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."
Swordfishtrombone
Tom Waits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a party in his head
And modified Brougham DeVille
And a pair of legs that opened up like butterfly wings
And a mad dog that wouldn't sit still
He went and took up with a Salvation Army band girl
Who played dirty water on a swordfishtrombone
He went to sleep at the bottom of Tenkiller lake
Well, he came home from the war with a party in his head
And an idea for a fireworks display
And he knew that he'd be ready with a stainless steel machete
And a half a pint of Ballentine's each day
And he holed up in room above a hardware store
Cryin' nothing there but Hollywood tears
He put a spell on some poor little Crutchfield girl
And stayed like that for twenty-seven years
He packed up all his expectations, he lit out for California
With a flyswatter banjo on his knee
With a lucky tiger in his angel hair and Benzedrine for getting there
They found him in a eucalyptus tree
Lieutenant got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word
Chesterfielded moonbeams in a song
He got twenty years for lovin' her from some Oklahoma governor
Said "everything this Doughboy does is wrong"
Now some say he's doing the obituary mambo
Now some say that he's hanging on the wall
Perhaps this yarn's the only thing that holds this man together
Some say he was never here at all
And some say they saw him down in Birmingham
Sleeping in a boxcar going by
And if you think that you can tell a bigger tale
I swear to God you'd have to tell a lie
The song Swordfishtrombone by Tom Waits is an enigmatic tale of a World War II veteran who returns home from the war, but with a "party in his head". The song is fragmented, evocative and seemingly nonsensical, yet holds a depth of meaning that can be unravelled through careful interpretation. The first verse describes the veteran coming home with a modified Brougham DeVille and a pair of legs that "opened up like butterfly wings", which is likely a metaphor for his promiscuity. The mad dog that wouldn't sit still could be symbolic of his restless nature. He is also depicted as having taken up with a Salvation Army band girl who plays "dirty water" on a swordfishtrombone, which suggests that he has fallen in with a rough crowd and lives a chaotic lifestyle. The reference to Tenkiller Lake suggests that his return home is not a peaceful one, as he goes to sleep at the bottom of the lake, perhaps indicating that he feels suffocated by his claustrophobic surroundings.
The second verse continues the story with the veteran having an idea for a fireworks display and having equipped himself with a stainless steel machete and a pint of Ballentine's each day. He takes up residence in a room above a hardware store where he cries "nothing there but Hollywood tears". He puts a spell on a poor Crutchfield girl and stays like that for twenty-seven years, which is indicative of a man who is lost in his own world, living in his head and unwilling or unable to engage with the real world. The third verse brings us up to the present day, with the veteran packing his expectations and heading to California with a flyswatter banjo on his knee and Benzedrine for getting there. He is found in a eucalyptus tree with a canary bird and Cheasterfield moonbeams. He is given twenty years for loving the Crutchfield girl by an Oklahoma governor who declares that everything he does is wrong. The song ends with the suggestion that the veteran may not have existed at all, with stories of his whereabouts and activities being only hearsay, leaving the listener with a sense of mystery and intrigue.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, he came home from the war
Returning from the war, this man had something different in his head.
With a party in his head
His head was filled with exciting ideas and fun plans.
And modified Brougham DeVille
He had a tailored car that was adjusted to his liking.
And a pair of legs that opened up like butterfly wings
He met a girl with very flexible legs.
And a mad dog that wouldn't sit still
He had a wild, untamed dog that was difficult to control.
He went and took up with a Salvation Army band girl
He began dating a woman who played music for the Salvation Army.
Who played dirty water on a swordfishtrombone
She played a strange mix of music, including 'Dirty Water' and 'Swordfishtrombone.'
He went to sleep at the bottom of Tenkiller lake
He went swimming in Tenkiller lake and took a nap underwater.
And he said 'gee, but it's great to be home'
Upon returning after a long time away, he was thrilled to be back.
And an idea for a fireworks display
He came up with a creative and possibly dangerous display of fireworks.
And he knew that he'd be ready with a stainless steel machete
He was prepared to use a sharp weapon if necessary.
And a half a pint of Ballentine's each day
He drank alcohol daily, consuming a half-pint of Ballentine's.
And he holed up in room above a hardware store
He lived in an upstairs room above a store that sold hardware.
Cryin' nothing there but Hollywood tears
He was upset and crying, but it was for a superficial reason.
He put a spell on some poor little Crutchfield girl
He manipulated and controlled a young girl named Crutchfield.
And stayed like that for twenty-seven years
He continued to control and influence Crutchfield for nearly three decades.
He packed up all his expectations, he lit out for California
He left his old life behind and headed to California, full of hope and excitement.
With a flyswatter banjo on his knee
He had a makeshift banjo made from a flyswatter.
With a lucky tiger in his angel hair and Benzedrine for getting there
He carried good luck charms and drugs to help him achieve his goals.
They found him in a eucalyptus tree
He was discovered high up in a eucalyptus tree.
Lieutenant got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word
He was given a canary bird and taught it to dance along with him as he played music.
Chesterfielded moonbeams in a song
He composed a song with strange and nonsensical lyrics.
He got twenty years for lovin' her from some Oklahoma governor
He was given a lengthy prison sentence by the governor of Oklahoma for his relationship with Crutchfield.
Said 'everything this Doughboy does is wrong'
The governor believed that everything this man did was bad or harmful.
Now some say he's doing the obituary mambo
Some people believe that this man is living his final days.
Now some say that he's hanging on the wall
Others believe that this man is very ill and close to passing away.
Perhaps this yarn's the only thing that holds this man together
Maybe the only thing keeping this man going is this story that has been told about him.
Some say he was never here at all
There are rumors that this man never actually existed.
And some say they saw him down in Birmingham
Some people claim to have seen this man in Birmingham.
Sleeping in a boxcar going by
They saw him sleeping inside a boxcar that was moving along a train track.
And if you think that you can tell a bigger tale
If you believe that you can come up with a more unbelievable story about this man,
I swear to God you'd have to tell a lie
You would have to be lying to come up with something even more incredible.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: THOMAS ALAN WAITS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patorabioso
Well he came home from the war
with a party in his head
and modified Brougham DeVille
and a pair of legs that opened up
like butterfly wings
and a mad dog that wouldn't
sit still
he went and took up with a Salvation Army
Band girl
who played dirty water
from a swordfishtrombone
he went to sleep at the bottom of
Tenkiller lake
and he said "gee, but it's
great to be home."
Well he came home from the war
with a party in his head
and an idea for a fireworks display
and he knew that he'd be ready with
a stainless steel machete
and a half a pint of Ballentine's
each day
and he holed up in room above a hardware store
cryin' nothing there but Hollywood tears
and he put a spell on some
poor little Crutchfield girl
and stayed like that for 27 years
Well he packed up all his
expectations he lit out for California
with a flyswatter banjo on his knee
with a lucky tiger in his angel hair
and benzedrine for getting there
they found him in a eucalyptus tree
lieutenant got him a canary bird
and skanked her head with every word
and Chesterfielded moonbeams in a song
and he got 20 years for lovin' her
from some Oklahoma governor
said everything this Doughboy
does is wrong
Now some say he's doing
the obituary mambo
and some say he's hanging on the wall
perhaps this yarn's the only thing
that holds this man together
some say he was never here at all
Some say they saw him down in
Birmingham, sleeping in a
boxcar going by
and if you think that you can tell a bigger tale
I swear to God you'd have to tell a lie...
@bertrandravigne1789
As near perfect as a song can get...
@myboringpowerpoints7782
Smooth.
@sad1esays
This guy was a musical genius ❤
@siggesds5501
Still is.
@Missjunebugfreak
This song is so addictive. Love the instrumentation and how damn groovy it sounds. And Tom's wails at the end are the icing on the cake.
@patorabioso
Well he came home from the war
with a party in his head
and modified Brougham DeVille
and a pair of legs that opened up
like butterfly wings
and a mad dog that wouldn't
sit still
he went and took up with a Salvation Army
Band girl
who played dirty water
from a swordfishtrombone
he went to sleep at the bottom of
Tenkiller lake
and he said "gee, but it's
great to be home."
Well he came home from the war
with a party in his head
and an idea for a fireworks display
and he knew that he'd be ready with
a stainless steel machete
and a half a pint of Ballentine's
each day
and he holed up in room above a hardware store
cryin' nothing there but Hollywood tears
and he put a spell on some
poor little Crutchfield girl
and stayed like that for 27 years
Well he packed up all his
expectations he lit out for California
with a flyswatter banjo on his knee
with a lucky tiger in his angel hair
and benzedrine for getting there
they found him in a eucalyptus tree
lieutenant got him a canary bird
and skanked her head with every word
and Chesterfielded moonbeams in a song
and he got 20 years for lovin' her
from some Oklahoma governor
said everything this Doughboy
does is wrong
Now some say he's doing
the obituary mambo
and some say he's hanging on the wall
perhaps this yarn's the only thing
that holds this man together
some say he was never here at all
Some say they saw him down in
Birmingham, sleeping in a
boxcar going by
and if you think that you can tell a bigger tale
I swear to God you'd have to tell a lie...
@adamsmith3996
I love when folks post lyrics to Tom,s songs. Thanks bud !
@alejandroaguilar7822
¡Gracias! From, some place in Sonora desert. Thanks.
@giampaoloosmario7255
Thanks for the lyrics for it is nice to see that picture without the help of the music, and guess what, it has worked out fine since it is a very beautiful song like many other ones from the ' artist '.
@saturnus423
LRyrics:
Rub a dub WAAAAAARRRRRR