The album features some of the few political songs Waits has written, the most explicit being "Day After Tomorrow", a song Waits has described as an "elliptical" protest against the Iraq War.
It was chosen by the editors of Harp Magazine as the best album of 2004.
Brain – percussion (tracks 1–5, 7, 10 and 12), claps (track 4)
Les Claypool – bass (tracks 2, 4 and 12)
Harry K. Cody – guitar (tracks 5 and 7), banjo (track 6)
Mark Howard – bells (track 9), claps (track 4)
Marc Ribot – guitar (tracks 1–4, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 15), banjo (track 3), cigar box banjo (track 10)
Larry Taylor – bass (tracks 1, 3, 5–8, 10–12, 14 and 15), guitar (tracks 4 and 5)
Casey Waits – drums (tracks 8, 9 and 14), turntables (tracks 1 and 7), percussion (tracks 2 and 5), claps (track 4)
Tom Waits – vocals, guitar (tracks 3, 6, 7, 11 and 15), chamberlin (track 9), percussion (track 5), shakers (track 12), beatboxing (tracks 1, 7, 12, 13 and 16)
Trisha Wilson – claps (track 4)
Top of the Hill
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna get
Can I have a little more on my voice?
Get me on the ride up
I'm on the top of the hill
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
New corn yellow and slaughterhouse red
The birds keep singing baby after you're dead
I'm gonna miss you plenty big old world
With our abalone earrings and your mother of pearl
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
I need your moon to be the sky against
Don't get your trouser button stuck on the fence
Diego red and bedlam money are fine
Why don't you come up here and see me sometime
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
There's very little leeway
I seen a mattress on the freeway
The moon rises over Dog Street
Jefferson said not every thing's reet
Have all the lights burned out on heaven again
I'll never roll the number 7 again
I'm made of bread and I'm on an ocean of wine
I hear all the birdies on the phone just fine
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
Black joke and the bean soup
Big sky and the Ford Coupe
Old maid and the dry bones
A red Rover and the Skinny Bones Jones
47 mules to pull this train
We're getting married in the pouring rain
You need your differential and plenty of oil
You load the wagon till the end of the world
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
What's your throttle made of, is it money or bone
Don't you doddle or you'll never get home
Opium, fireworks, vodka and meat
Scoot over and save me a seat
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
If I had it all to do all over again
I'd try to rise above the laws of man
Why don' cha gimme 'nother sip of your cup
Turn a Rolls Royce into a Chicken Coup
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin'
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
Hey!
Stop and get me on the ride up
Stop and get me on the ride up
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
Ha! Ha!
Tom Waits's song "Top of the Hill" is a stream-of-consciousness poem that blends surrealism, dark humor, and vivid imagery. The lyrics describe a journey up to the top of the hill, where the singer awaits a ride that will take them to their destination. The imagery in the song is gritty and vivid, with Waits painting the world outside as "new corn yellow" and "slaughterhouse red." The birds are singing, and the world seems to continue without the singer, even after they're gone. The singer is clearly trying to reach some sort of place, but it's unclear what that place is, and this imbues the song with a sense of mystery and ambiguity.
There are several intriguing references in the lyrics, such as "Dog Street," a moon that becomes the sky, and "abalone earrings and your mother of pearl." The line "I'm made of bread and I'm on an ocean of wine" is especially intriguing, as it's a metaphor that seems to be suggesting that the singer is both delicate and powerful, and also somewhat lost. The song is full of rich, darkly poetic language, and although the lyrics are impressionistic, they create a mood that lingers long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna get me on the ride up
I am going to hitch a ride to the top of the hill
Can I have a little more on my voice?
Can you adjust the volume of my microphone?
I'm on the top of the hill
I am at the summit of the hill
I'm only goin' to the top of the hill
I am only planning to reach the top of the hill
New corn yellow and slaughterhouse red
Vivid colors that are possible in a retro-style
The birds keep singing baby after you're dead
The world goes on even after a loved one has passed away
I'm gonna miss you plenty big old world
The world will not be the same without your presence
With our abalone earrings and your mother of pearl
Decorations and jewelry unique to their personal taste
Stop and get me on the ride up
Please stop and let me join you for the ride to the top of the hill
I need your moon to be the sky against
I need you to be my support
Don't get your trouser button stuck on the fence
Do not get hung up on trivial matters
Diego red and bedlam money are fine
Rich things are okay
Why don't you come up here and see me sometime
Visit me sometime and let's talk
There's very little leeway
There is not much room for error
I seen a mattress on the freeway
A strange or unusual thing witnessed on the road
The moon rises over Dog Street
A normal everyday occurrence
Jefferson said not every thing's reet
Not everything is okay in the world
Have all the lights burned out on heaven again
It feels like everything is going wrong
I'll never roll the number 7 again
I feel like I will never be that lucky again
I'm made of bread and I'm on an ocean of wine
I feel like I am thriving or in a happy place
I hear all the birdies on the phone just fine
I understand the language of the birds around me
Black joke and the bean soup
An unusual or silly phrase
Big sky and the Ford Coupe
An image to conjure freedom
Old maid and the dry bones
An unexpected pairing of words
A red Rover and the Skinny Bones Jones
Another unexpected pairing of words
47 mules to pull this train
An example of an excessive effort to accomplish something
We're getting married in the pouring rain
A poetic way of expressing intense love
You need your differential and plenty of oil
Prepare yourself for any situation in life
You load the wagon till the end of the world
Stay prepared and do not give up until the very end
What's your throttle made of, is it money or bone
What drives you in life, is it something valuable or intrinsic?
Don't you doddle or you'll never get home
Do not waste your time or you will not succeed
Opium, fireworks, vodka and meat
Life's strange and diverse offerings
Scoot over and save me a seat
Make some space and be welcoming to others
If I had it all to do all over again
A regretful thought about one's past
I'd try to rise above the laws of man
I wish I could have done more and made a bigger impact on the world
Why don' cha gimme 'nother sip of your cup
Share your experiences or some of your time with me
Turn a Rolls Royce into a Chicken Coup
Challenge the status quo and be creative
Ha! Ha!
A joyful expression or an ironic statement
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: KATHLEEN BRENNAN, THOMAS ALAN WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind