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."
Please Call Me Baby
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left a trail behind
You spit as you slammed out the door
If this is love we're crazy
As we fight like cats and dogs
But I just know there's got to be more
So please call me, baby
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
I admit that I ain't no angel
I admit that I ain't no saint
I'm selfish and I'm cruel and I'm blind
If I exorcise my devils
Well my angels may leave too
When they leave they're so hard to find
So please call me, baby
Wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
We're always at each other's throats
It drives me up the wall
Most of the time I'm just blowing off steam
And I wish to God you'd leave me
And I wish to God you'd stay
Life's so different than it is in your dreams
So please call me, baby
Wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
The lyrics of Tom Waits's song Please Call Me Baby tell the story of a tumultuous relationship that oscillates between love and hate, between wanting to be together and wanting to be left alone. The singer in the song acknowledges that they are far from perfect, admitting that they are selfish, cruel, and blind. Yet, they cannot let go of the relationship, of the hope that there is something more, something worth holding on to. They fight like cats and dogs, but they also love each other passionately.
The repeated plea for the lover to call them, wherever they are, is a poignant indication of how much the singer needs their partner, despite all the chaos that comes with their relationship. The image of the cold streets and the rain conveys a sense of loneliness and desperation, as if the singer fears that their partner will never come back to them, and that they will be left alone to face the storm.
The song captures the complexity and contradictions of human relationships, the way in which we can both love and hate someone at the same time, the way in which we can be convinced that we need someone, even if they make us suffer. It is a song that speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever been in a difficult relationship, who has ever felt the need to hold onto someone who might not be good for them.
Line by Line Meaning
The evening fell just like a star
The sunset was breathtaking.
Left a trail behind
The fading light left a beautiful reflection on the horizon.
You spit as you slammed out the door
You left in anger and disgust.
If this is love we're crazy
Our relationship is not normal or healthy.
As we fight like cats and dogs
As we argue passionately and bitterly.
But I just know there's got to be more
I believe there's more to our relationship than constant conflict.
So please call me, baby
I miss you and want to hear from you.
Wherever you are
No matter where you are, I hope you'll reach out to me.
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
The weather is harsh and dangerous tonight.
We do crazy things when we're wounded
We act out of character and make poor choices when we're hurt.
Everyone's a bit insane
We're all a little unstable and irrational at times.
I don't want you catching your death of cold
I don't want you getting sick or hurt because of me.
Out walking in the rain
Venturing out alone in a storm is risky and reckless.
I admit that I ain't no angel
I acknowledge that I have done wrong.
I'm selfish and I'm cruel and I'm blind
I act only in my own interests and disregard the needs of others.
If I exorcise my devils
If I get rid of my inner demons and flaws.
Well my angels may leave too
I may lose my own good qualities as well.
When they leave they're so hard to find
Once they're gone, it's difficult to regain those positive traits.
We're always at each other's throats
We argue and fight all the time.
It drives me up the wall
It frustrates and irritates me.
Most of the time I'm just blowing off steam
Most of the time I'm just venting and releasing my anger.
And I wish to God you'd leave me
I wish you would end this toxic relationship.
And I wish to God you'd stay
But at the same time, I want you to stay and work things out with me.
Life's so different than it is in your dreams
Reality is not always what we hope or expect it to be.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: Tom Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DirkjeA
The ultimate lovesong..... the most touching part of the song is when he asks her to call, even though they were in a fight and she stomped away angry, he still wants her to call and come home because it is cold outside and he worries..... that is so sweet and so recognisable.....
The evening fell just like a star
Left a trail behind
You spit as you slammed out the door
If this is love we're crazy
As we fight like cats and dogs
But I just know there's got to be more
So please call me, baby
Wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
I admit that I ain't no angel
I admit that I ain't no saint
I'm selfish and I'm cruel but you're blind
If I exorcise my devils
Well my angels may leave too
When they leave they're so hard to find
So please call me, baby
Wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
We're always at each other's throats
It drives me up the wall
Most of the time I'm just blowing off steam
And I wish to God you'd leave me
And I wish to God you'd stay
Life's so different than it is in your dreams
So please call me, baby
Wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
@ye8488
The evening fell just like a star
Left a trail behind
You spit as you slammed out the door
If this is love, we're crazy
As we fight like cats and dogs
I just know there's got to be more
So please call me, baby, wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
I admit that I ain't no angel
I admit that I ain't no saint
I'm selfish and I'm cruel, but you're blind
If I exorcise my devils
Well my angels may leave too
When they leave, they're so hard to find
Please call me, baby, wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rainWe're always at each others throats
You know, it drives me up the wall
Most of the time I'm just blowing off steam
And I wish to God you'd leave me
Baby, I wish to God you'd stay
Life's so different than it is in your dreams
Please call me, baby
Wherever you are
It's too cold to be out walking in the streets
We do crazy things when we're wounded
Everyone's a bit insane
I don't want you catching your death of cold
Out walking in the rain
@TectonicBadger
If this had as many views as 'Call Me "Maybe"' the world would be a better place..
@upsidedahead
Freddie Cunningham brilliant !
@emc3748
So very well said. Thank you.
@upsidedahead
true fact
@rosscockburn318
God I hate how the top comments on any song like this just shit on other music.
@brandom1953
Absolutely
@markjohnson1540
Such a sweet sad song, beautifully written. So cool to see so many people who love his work as I do! Saw him in concert in Seattle at the Paramount in 1974 or 1975. It was titled, "A Cheap Concert by Tom Waits" priced at something like $1.95 admission. Seriously. An American treasure, genius songwriter.
@vicky-yn3nn
All these years I have not been able able to fulfill my want list to see and I just can't force myself to hang in these big cities he plays. He also likes the little hole in the wall joints around Chicago.
@te_ti570
😮
@Espina907
@markjohnson1540 THIS is the only good memory my ex gave me Tom Waits.