Burma-Shave
Tom Waits Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Licorice tattoo turned a gun metal blue
Scrawled across the shoulders of a dying town
Took the one eyed-jacks across the railroad tracks
And the scar on its belly pulled a stranger passing through
He's a juvenile delinquent, never learned how to behave
But the cops would never think to look in Burma-Shave

And the road was like a ribbon and the moon was like a bone
He didn't seem to be like any guy she'd ever known
He kind of looked like Farley Granger with his hair slicked back
She says, I'm a sucker for a fella in a cowboy hat
How far are you going?
Said depends on what you mean
He says I'm only stopping here to get some gasoline
I guess I'm going thataway just as long as it's paved
And I guess you'd say I'm on my way to Burma Shave

And with her knees up on the glove compartment
She took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like root beer
And she popped her gum and arched her back
Hell, Marysville ain't nothing but a wide spot in the road
Some nights my heart pounds like thunder
Don't know why it don't explode
'Cause everyone in this stinking town's got one foot in the grave
And I'd rather take my chances out in Burma Shave

Presley's what I go by, why don't you change the stations?
Count the grain elevators in the rearview mirror
She said mister, anywhere you point this thing
It got to beat the hell out of the sting
Of going to bed with every dream that dies here every mornin'
And so drill me a hole with a barber pole
And I'm jumping my parole just like a fugitive tonight
Why don't you have another swig and pass that car if you're so brave
I wanna get there before the sun comes up in Burma Shave

And the spiderweb crack and the mustang screamed
The smoke from the tires and the twisted machine
Just a nickel's worth of dreams and every wishbone that they saved
Lie swindled from them on the way to Burma Shave

And the sun hit the derrick and cast a batwing shadow
Up against the car door on the shotgun side
And when they pulled her from the wreck
You know she still had on her shades
They say that dreams are growing wild




Just this side
Of Burma Shave

Overall Meaning

Tom Waits's song "Burma Shave" tells a story of a couple yearning for adventure and willing to take risks to find it. The first verse talks about a licorice tattoo and the dying town, which could be seen as a metaphor for the temporary and fading nature of thrill-seeking. The singer mentions the one-eyed jacks crossing the railroad tracks, which could symbolize the couple leaving behind their old lives and taking a chance on something new. The mention of the scar on the stranger's belly could represent the hidden danger they may encounter on their journey. The final line of the verse, "But the cops would never think to look in Burma-Shave," suggests that the couple is seeking something beyond the reach of the law.


The second verse describes the appearance of the man the woman meets on the road. He is unlike anyone she has ever known, and she is drawn to him. They engage in conversation about their respective journeys and where they are going. The chorus emphasizes the allure of Burma-Shave as a destination that offers excitement and escape from the monotony of their lives.


The bridge describes the dangerous nature of their journey. They speed down the road as if they are being chased, and the car eventually crashes. However, even in the wake of danger and possibility of death, the woman remains cool and retains her shades, a symbol of her carefree and daring nature.


Overall, the song is a commentary on the human desire for adventure and the risks we are willing to take to find it. The title, "Burma Shave," refers to Burma-Shave, a popular shaving cream company in the mid-20th-century that was known for its humorous roadside ads.


Line by Line Meaning

Licorice tattoo turned a gun metal blue
A tattoo that was once black has now faded, much like the town it resides in.


Scrawled across the shoulders of a dying town
The tattoo on this man's body represents the struggles of a town that is slowly dying.


Took the one eyed-jacks across the railroad tracks
This man, who is a troubled youth, has crossed the railroad tracks to get to a less reputable part of town.


And the scar on its belly pulled a stranger passing through
A physical scar on the town's infrastructure has caught the attention of a stranger passing through.


He's a juvenile delinquent, never learned how to behave
The man in question has had brushes with the law and has never learned to follow rules.


But the cops would never think to look in Burma-Shave
The seedy part of town that this man is headed to is overlooked by the police.


And the road was like a ribbon and the moon was like a bone
The road ahead seems endless and the moon casts an eerie glow on everything around it.


He didn't seem to be like any guy she'd ever known
The woman in the car finds the man to be different than anyone else she's ever met before.


He kind of looked like Farley Granger with his hair slicked back
The man has a resemblance to the actor Farley Granger, with his hair styled in a classic fashion.


She says, I'm a sucker for a fella in a cowboy hat
The woman admits that men who wear cowboy hats are her weakness.


How far are you going?
The woman is curious to know where the man is headed.


Said depends on what you mean
The man is ambiguous about his destination and is open to interpretation.


He says I'm only stopping here to get some gasoline
The man is only making a pit stop for gas.


I guess I'm going thataway just as long as it's paved
The man is heading in a direction as long as there is a road to follow.


And I guess you'd say I'm on my way to Burma Shave
The man is indeed heading towards the seedy area of town known as Burma Shave.


And with her knees up on the glove compartment
The woman has assumed a casual position in the car and has her knees elevated on the glove compartment.


She took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like root beer
The woman takes out her hair accessories and her hair tumbles out, similar in color to the foaming top of root beer.


And she popped her gum and arched her back
The woman is confident and carefree, popping her gum nonchalantly and arching her back in relaxation.


Hell, Marysville ain't nothing but a wide spot in the road
The town that they are leaving behind is small and insignificant.


Some nights my heart pounds like thunder
The man is afraid and his heart beats rapidly like thunder during certain times of the night.


Don't know why it don't explode
The man is unsure why his heart doesn't give out under the pressure he feels.


'Cause everyone in this stinking town's got one foot in the grave
The man is surrounded by people who are slowly dying or struggling to survive.


And I'd rather take my chances out in Burma Shave
The man would rather take his chances in the dangerous area of town than stay in an environment where he feels trapped and afraid.


Presley's what I go by, why don't you change the stations?
The man introduces himself by his last name, Presley, and suggests that they change the radio station to something more to his liking.


Count the grain elevators in the rearview mirror
The woman looks back and takes stock of the surroundings they are leaving behind.


She said mister, anywhere you point this thing
The woman is deferential to the man and tells him that he can take control of the car.


It got to beat the hell out of the sting
The man's destination can't be any worse than the current surroundings they are leaving behind.


Of going to bed with every dream that dies here every mornin'
The woman is tired of living in a place where hope and dreams die daily and become a constant source of disappointment.


And so drill me a hole with a barber pole
The man is willing to take risks and suggests they drill a hole with the barber pole, an instrument that could be used as a weapon.


And I'm jumping my parole just like a fugitive tonight
The man is taking risks and is acting like a fugitive by taking off with this woman and breaking the law.


Why don't you have another swig and pass that car if you're so brave
The man challenges the woman to be braver and take another drink and pass a car in front of them.


I wanna get there before the sun comes up in Burma Shave
The man is excited to arrive in Burma Shave before the sun comes up, indicating that he feels this is the best time to be there.


And the spiderweb crack and the mustang screamed
The car they are in has suffered damage from the road and is crying out in pain like a wild animal.


The smoke from the tires and the twisted machine
As they drive off, the car leaves behind smoke from the tires and twisted metal from the wreck they left behind.


Just a nickel's worth of dreams and every wishbone that they saved
The couple has very little in the way of dreams or hope and this trip may be their last shot at happiness.


Lie swindled from them on the way to Burma Shave
Their dreams and hopes have been taken away from them on their path to Burma Shave.


And the sun hit the derrick and cast a batwing shadow
As they approach their destination, the sun casts an ominous shadow from a nearby oil well.


Up against the car door on the shotgun side
The shadow falls on the side of the car where the woman is sitting.


And when they pulled her from the wreck
The aftermath of their trip is not good and the woman is removed from the wreckage of the car.


You know she still had on her shades
Even in a terrible situation, the woman keeps her cool and wears her sunglasses.


They say that dreams are growing wild just this side of Burma Shave
There are rumors that dreams can become a reality for those who make it to Burma Shave, and these hopes are just beginning to come to life.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: TOM WAITS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@zetetick395

I wonder if One Eyed Jacks was taken from here and put into Twin Peaks?
this song (and Tom's songs often) really have the same sense of desperate, trapped teenage romaticism of nowheresville America at night as you see in Lynch's work.
(Paricularly the full movie pilot episode of Twin Peaks season 1, from 1990 - Which also works as a stand alone Lynch movie)


- And, of course, his phrase 'Blue Ruin' (from 9th and Hennepin - Rain Dogs) was recently turned into a fantastic, powerful-hitting movie, about all those 'righteous revenge' tropes you see in (sometimes enjoyable) hack filmscripts,
but how it'd turn out if they were real people / places / tragedy, instead of Hollywood-ized masculine fantasy fodder.

That movie really hit me hard, after all the decades of watching the manchild fantasy versions of it, in other movies.


- Anyway, it's nice to know Tom's name / work is still being represented with quality work elsewhere. 😺_👍



@darktrhone63

Anybody have an input on the section that says: And so build me a hole, with a barber pole 💈 “

I’m assuming it’s Presley saying that because of the “And so” … Fits right in where just before this she states “…of going to bed with every dream that dies here every morning”

It could be him though.

Any thoughts on who says it and what “drill me a hole with a barber pole” means - with respect to the story.

Thank you, much love



All comments from YouTube:

@jerrydwaileebe1661

I'm old enough to remember the burma shave signs on the highways

@davehackett8848

They are still there, west of Flagstaff on the old I66

@shawnpendley8322

This is one of my favorites. Tom Waits is such a poet. "The dreams are growing wild ... " It's so vivid. You feel the hopelessness, recklessness, desire to escape. It kills me when he sings, "When they pulled her from the wreck, she still had on her shades". I love good music, but Tom touches my soul. He's a true Renaissance man.

@romainmerrien1199

Totally agree with you. He's one of them Who i listen a dozen twice cup

@robertcronin6603

For sure! Great stuff

@stevesullivan8705

This is one of his songs you don't just listen to. You close your eyes and watch it. It's that good.

@charlesbukowski6455

Definitely

@grandeinterFC

to say that you're own your way to a place that may or may not exist is 'genius'

@trenthink

Burma Shave was an old advertising campaign. The little signs on the highway nothing to do with an actual place, and it was just a slick cheap way to sell a common necessity.

@robale202

My favorite Waits album. But then again they're all good.

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