bit different than others because I will include Tom’s songs and covers by artists such a Rod Stewart , The Eagles and The Ramones, me and more.

As well as being a musician and great and witty raconteur he is also an actor appearing in many films, a list of which you can find here.

The Youtube Playlist is here

So These are the ten songs I have chosen , but this could have gone on for a lot longer, but I stopped myself.

In The Neighbourhood from Swordfishtrombones

This was the first Tom Waits song that I am aware of hearing, and I loved it immediately. The video procession was an amazing otherworldly American image but I can’t find a good video of it anywhere but the song is amazing and beautiful.

Peter Gabriel did a beautiful piano version and I even tried one myself and they are all in the playlist.

Ol ‘55 from Closing Time

A beautiful car song, and Tom’s voice is a little more listenable to people who haven’t heard him, but this was 1973. This was covered by The Eagles and the chances are that is the version that people know, but Tom is the guy that wrote this absolute beauty.

Downtown Train from Raindogs

This is another beautiful song although Tom’s voice is getting gruffer, but the song is wonderful. This was picked up by Rod Stewart, who despite all the awful stuff he has done, is one of the finest interpretive singers I have ever heard and his version is excellent.

Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen) from Small Change

An early song with Tom in a gruff voice but I feel I am repeating myself here, but this is achingly gorgeous and is another that Rod Stewart picked up and made a really good job of. Again, Tom's songs are often known by the covers rather than Tom’s original.

I Don't Wanna Grow Up from Bone Machine

Probably the nearest thing to a fun uptempo song on this playlist with a great Jim Jarmusch video. The title is a great description of me, and this was picked up by the Ramones and they made it sound like a Ramones original.

Earth Died Screaming from Bone Machine

This is threatening with strange percussion but an amazing song almost non music but is just so off the beaten track. The chorus comes in like a banshee scream.

Heart Attack And Vine

The title track of his seventh album, released in 1980. It was covered by Screaming Jay Hawkins and used in a Levi’s advert but Tom forced it to be pulled and compensation paid. Tom doesn’t allow his music to be used commercially.

16 Shells from a Thirty-ought-six from Swordfishtrombones

Another from Swordfishtrombones driven by strange percussion but relentless and full or strange but imaginable images. Maybe this is another good introduction but does contain some violent images but is eminently listenable, well it is for me. One of the many gems on that album.

Way Down In The Hole from 'Franks Wild Years

This was used as the theme to the series “The Wire”, but each series used a different artist's interpretation of the song. The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Neville Brothers and DoMaJe were three of the other artists.

Take Me Home with Crystal Gayle from the Soundtrack of One From The Heart

The penultimate song, a beautiful duet with Crystal Gayle from the film “One From The Heart”. I must say that I really didn’t expect this, but I shouldn’t be surprised as Tom has a lot of romance in him.

Grapefruit Moon from Closing Time

A beautiful low key finale from 1973, I love this song, and found a lovely cover of it by Billie Roe.

A Tom Waits Conclusion

I hope this playlist has tempted you to enjoy the music of Tom Waits and if you want to find a lot more about the guy the Amazon documentaries below are an excellent start.