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."
Little Man
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sure as fire will burn
There's one thing you will learn
Those things you have cherished
Are things that you have earned
Luck is when opportunity
Meets with preparation
Little man
As you climb upon my knee
The whole future lies in thee
Little man
Little man
Never hurry, take it slow
Things worth while need time to grow
Little man
Don't look back
There are things that might distract
Move ahead towards your goal
And the answers will unfold
Little man
Love is always in the air
It is there for those who care
Little man
Don't look back
There are things that might distract
Move ahead towards your goal
And the answers will unfold
Little man
Love is always in the air
It is there for those who care
Little man
Little man
Little man
Little man
In Tom Waits's song "Little Man", the singer is offering advice to a younger generation, represented by the "little man" whom he addresses throughout the song. He begins by emphasizing that hard work is necessary to achieve success in life. He tells the little man that the things he has cherished are things that he has earned, and that luck is only the result of preparation meeting opportunity. The singer then goes on to urge the little man to take his time and not to hurry, reminding him that things worth having take time to grow. He tells him to focus on his goals and not to be distracted by things behind him, and promises that the answers will unfold as he works towards achieving those goals. Finally, the singer tells the little man that love is always present in life for those who care.
The song is a powerful reminder that success is not simply a matter of luck, but of hard work and preparation. The singer urges the little man to take his time and focus on his goals, emphasizing that the things that are truly worth having are the things that are earned through perseverance and dedication. The message of the song is a timeless one, applicable not only to the generation for which it was written but to all who strive for success and happiness in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sure as fire will burn
As certain as the sun rising in the sky, this is something you can count on
There's one thing you will learn
You will realize one important lesson
Those things you have cherished
The possessions or experiences that you hold dear to your heart
Are things that you have earned
They are the result of your hard work and effort
Luck is when opportunity
Good fortune happens when the chance for success meets the right moment
Meets with preparation
When you have worked to be ready to take advantage of that opportunity
And the same is true for every generation
This is a universal truth that applies to everyone throughout time
Little man
A term of endearment and affection for a young child
As you climb upon my knee
As you sit close to me, seeking guidance and advice
The whole future lies in thee
You have the power to shape your own destiny and make a difference in the world
Never hurry, take it slow
Do not rush through life, but instead take your time to appreciate the journey
Things worth while need time to grow
Anything that is truly valuable and meaningful takes effort and patience to develop
Don't look back
Do not dwell on your past mistakes or regrets
There are things that might distract
There are many things in life that can divert your attention from your goals
Move ahead towards your goal
Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and take action towards it
And the answers will unfold
Through perseverance and hard work, the solutions to your problems will become clear
Love is always in the air
Love is all around you, waiting to be discovered and shared
It is there for those who care
Anyone who is willing to open their heart and embrace love will find it
Little man
A reminder of the singer's affection for the child
Little man
A term of endearment used once again to emphasize the artist's love
Little man
A final farewell to the child, echoing the message of hope and encouragement
Contributed by Chloe V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ozymandias Carter
Very impressed with the entire album. Thanks Mr Tom 👍
Raymond Schreck
I'm currently listening to the entire album, and I couldn't possibly properly say how encouraging I find this song. So glad I discovered it now.
Lucas Costa
Amo essa música. Toco para os meus filhos sempre
Christopher Buchdahl
Bless the simple homilies.