He started his career in the early 1970s as a singer in spit 'n' sawdust bars. Initially, he was deeply influenced by the beat generation, novelists like Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs, and poets like Allen Ginsberg and Charles Bukowski. Waits is often compared to Charles Bukowski, being similar both in content and lifestyle
Waits was unable to make a living from his music in the 70s because his classical bar music, based in pre-rock, and Americana, blues, and Vaudeville styles were not popular. Waits's voice back then was soft, warm and clear.
Waits subsequently developed a devoted cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters, despite having little radio or music video support. In fact, his songs are perhaps best known to the general public in the form of cover versions of more visible artists, such as the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and Rod Stewart.
Although Waits’s albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries.
Lyrically, Waits's songs are known for atmospheric portrayals of seedy characters and places; he sings about the losers on the streets: alcoholics, junkies, prostitutes and social outcasts, although he also includes more conventional and touching ballads in his repertoire.
While opening for Frank Zappa, the audience catcalled and refused to listen to him; he was an unsuitable match with Zappa's avantgarde style.
Countless cigarettes, gallons of alcohol and many all night parties eventually left their trace in his face and voice.
His more recent gravelly voice can be first heard on Small Change. This distinctive voice turned out to be his trademark. It is described by the Music Hound Rock Album Guide as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months and then taken outside and run over with a car". Small Change with its sentimental ballads, its bar-jazz attitude and Film Noir-oriented stories turned out to be his biggest commercial success in the 1970s.
Waits subsequently developed a more unique style. His songs have grown more abrasive since then, and the arrangements have turned more surreal and experimental with every new record. His life brings him to new visions, as indicated by the direction taken in his "Alice" release.
While composing the soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's One From The Heart Waits met Kathleen Brennan, his bride-to-be. They married in 1980 and she helped him quit drinking and smoking. Since their marriage they have been working together on his albums as co-producers and co-writers. It is hard to say which part belongs to her and which to him, but it's easy to see that they make a perfect team. Additionally, his eldest son Casey can be heard on turntables and percussion on Waits's album "Real Gone".
One of Waits's greatest successes was the album "Swordfishtrombones", released in 1983. It struck with his critics and fans alike. He achieved a new level of song writing and left former conventions (and his earlier career) behind. All songs, whether ballads, jive or jazz are played in a completely different way. It seems that Waits had taken the musical archetypes of these styles and made them his own. All tracks are in the quintessential Waits style. They have a striking rawness and listenability and they set the stage for his success and his future career.
The Bad As Me Songfacts reports that 36 years after the release of Waits' first album, Closing Time in 1973, Bad As Me became Waits's first ever top 10 album in the US when it debuted at #6 with 63,000 sales.
In the late 1980s Waits discovered an outlet for his creativity in composing musicals. His first Musical was named "The Black Rider", and is based on "Der Freischütz" by Carl Maria von Weber. It was co-produced by Robert Wilson and the lyrics come from William S. Burroughs. The story is slightly reminiscent of Kurt Weil's and Berthold Brecht's "Three Penny Opera" and the 1930s. The debut performance of the play was in 1990 at the Thalia Theater, Hamburg and has been played by various theatre groups since then.
Waits was also responsible for two other musicals, which later became albums released simultaneously in 2002. One was the musical "Blood Money," which covers the "Woyczek" theme of Georg Büchner. This one is one of the darkest works from Waits. The other musical is based on Lewis Carroll's classic children's novel, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". "Alice" is very romantic, dreamy and soft, and contains one of Waits most romantic songs. Even though they were released at the same time, the bootlegs of the "Alice" musical were long before traded between fans and were just rearranged and re-mastered for the official release.
Besides many film contributions as composer – the Internet Movie Database imdb.com lists 47 appearances of Waits as composer and 38 soundtracks containing songs by Waits - he also is an actor with a total of 25 appearances, ranging from some mini-roles as a trumpeter in "Heart of Saturday Night" and the R. M. Renfield in "Bram Stoker's Dracula" to the major role of Zack in Jim Jarmusch's "Down by Law". He recently appeared in Roberto Benigni's "The Tiger and the Snow", playing You Can Never Hold Back Spring at Benigni's wedding dream. Even more recently, Waits played Mr.Nick (the Devil) in Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus".
In addition to a number of concert videos, he also appeared in the critically-acclaimed concert feature film "Big Time" (1990).
Waits has always refused to allow the use of his songs in commercials. He has filed several lawsuits against advertisers for using his material without permission. Waits also successfully sued an advertiser for using a work that was stylistically similar to his work, after he had declined to sell them the rights to his song. He has been quoted as saying, "Apparently the highest compliment our culture grants artists nowadays is to be in an ad — ideally naked and purring on the hood of a new car. I have adamantly and repeatedly refused this dubious honor."
Clap Hands
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fireman's blind, the conductor's lame
A Cincinnati jacket and a sad luck dame
Hanging out the window with a bottle full of rain
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Said roar, roar, the thunder and the roar
Son bitch is never coming back here no more
The moon in the window and a bird on the pole
We can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Said steam, steam, a hundred bad dreams
Going up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans
A fifty dollar bill inside a paladin's hat
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at
Roar, roar, the thunder and the roar
Son bitch is never coming back here no more
Moon in the window and a bird on the pole
Always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
I said steam, steam, we're a hundred bad dreams
Going up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans
A fifty dollar bill inside a paladin's hat
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at
Shine, shine, a Roosevelt dime
All the way to Baltimore and running out of time
The Salvation Army seemed to wind up in the hole
They all went to heaven in a little row boat
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Well, clap hands, yeah, well, clap hands, yeah
Oh, clap hands, clap hands
"Clap Hands" is a surrealistic account of a journey through an imaginary America, filled with intriguing characters and odd events. The opening lines suggest that the world is turned upside down, with those who should be in control, such as the fireman and conductor, suffering from impairments. The reference to a Cincinnati jacket and a sad luck dame immediately transports the listener into the city's gritty streets, perhaps in search of a better life. However, the imagery of hanging out the window with a bottle full of rain suggests a bleak reality, with no hope of escape.
The chorus, "Clap hands, clap hands," acts as an invitation to join in the journey and support those struggling to survive. The thunder's roar echoes the bleakness of the opening lines, with the realization that no matter how much one tries, there is no escaping the inevitable. The moon in the window and a bird on the pole offers a moment of reflection on the beauty of nature in contrast to the chaos of the world.
The pistol in his jeans, a fifty dollar bill inside a paladin's hat, and the absent Mr. Knickerbocker all serve to reinforce the idea that people are struggling to make it in the world. Closer to the end, the track notes that even charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army are struggling to exist, and even faith and salvation may not be enough to save people from the hardships of life.
Overall, the song offers a glimpse into a world that is both overwhelming and bewildering, with elements of hope and despair intertwining.
Line by Line Meaning
Sane, sane, they're all insane
Everyone around him is crazy
Fireman's blind, the conductor's lame
Even the people in authority are flawed
A Cincinnati jacket and a sad luck dame
Describing someone who is down on their luck
Hanging out the window with a bottle full of rain
Watching a storm while drinking alone
Clap hands, clap hands
Encouragement to keep going despite setbacks
Said roar, roar, the thunder and the roar
Describing a loud storm
Son bitch is never coming back here no more
Someone is permanently leaving this place
The moon in the window and a bird on the pole
Describing the appearance of the surroundings
We can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
There is always someone who can take over the difficult task
Said steam, steam, a hundred bad dreams
Describing a train ride through a rough area
Going up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans
Someone is going to a dangerous place fully prepared
A fifty dollar bill inside a paladin's hat
A sum of money hidden in a strange place
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at
Someone is unaccounted for
Shine, shine, a Roosevelt dime
Describing a small but meaningful sum of money
All the way to Baltimore and running out of time
A journey with a time limit
The Salvation Army seemed to wind up in the hole
Something meant for good has gone wrong
They all went to heaven in a little row boat
An ironic twist of fate that led to an unlikely end
Clap hands, clap hands
Reiterating the need to push through adversity
Well, clap hands, yeah, well, clap hands, yeah
Urging the listener to join in and stay strong
Oh, clap hands, clap hands
Emphasizing the importance of resilience
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Loading805
I can't believe no one put lyrics here. Great song!
Sane, sane, they're all insane
The fireman's blind, the conductor's lame
A Cincinnati jacket and a sad luck dame
Hanging out the window with a bottle full of rain
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
Said roar, roar the thunder and the roar
Son of a bitch is never comin' back here no more
Moon in the window, a bird on the pole
Can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
Said steam, steam a hundred bad dreams
Goin' up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans
A fifty dollar bill inside of Palladin's hat
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at
Said roar, roar the thunder and the roar
Son of a bitch is never comin' back here no more
Moon in the window, a bird on the pole
Can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
Shine, shine a Roosevelt dime
All the way to Baltimore and runnin' out of time
Salvation Army seemed to wind up in the hole
They all went to Heaven in a little row boat
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
@imworthmyweightinshekels4793
Sane, sane, they're all insane
Fireman's blind, the conductor is lame
A Cincinnati jacket and a sad-luck dame
Hanging out the window with a bottle full of rain
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Said roar, roar, the thunder and the roar
Son of a bitch is never coming back here no more
The moon in the window and a bird on the pole
We can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Said steam, steam, a hundred bad dreams
Going up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans
A fifty-dollar bill inside a palladin's hat
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at
Roar, roar, the thunder and the roar
Son of a bitch is never coming back here no more
Moon in the window and a bird on the pole
Always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
I said steam, steam, a hundred bad dreams
Going up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans
A fifty-dollar bill inside a palladin's hat
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at
Shine, shine, a Roosevelt dime
All the way to Baltimore and running out of time
Salvation Army seemed to wind up in the hole
They all went to heaven in a little row boat
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Clap hands, clap hands
Well, clap hands, well, clap hands
Oh, clap hands, clap hands
@sebastiancapone3284
Sane, sane, they're all insane
The fireman's blind, the conductor's lame
A Cincinnati jacket and a sad luck dame
Hanging out the window with a bottle full of rain
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
Said roar, roar the thunder and the roar
Son of a bitch is never comin' back here no more
Moon in the window, a bird on the pole
Can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
Steam, steam a hundred bad dreams
Goin' up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans
A fifty dollar bill inside of Paladin's hat
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at
Said roar, roar the thunder and the roar
Son of a bitch is never comin' back here no more
Moon in the window, a bird on the pole
Can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
Shine, shine a Roosevelt dime
All the way to Baltimore and runnin' out of time
Salvation Army seemed to wind up in the hole
They all went to Heaven in a little row boat
Clap hands. Clap hands
Clap hands. Clap hands
@amendoimbrbr
it's haunting, it's woody, it's underutilized in rock music
@dans6046
yeah, I'm glad he splurged on the marimba instead of the xylophone. Who knows what sort of karma could have came about had he not
@deoxyplasmic
wholeheartedly nods in agreement
@omegafilming
Rolling Stones, "Under My Thumb" -- it's a cool sound.
@Maniac4Bricks
It's all skeletons innit?
@thewhynaut5070
This guy gets it.
@johnporter9073
Once Upon a Time in Queens...the 1986 Mets documentary brought me here...and I'm quite thankful for that.
@Vox_Rhododendron
I remember vibing out to this in middle school. To this day, it really does feel like this song is something that should be played on a marimba of my own bones.
@scouts9447
Him and his wife actually do use bones as instruments on Bonemachine. It's pretty rad.
@cahillgreg
@@scouts9447 radical*