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."
Never Let Go
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fall down on your knees in the dirt
I'm tied to the mast between water and wind
Believe me, you'll never get hurt
Our ring's in the pawnshop, the rain's in the hole
Down at the Five Points(1) I stand
I'll lose everything
But I won't let go of your hand
Well, Peter denied and Judas betrayed
I'll bail with the roll of the drum
And the wind will tell the turn from the wheel
And the watchman is making his rounds
Well, you'll leave me hanging by the skin of my teeth
I've only got one leg to stand
You can send me to hell
But I'll never let go of your hand
Swing from a rope on a cross-legged dream(?)
Signed with One Eyed Jack's blood
From Temple to Union, to LA and Grand
Walking back home in the mud(2)
Now I must make my best of the only way home
Molly deals only in stone
I'm lost on the midway, I'm reckless in your eyes
Just give me a couple more throws
I'll dare you to dine with the cross-legged knight
Dare me to jump and I will
I'll fall from your grace
But I'll never let go of your hand
I'll never let go of your hand
The first verse of the song "Never Let Go" sets the stage for the story that the rest of the lyrics tell. It speaks of ringing a bell backwards and burying an axe, both acts that indicate a desire to reverse course, repent, and turn over a new leaf. The singer, tied to the mast between water and wind, is in a precarious position, having to navigate life's storms and challenges. However, the line "believe me, you'll never get hurt" shows that the singer has found someone they can count on, even in their darkest moments. The pawnshop and Five Points references indicate that the singer has lost material possessions but recognizes he has something more valuable in his partner.
The second verse speaks of historical betrayals by Peter and Judas and the inevitability of fate. The singer recognizes that they are at the mercy of events outside of their control. The line "I've only got one leg to stand" may refer to the singer's vulnerability, perhaps because they have lost everything, but the idea of standing on one leg also hints at their tenacity and resilience. The refrain "But I won't let go of your hand" reinforces the theme of unconditional love and loyalty.
The final verse brings in more imagery of risk-taking and danger. The cross-legged dream and One-Eyed Jack's blood can be interpreted as symbols of mystery, violence, and the supernatural. The singer seems to be playing a dangerous game, but they are willing to take risks for their partner. The image of walking back home in the mud suggests that this journey is difficult, requiring the singer to trudge through hardship and suffering. However, they have faith that their partner will be there for them, no matter what.
Overall, "Never Let Go" tells a story of love, loyalty, and resilience in the face of adversity. The singer is willing to take risks, face their fears, and believe in the redemptive power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, ring the bell backwards and bury the axe
Let's forget our past and start anew
Fall down on your knees in the dirt
Humble yourself and accept your mistakes
I'm tied to the mast between water and wind
I'm caught in the middle of opposing forces
Believe me, you'll never get hurt
Trust me, I won't harm you
Our ring's in the pawnshop, the rain's in the hole
We've lost everything we have
Down at the Five Points I stand
I'm at a crossroads in life
I'll lose everything
I'm willing to give up everything
But I won't let go of your hand
I won't abandon you
Well, Peter denied and Judas betrayed
Even those closest to you can turn on you
I'll bail with the roll of the drum
I'll leave when the time is right
And the wind will tell the turn from the wheel
Nature will signal change
And the watchman is making his rounds
Time is always marching forward
Well, you'll leave me hanging by the skin of my teeth
You'll leave me stranded and vulnerable
I've only got one leg to stand
I'm in a weak position
You can send me to hell
You can punish me severely
But I'll never let go of your hand
I'll always be loyal to you
Swing from a rope on a cross-legged dream(?)
Engage in risky behavior for a far-fetched desire
Signed with One Eyed Jack's blood
A deal with the devil
From Temple to Union, to LA and Grand
Well-traveled but still lost
Walking back home in the mud
Struggling to find one's way back to safety
Now I must make my best of the only way home
I need to take charge and make the most of what I have
Molly deals only in stone
The odds are not in my favor
I'm lost on the midway, I'm reckless in your eyes
I'm aimlessly wandering and acting irrational in your opinion
Just give me a couple more throws
Give me a little bit more time to try
I'll dare you to dine with the cross-legged knight
Challenging you to enter dangerous and uncertain territories
Dare me to jump and I will
I'm willing to take risks
I'll fall from your grace
I'll disappoint you
But I'll never let go of your hand
But I'll always stay loyal to you
I'll never let go of your hand
I'll always be by your side
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KATHLEEN BRENNAN, THOMAS ALAN WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephhoman8602
One of the greatest albums ever..I was a junkie on heroin In Baltimore for a long time..this man kept me going..I'm 8 months sober now..I'm just enjoying life like 1 should
@jmack3411
I hope you’re still going strong, one day at a time. It’ll be 17 years for me this October.
@kimberlyharshfield8629
Awesome man! working on 4 clean here, funny how we all find Tom comforting in an odd junkie way. ❤ Good luck dude! 👍
@lindagarland5223
Congratulations and keep on....keeping😊 on. Tom Waits is great!
@georgeblack1733
The Dude led me here...I take comfort in knowing he's out there
@erikmunson2457
Hey friend, you got anymore of that good sarsaparilla?
@clifforddfowler
I pray both of you keep on keepin on. 50 years clean off herion this November. They say that desire from the addiction never goes away, and im here to tell you it sure as fuck does go away. It all gets easier as time goes on, in the early days of walking away from addiction. The mind is what calls you back, and thats where your success will be won. You got this.
@kimberlyharshfield8629
Clifford...That's a well thought out, and comforting statement. Thanks to you for all us that liked reading it! 😘👍
@carrieloveland4329
Love this... Makes me cry <3
@user-ot1sl2cb6r
It's so great.