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."
Small Change
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And nobody flinched down by the arcade
And the marquees weren't weeping, they went stark-raving mad
And the cabbies were the only ones that really had it made
And his cold trousers were twisted, and the sirens high and shrill
And crumpled in his fist was a five-dollar bill
And the naked mannequins with their Cheshire grins
And the raconteurs and roustabouts said buddy, come on in, 'cause
Now that small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And nobody flinched down by the arcade
And the burglar alarm's been disconnected
And the newsmen start to rattle
And the cops are telling jokes about some whorehouse in Seattle
And the fire hydrants plead the fifth amendment
And the furniture is bargains galore
But the blood is by the jukebox on an old linoleum floor
And what a hot rain on forty-second street
And now the umbrellas ain't got a chance
And the newsboy's a lunatic with stains on his pants, 'cause
'Cause small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And no one's gone over to close his eyes
And there's a racing form in his pocket
Circled blue boots in the third
And the cashier at the clothing store didn't say a word
As the siren tears the night in half, and someone lost his wallet
Well, a surveillance of assailance, it that's what you want to call it
And the whores hike up their skirts and fish for drug-store prophylactics
With their mouths cut just like razor blades and their eyes are like stilettos
And her radiator's steaming and her teeth are in a wreck, and nah
She won't let you kiss her, but what the hell do you expect?
And the gypsies are tragic and if you want to buy perfume
Well, they'll bark you down like carneys, sell you christmas cards in June, but
But small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And his headstone's a gumball machine
No more chewing gum or baseball cards or overcoats or dreams
Someone's hosing down the sidewalk, and he's only in his teens, 'cause
'Cause small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And a fistful of dollars can't change that
And someone copped his watch fob, and someone got his ring
And the newsboy got his porkpie Stetson hat
And the tuberculosis old men at the nelson wheeze and cough
And someone will head south until this whole thing cools off, 'cause
'Cause small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight, yeah
Small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
"Small Change" by Tom Waits is a song that depicts the gritty reality of New York City in the 1970s. The song tells a story of a man who is caught in unfortunate circumstances after getting rained on with his own thirty-eight (referring to his gun). The lyrics describe how nobody flinched when this happened, emphasizing the harshness and indifference of the city. The marquees were not weeping but rather went "stark-raving mad" with lights flashing. The cabbies are the only ones that "really had it made," highlighting the class divisions in the city.
The man's cold trousers are twisted, and sirens are heard in the background. The naked mannequins with their "Cheshire grins" represent the emptiness of the commercialized city, while the "raconteurs and roustabouts" invite the man in, symbolizing the allure of the city's vices. The dreams may be walking with a limp, but they are not broken down here, implying that the city still draws people in with its promise of hope.
The song continues with vivid imagery of the rain on 42nd Street, with furniture bargains galore but blood on the linoleum floor. The newsboys are lunatics, and the whores have mouths cut like razor blades, further emphasizing the harshness of the city. The man's headstone is a gumball machine, showcasing the fleeting nature of life and how even small change can be taken away. In the end, someone will head south until the whole thing cools off, implying that the cycle repeats itself.
Overall, "Small Change" is a powerful commentary on urban life and the complex social dynamics of New York City in the 1970s.
Line by Line Meaning
Small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
Small change got caught in the rain with his own stolen gun
And nobody flinched down by the arcade
People were indifferent to the incident by the arcade
And the marquees weren't weeping, they went stark-raving mad
The lights were flickering in panic, not in mourning
And the cabbies were the only ones that really had it made
The cab drivers were the only ones benefiting from the chaos
And his cold trousers were twisted, and the sirens high and shrill
Small change was nervous, and the police sirens were loud and piercing
And crumpled in his fist was a five-dollar bill
Small change had a crumpled five-dollar bill in his hand
And the naked mannequins with their Cheshire grins
The mannequins in the store had eerie smiles on their faces
And the raconteurs and roustabouts said buddy, come on in, 'cause
The storytellers and laborers invited Small change to join them
'Cause the dreams ain't broken down here now, they're walking with a limp
Although things may be tough, hope still remains
And the burglar alarm's been disconnected,
The security system was disabled
And the newsmen start to rattle
The reporters were starting to get excited
And the cops are telling jokes about some whorehouse in Seattle
The police officers were making jokes about a brothel in Seattle
And the fire hydrants plead the fifth amendment
The fire hydrants had nothing to say about the situation
And the furniture is bargains galore
The furniture was on sale at low prices
But the blood is by the jukebox on an old linoleum floor
Despite the deals, there was still evidence of violence
And what a hot rain on forty-second street
It was raining heavily on the street
And now the umbrellas ain't got a chance
The umbrellas were useless in the downpour
And the newsboy's a lunatic with stains on his pants, 'cause
The newspaper boy was acting crazy with dirty pants
And no one's gone over to close his eyes
No one had gone to pay their respects to Small change
And there's a racing form in his pocket, circled blue boots in the third
Small change had a horse racing form in his pocket with a specific bet on it
And the cashier at the clothing store didn't say a word
The clothing store cashier remained silent
As the siren tears the night in half, and someone lost his wallet
The police siren was splitting the silence, and someone had lost their wallet
Well, a surveillance of assailance, it that's what you want to call it
The investigation was ongoing
And the whores hike up their skirts and fish for drug-store prophylactics
The prostitutes were searching for condoms in their revealing outfits
With their mouths cut just like razor blades and their eyes are like stilettos
Their speech was sharp, and their expression was intimidating
And her radiator's steaming and her teeth are in a wreck, and nah,
Her car was having mechanical issues, and her teeth were in bad condition
She won't let you kiss her, but what the hell do you expect?
She wasn't interested in intimacy
And the gypsies are tragic and if you want to buy perfume,
The gypsies were sorrowful, and if you wanted to buy perfume,
Well, they'll bark you down like carneys, sell you christmas cards in June, but
They would aggressively sell you their wares, even if it wasn't the right season
And his headstone's a gumball machine,
Small change's grave marker is a vending machine
No more chewing gum or baseball cards or overcoats or dreams
There won't be any more small pleasures, aspirations or dreams for Small change
Someone's hosing down the sidewalk, and he's only in his teens, 'cause
Someone was cleaning the sidewalk, and they were very young
And a fistful of dollars can't change that,
Money won't be able to reverse the situation
And someone copped his watch fob, and someone got his ring
Small change's personal effects were stolen
And the newsboy got his porkpie Stetson hat
The newspaper boy had taken Small change's hat
And the tuberculosis old men at the nelson wheeze and cough
The elderly men at The Nelson were suffering from tuberculosis
And someone will head south until this whole thing cools off, 'cause
Someone will leave town until things settle down
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Sly_Dawg
Small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And nobody flinched down by the arcade
And the marquees weren't weeping, they went stark-raving mad
And the cabbies were the only ones that really had it made
And his cold trousers were twisted, and the sirens high and shrill
And crumpled in his fist was a five-dollar bill
And the naked mannequins with their Cheshire grins,
And the raconteurs and roustabouts said buddy, come on in, 'cause
'Cause the dreams ain't broken down here now, they're walking with a limp
Now that small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And nobody flinched down by the arcade
And the burglar alarm's been disconnected,
And the newsmen start to rattle
And the cops are telling jokes about some whorehouse in Seattle
And the fire hydrants plead the fifth amendment
And the furniture is bargains galore
But the blood is by the jukebox on an old linoleum floor
And what a hot rain on forty-second street
And now the umbrellas ain't got a chance
And the newsboy's a lunatic with stains on his pants, 'cause
'Cause small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And no one's gone over to close his eyes
And there's a racing form in his pocket,
Circled blue boots in the third
And the cashier at the clothing store didn't say a word
As the siren tears the night in half, and someone lost his wallet
Well, a surveillance of assailance, it that's what you want to call it
And the whores hike up their skirts and fish for drug-store prophylactics
With their mouths cut just like razor blades and their eyes are like stilettos
And her radiator's steaming and her teeth are in a wreck, and nah,
She won't let you kiss her, but what the hell do you expect?
And the gypsies are tragic and if you want to buy perfume,
Well, they'll bark you down like carneys, sell you christmas cards in June, but
But small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And his headstone's a gumball machine,
No more chewing gum or baseball cards or overcoats or dreams
Someone's hosing down the sidewalk, and he's only in his teens, 'cause
'Cause small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
And a fistful of dollars can't change that,
And someone copped his watch fob, and someone got his ring
And the newsboy got his porkpie Stetson hat
And the tuberculosis old men at the nelson wheeze and cough
And someone will head south until this whole thing cools off, 'cause
'Cause small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight, yeah,
Small change got rained on with his own thirty-eight
@wjack4728
"Dreams ain't broken down here now, they're walkin' with a limp" What a great line! Love it!
@SenseiNWDA
The hero for those of us old enough to remember smoky coffeehouses and the "Beat" generation.
@antonboludo8886
Yeah :D
@johnl1685
Oh yeah. There were two different ones on Broad Street in Philly that I went to. "The Artist's Hut" and. "The Owl Tree". Very hip places. Both of them were in basements.
@JonathanSureau1
Some folks have a gift. The imagery and his voice, the sax wailing a running commentary - Somewhere, just out of sight I can see Kerouac leaning against a lamp post nodding to the rhythm of words painting a uniquely American scene so impeccably.
@jamesbueker11
Love the sexaphone so much. Simplicity is an awesome thing. Pure beauty in the minimalist approach
@774CISCO
Keeps me alive on late nights into oblivion, thank you Mr Waits
@carmin1999
This guy is light yearz ahead of his time.!!!
@johnnyp8979
Excellent gravel voice, excellent written words and story behind it all...
Creating a short novel, vivid short novel...
@christopherbacon1077
He's very good at that