Danny Says
Tom Waits Lyrics


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Danny says we gotta go
Gotta go to Idaho
But we can't go surfin'
Cause it's twenty below

Sound check's at 5:02
Record stores and interviews
Oh, but I can't wait
To be with you tomorrow

Baby

Oho-ho-ho, we got nowhere to go
And it may sound funny, but it's true
Hangin' out in 100 B
Watching 'Get Smart' on TV
Thinkin' about
You and me and you and me

Hangin' out in L.A.
And there's nowhere to go
It ain't Christmas if there ain't no snow




Listening to Sheena on the radio
Oh-ho oh-ho

Overall Meaning

The song Danny Says by Tom Waits features his distinctive gravelly voice that makes his lyrics all the more poignant. In this song, Danny asks the listener/listeners to go to Idaho, but cautions that they cannot go surfing because of the cold weather. The song shifts to a soundcheck at 5:02 pm and a series of record stores and interviews. But what Danny is waiting for, what he truly wants to do, is to be with someone dear tomorrow. The song ends with Danny and the listener hanging out in an empty apartment, tuning into a TV show, and listening to Sheena on the radio, pondering about the present and their shared memories.


The first verse sets the tone for the song - the desire for a journey even if it is cold, the passion to create music and perform, and the overwhelming desire to be with someone special, underscored by Danny's voice that sounds a little melancholic at times. The second verse is about spending time together, even in a city like L.A., when there seems to be nothing to do. It is about appreciating the small joys of life, savoring the silence, and reminiscing the past. Danny Says is a melancholic ode to companionship, love, and memories that captures the spirit of Tom Waits's music.


Line by Line Meaning

Danny says we gotta go
Danny has suggested that we should leave and travel to another place


Gotta go to Idaho
We have to go to Idaho, without any specific reason


But we can't go surfin'
We cannot enjoy surfing in Idaho because it's too cold, nearly zero degree Celsius


Cause it's twenty below
The temperature is extremely low, 20-degree Celsius below freezing point


Sound check's at 5:02
The sound check is scheduled at 5:02 PM at the concert venue


Record stores and interviews
The singer will visit record stores and attend interviews during his visit to Idaho


Oh, but I can't wait
The singer is eagerly waiting for tomorrow to arrive


To be with you tomorrow
He is looking forward to being with someone special tomorrow


Hangin' out in 100 B
He's spending his time in apartment 100 B


Watching 'Get Smart' on TV
He's watching the TV show 'Get Smart' on television


Thinkin' about
He is deeply contemplating and reflecting on his thoughts


You and me and you and me
He is thinking about being with someone special and the joy it brings


Hangin' out in L.A.
The singer is now in Los Angeles, California


And there's nowhere to go
He has no specific plan or destination for the day in L.A.


It ain't Christmas if there ain't no snow
The singer thinks that Christmas is incomplete without snow


Listening to Sheena on the radio
He is listening to the radio show of Sheena, probably a DJ or host


Oh-ho oh-ho
An exclamation to denote appreciation, enjoyment, or surprise




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Douglas Colvin, Jeff Hyman, John Cummings

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

M

Been a fan of Tom Waits since my father showed me a newspaper article (in Germany in a german rural gazette's feuilleton) around 2002. Tom Waits has a whole own (and for everybody) world to discover like our german fellow Helge Schneider. I rediscovered this song a few days ago and it is magical. It somehow didn't catch my attention as I heard this triptychon as it came out and over the years. But these days I really fell in love with it and sent it to my best friends. Thank you!

Nossa

My favorite from this album, no question.

Sarah Lee

Because it's an amazing song that the Ramones wrote.

pit2ryan3

@Sarah Lee - Yes, and Tom Waits wrote I Don't Wanna Grow Up...

Boney Tony

Danny didn’t want to grow up either; did he?

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