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."
Goin' Out West
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause Tony Franciosa used to date my ma
They got some money out there, they're givin' it away
I'm gonna do what I want and I'm gonna get paid
Do what I want and I'm gonna get paid
Little brown sausages lying in the sand
I ain't no extra baby, I'm a leading man
With my Olds '88 and the devil on a leash
My Olds '88 and the devil on a leash
I know karate, Voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no make up, I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
Well, I don't lose my composure in a high-speed chase
Well, my friends think I'm ugly, I got a masculine face
I got some drag-strip courage, I can really drive a bed
I'm gonna change my name to Hannibal or maybe just Rex
Change my name to Hannibal or maybe just Rex
I know karate, Voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no make up, I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
I'm gonna drive all night, get some speed
I'm gonna wait for the sun to shine down on me
I cut a hole in my roof, the shape of a heart
And I'm goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
I'm goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west, goin' out west
Goin' out west, goin' out west
Goin' out west, goin' out west
Goin' out west, goin' out west
The song "Goin' Out West" by Tom Waits is about a man who is heading out west to chase his dreams and escape the life he has been living. The first verse talks about the man's motivation for going out west – his mother used to date Tony Franciosa, an actor who was famous in the '50s and '60s. The man believes that there is money to be made out there and he is determined to do what he wants and get paid for it. The second verse mentions his parole officer, suggesting that he may have a criminal past. He compares himself to a leading man and boasts about his confidence and masculinity. Throughout the song, he claims to know karate and voodoo, and to have drag-strip courage. He plans to change his name to Hannibal or Rex, and to drive all night until he finds somewhere where he will be appreciated. The song is a celebration of individuality, self-confidence, and freedom.
Overall, "Goin' Out West" is a fun, upbeat song that celebrates the American West, but it also has a darker side. The singer is running away from something and is looking for a place where he can be himself and be appreciated for who he is. His confidence and swagger may be a front for his insecurities and the pain of his past. The song suggests that the West is a place where people can reinvent themselves and start over, but it also acknowledges that this can be a tough and dangerous journey.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm goin' out west where the wind blows tall
I am heading out West to a place where the wind blows tall.
'Cause Tony Franciosa used to date my ma
I am going to this place because Tony Franciosa, who used to go out with my mother, lives there.
They got some money out there, they're givin' it away
There is money to be had in this place and they seem to be giving it away.
I'm gonna do what I want and I'm gonna get paid
I am going to do whatever I want and I will get paid for it.
Little brown sausages lying in the sand
There are small brown objects that look like sausages lying in the sand.
I ain't no extra baby, I'm a leading man
I am not just an extra, but an important character.
Well, my parole officer will be proud of me
My parole officer will be pleased with me.
With my Olds '88 and the devil on a leash
I have an Oldsmobile '88 and I am in control of my impulses.
I know karate, Voodoo too
I know both karate and Voodoo.
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I will be available to whoever needs me.
I don't need no make up, I got real scars
I do not require make-up to cover up my real scars.
I got hair on my chest
I have hair on my chest.
I look good without a shirt
I look attractive without a shirt on.
Well, I don't lose my composure in a high-speed chase
I am capable of maintaining my composure during a high-speed chase.
Well, my friends think I'm ugly, I got a masculine face
My friends think I am ugly, however, I have a masculine face.
I got some drag-strip courage, I can really drive a bed
I am fearless on the drag-strip, I can even drive a bed.
I'm gonna change my name to Hannibal or maybe just Rex
I am thinking about changing my name to Hannibal or possibly Rex.
I'm gonna drive all night, get some speed
I will be driving all night to gain speed.
I'm gonna wait for the sun to shine down on me
I am going to wait for the sun to shine on me.
I cut a hole in my roof, the shape of a heart
I have cut a hole in my roof in the shape of a heart.
And I'm goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
I am heading out west to a place where they will appreciate me.
Goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
I am going out west where they will appreciate me.
Goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
I am going out west where they will appreciate me.
Goin' out west, goin' out west
I am going out West.
Goin' out west, goin' out west
I am going out West.
Goin' out west, goin' out west
I am going out West.
Goin' out west, goin' out west
I am going out West.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KATHLEEN BRENNAN, THOMAS ALAN WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tyrondardizian6711
Well I'm goin' out west
Where the wind blows tall
'Cause Tony Franciosa
Used to date my ma
They got some money out there
They're giving it away
I'm gonna do what I want
And I'm gonna get paid
Do what I want
And I'm gonna get paid
Little brown sausages
Lying in the sand
I ain't no extra baby
I'm a leading man
Well, my parole officer
Will be proud of me
With my Olds 88
And the devil on a leash
I know karate, Voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no make up
I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
Well I don't lose my composure
In a high speed chase
Well my friends think I'm ugly
I got a masculine face
I got some dragstrip courage
I can really drive a bed
I'm gonna change my name to Hannibal
Or maybe just Rex
I know karate, Voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no make up
I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
I'm gonna drive all night
Take some speed
I'm gonna wait for the sun
To shine down on me
I cut a hole in my roof
The shape of a heart
And I'm goin' out west
Where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
@a.jthomas6132
Gentlemen, welcome to FIGHT CLUB!
#1 Rule about Fight Club is... you do not talk about Fight Club.
#2 Rule of Fight Club is.... YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB!
#3 Rule of Fight Club: Third rule of Fight Club: Someone yells "Stop!", goes limp, taps out, the fight is over.
#4 Rule: Only two guys to a fight.
#5 Rule: One fight at a time, fellas.
#6 Rule: No shirts, no shoes.
#7 Rule: Fights will go on as long as they have to.
And the 8th and final rule: If this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight.
@user-js6el7vn2r
Я двигаюсь на Запад,
Где ветер полон сил.
Ведь Энтони Франчоза
Мою маму закадрил.
У них там бабок море,
Просто даром отдают,
Я буду делать, что хочу:
Мне там отвалят за дебют.
Буду делать что хочу:
Мне там отвалят за дебют.
Домашние колбаски,
Тихо плещет прибой.
Я не актёр массовки, крошка,
Я тот ещё киногерой.
Мой же надзиратель
Будет мною, сцуко, горд,
За беса в черепушке
И разбитый старый форд.
За беса в черепушке
И разбитый старый форд.
У меня есть чёрный пояс, и я же спец по вуду.
Учтите, господа, я вам всегда полезен буду.
Мне не нужен этот грим,
Мои шрамы не для форсу.
Моя грудь волосата,
Смотрюсь я круто с голым торсом.
У меня всегда всё под контролем,
Хоть на спидометре пятьсот.
Друзья втирают: ты — урод...
У меня мужское лицо
Мне смелости не занимать,
Я безбашенный кекс,
Зови меня хоть Ганнибал,
Хоть Тиранозавр Рекс.
Зови меня хоть Ганнибал,
Хоть Тиранозавр Рекс.
У меня есть чёрный пояс, и я же спец по вуду.
Учтите, господа, я вам всегда полезен буду.
Мне не нужен этот грим,
Мои шрамы не для форсу.
Моя грудь волосата,
Смотрюсь я круто с голым торсом.
Я буду гнать всю ночь
И не засну ничуть.
Дождусь, когда светило
Мне осветит этот путь.
Прорежу дырку в крыше
В виде своего сердца,
Я выдвигаюсь на запад,
Они полюбят суперперца!
Я выдвигаюсь на запад,
Они полюбят суперперца!
Я выдвигаюсь на запад,
Они полюбят суперперца!
Я выдвигаюсь на запад,
Они полюбят суперперца!
Я выдвигаюсь на запад,
Я выдвигаюсь на запад!
Я выдвигаюсь на запад!
@cella6495
Well I'm goin' out west
Where the wind blows tall
'Cause Tony Franciosa
Used to date my ma
They got some money out there
They're giving it away
I'm gonna do what I want
Do what I want
And I'm gonna get paid
Little brown sausages
Lying in the sand
I ain't no extra baby
I'm a leading man
Well my parole officer
Will be proud of me
With my Olds 88
And the devil on a leash
My Olds 88
And the devil on a leash
Well I know karate, Voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no make up
I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
Well I don't lose my composure
In a high speed chase
Well my friends think I'm ugly
I got a masculine face
I got some dragstrip courage
I can really drive a bed
I'm gonna change my name
To Hannibal or maybe
Just Rex
Change my name to Hannibal
Or maybe just Rex
I'm gonna drive all night
Take some speed
I'm gonna wait for the sun
To shine down on me
I cut a hole in my roof
In the shape of a heart
And I'm goin' out west
Where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
@pologallachoir2707
Lyrics
I'm goin' out west where the wind blows tall
'Cause Tony Franciosa used to date my ma
They got some money out there, they're giving it away
I'm gonna do what I want and I'm gonna get paid
Do what I want and I'm gonna get paid
Little brown sausages lying in the sand
I ain't no extra, baby, I'm a leading man
Well, my parole officer will be proud of me
With my Olds 88 and the devil on a leash
With my Olds 88 and the devil on a leash
I know karate, voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no makeup, I got real scars
I got hair on my chest, I look good without a shirt
Well, I won't lose my composure in a high-speed chase
Well, my friends think I'm ugly, I got a masculine face
I got some dragstrip courage, I can really drive a bed
I'm gonna change my name to Hannibal or maybe just Rex
Change my name to Hannibal or maybe just Rex
I know karate, voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no makeup, I got real scars
I got hair on my chest, I look good without a shirt
I'm gonna drive all night, get some speed
I'm gonna wait for the sun to shine down on me
I cut a hole in my roof, the shape of a heart
And I'm goin' out west where they appreciate me
I'm goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
@bacteria2901
Well I'm goin' out west
Where the wind blows tall
'Cause Tony Franciosa
Used to date my ma
They got some money out there
They're giving it away
I'm gonna do what I want
Do what I want
And I'm gonna get paid
Little brown sausages
Lying in the sand
I ain't no extra baby
I'm a leading man
Well my parole officer
Will be proud of me
With my Olds 88
And the devil on a leash
My Olds 88
And the devil on a leash
Well I know karate, Voodoo too
I'm gonna make myself available to you
I don't need no make up
I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
Well I don't lose my composure
In a high speed chase
Well my friends think I'm ugly
I got a masculine face
I got some dragstrip courage
I can really drive a bed
I'm gonna change my name
To Hannibal or maybe
Just Rex
Change my name to Hannibal
Or maybe just Rex
I'm gonna drive all night
Take some speed
I'm gonna wait for the sun
To shine down on me
I cut a hole in my roof
In the shape of a heart
And I'm goin' out west
Where they'll appreciate me
Goin' out west
Goin' out west
@moLeOnPoT
When I first (re-)discovered this song, I literally had to put it on repeat for like 50 times
@TEE-wi8rd
Same man.
@McManus2024
Keep repeating it.
@justinh8321
This song is a serious vibe
@JamesRDavenport
Only 50? ;)
(Totally understand!)
@jerryarnold1999
Hahaha same here.
@fortminor85
It was right at everyone’s face.
Tyler and I just made it visible.
It was on the tip of everyone’s tounge.
Tyler and I just gave it a name.
@borntogazeintonightskies
"COME ON, PEOPLE, YA GOTTA GO HOME!"
@PrettyDecentCreations
“Turn off the jukebox, lock the back”
@ezra5629
;)