Płyta : Bad as me

Utwór : ,,Chicago"

The seeds are planted here
But they won't grow
We won't have to say goodbye
If we all go
Maybe things will be better in Chicago
To leave all we've ever known
For a place we've never seen
Maybe things will be better in Chicago
Well It's braver to stay
Even braver to go
Wherever she goes I go
Maybe things will be better in Chicago

What we need the lord will give us
All we want we carry with us
You know where I can be found
Where the rainbow hits the ground
I'm not alone
I'm not afraid
This bird has flown from his cage
There's so much magic we have known
On this sapphire we call home
With my coat and my hat
I say goodbye to all that
Maybe things will be better in Chicago
Maybe things will be better in Chicago

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Płyta :Rain Dogs

Utwór: ,,9th & Hennepin"

 Well it's 9th and Hennepin
And all the donuts have
Names that sound like prostitutes
And the moon's teeth marks are
On the sky like a tarp thrown over all this
And the broken umbrellas like
Dead birds and the steam
Comes out of the grill like
The whole goddamned town is ready to blow.
And the bricks are all scarred with jailhouse tattoos
And everyone is behaving like dogs.
And the horses are coming down Violin Road
And Dutch is dead on his feet
And the rooms all smell like diesel
And you take on the
Dreams of the ones who have slept here.
And I'm lost in the window
I hide on the stairway
I hang in the curtain
I sleep in your hat
And no one brings anything
Small into a bar around here.
They all started out with bad directions
And the girl behind the counter has a tattooed tear,
One for every year he's away she said, such
A crumbling beauty, but there's
Nothing wrong with her that
$100 won't fix, she has that razor sadness
That only gets worse
With the clang and thunder of the
Southern Pacific going by
As the clock ticks out like a dripping faucet
Till you're full of rag water and bitters and blue ruin
And you spill out
Over the side to anyone who'll listen
And I've seen it
All through the yellow windows
Of the evening train.

 Tytuł tej jazzowej melorecytacji pochodzi od nazwy rogu ulic w Mineapolis 9th i Hennpin. Kiedyś będąc tam zupełnie przypadkiem Waits natknął się na walkę alfonsów. Był w sklepie z pączkami, kiedy nagle dwunastoletni sutenerzy w futrach wyciągnęli noże i zaczęli się bić.

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Płyta: Swordfishtrombones

Utwór : ,,Johnsburg Ilusion"

She's my only true love
she's all that I think of
look here in my wallet
that's her
She grew up on a farm there
there's a place on my arm
where I've written her name
next to mine
you see I just can't
live without her
and I'm her only boy
and she grew up outside McHenry
in Johnsburg, Illinois

Utwór jest kolejnym miłosnym listem do ukochanej Kathleen. Opowiada o miejscu, w którym mieszkała kiedy była dzieckiem. Urodziła się w Johnsburgu i mieszkała tam na farmie, zanim z całą rodziną przeprowadziła się do New Jersey.

Płyta : Swordfishtrombones

Utwór : ,,Underground"

 

Rattle Big Black Bones
in the Danger zone
there's a rumblin' groan
down below
there's a big dark town
it's a place I've found
there's a world going on
UNDERGROUND
they're alive, they're awake
while the rest of the world is asleep
below the mine shaft roads
it will all unfold
there's a world going on
UNDERGROUND
all the roots hang down
swing from town to town
they are marching around
down under your boots
all the trucks unload
beyond the gopher holes
there's a world going on
UNDERGROUND

Piosenka jest hołdem dla bezdomnych z Manhattanu, dzielnicy Nowego Yorku, którzy żyją w tunelach.

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Płyta : Heartattack & Wine

Utwór : ,,Jersey Girl"

Got no time for the corner boys, down in the street makin' all that noise,
don't want no whores on eighth avenue, cause tonight i'm gonna be with you.

cause tonight i'm gonna take that ride, across the river to the jersey side,
take my baby to the carnival, and i'll take you on all the rides, sing sha la
la la la la sha la la la.

down the shore everything's alright, you with your baby on a saturday night,
don't you know that all my dreams come true, when i'm walkin' down the street
with you, sing sha la la la la la sha la la la.

you know she thrills me with all her charms, when i'm wrapped up in my
baby's arms, my little angel gives me everything, i know someday that she'll
wear my ring.

so don't bother me cause i got no time, i'm on my way to see that girl of
mine, nothin' else matters in this whole wide world, when you're in love with
a jersey girl, sing sha la la la la la la.

and i call your name, i can't sleep at night, sha la la la la la la.

Utwór ten jest dedykowany żonie Waitsa, Kathleen Brennan, która większą część swojego dzieciństwa spędziła w New Jersey.

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Płyta : Blue Valentine

Utwór: ,,Kentucky Avenue"

Eddie graces buick got 4 bullet holes in the side
charley delislesittin' at the top of an avacado tree
mrs storml stab you with a steak knife if you step on her lawn
i got a half pack of lucky strikes man come along with me
lets fill our pockets with macadamia nuts
then go ever to bobby goodmansons
and jump off the roof

hilda plays strip poker
and her mamas across the street
joey narinsky says she put her tongue in his mouth
dicky faulkners got a switchblade
and some goosenecks risers
that eucalyptus is a hunchback
theres a wind up from the south
let me tie you up with kite string
and i'll show you the scabs on my knee
watch out for the broken glass, put your shoes and socks
on and come along with me

lets follow that fire truck
i think your house is burning down
then go down to the hobo jungle and kill some rattle
snakes with a trowel
we'll break all the windows in the ols anderson place
and steal a bunch of boysenberrys
ans swear em on our face
i'll get a dollar from my mamas purse
and buy that scull and crossbones ring
and you can wear it round your neck on an old piece of string

then we'll split on ronniie arnold
and flip him the bird
and slash the tires on the school bus
now don't say a word
i'll take a rusty nail and scratch your initials on my arm
and i'll show you how to sneak up on the roof of the drugstore

take the spokes from your wheellchair
and a magpies wings
and tie em to your shoulders and your feet
i'll steal a hacksaw from my dad
and cut the braces off your legs
and we'll bury them tonight in the cornfield

put a church key in your pocket
we'll hop that freight train in the hall
and we'll slide down the drain all the way
to new orleans in the fall

Jest to słodko-gorzkie wspomnienie kolegi z dziecinnych lat Kippera. Waits wyśpiewuje tęsknotę za tym,aby uwolnić przyjaciela od wózka inwalidzkiego i móc uciec z nim do Nowego Orleanu. Kentucky Avenue była to główna ulica miasteczka Whittier, w którym urodził się i spędził pierwsze lata życia Tom.

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Płyta : The Heart of Saturday Night

Utwór: ,,Diamonds On My Windshield"

 Well these diamonds on my windshield
And these tears from heaven
Well I'm pulling into town on the Interstate
I got a steel train in the rain
And the wind bites my cheek through the wing
And it's these late nights and this freeway flying
It always makes me sing

There's a Duster tryin' to change my tune
He's pulling up fast on the right
Rolling restlessly by a twenty-four hour moon

And a Wisconsin hiker with a cue-ball head
He's wishing he was home in a Wiscosin bed
But there's fifteen feet of snow in the East
Colder then a welldigger's ass
And it's colder than a welldigger's ass

Oceanside it ends the ride with San Clemente coming up
Those Sunday desperadoes slip by and cruise with a dry back
And the orange drive-in the neon billin'
And the theatre's fillin' to the brim
With slave girls and a hot spurn bucket full of sin

Metropolitan area with interchange and connections
Fly-by-nights from Riverside
And out of state plates running a little late

But the sailors jockey for the fast lane
So 101 don't miss it
There's rolling hills and concrete fields
And the broken line's on your mind
The eights go east and the fives go north
And the merging nexus back and forth
You see your sign, cross the line, signalling with a blink

And the radio's gone off the air
Gives you time to think
And you hear the rumble
As you fumble for a cigarette
And blazing through this midnight jungle
Remember someone that you met
And one more block; the engine talks
Whispers 'home at last'
It whispers 'home at last'
Whispers 'home at last'
It whispers 'home at last'
Whispers 'home at last'

And there are diamonds on my windshield
And these tears from heaven
Well I'm pulling into town on the Interstate
I got me a steel train in the rain
And the wind bites my cheek through the wing
Late nights and freeway flying
Always makes me sing
It always makes me sing

(Hey look here Jack, ok)

,,Diamonds on the windshield" został spontanicznie zapisany na okładce przewodnika turystycznego. Jest wspomnieniem czasów kiedy Waits podróżował między Los Angeles i San Diego, zatrzymując się w kawiarniach, stacjach benzynowych i w warsztatach samochodowych.

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Płyta : The Heart of Saturday Night

Utwór: ,,(Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night"

 Well you gassed her up
Behind the wheel
With your arm around your sweet one
In your Oldsmobile
Barrelin' down the boulevard
You're looking for the heart of Saturday night

And you got paid on Friday
And your pockets are jinglin'
And you see the lights
You get all tinglin' cause you're cruisin' with a 6
And you're looking for the heart of Saturday night

Then you comb your hair
Shave your face
Tryin' to wipe out ev'ry trace
All the other days
In the week you know that this'll be the Saturday
You're reachin' your peak

Stoppin' on the red
You're goin' on the green
'Cause tonight'll be like nothin'
You've ever seen
And you're barrelin' down the boulevard
Lookin' for the heart of Saturday night

Tell me is the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin?
Telephone's ringin'; it's your second cousin
Is it the barmaid that's smilin' from the corner of her eye?
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye.

Makes it kind of quiver down in the core
'Cause you're dreamin' of them Saturdays that came before
And now you're stumblin'
You're stumblin' onto the heart of Saturday night

Well you gassed her up
And you're behind the wheel
With your arm around your sweet one
In your Oldsmobile
Barrellin' down the boulevard,
You're lookin' for the heart of Saturday night

Is the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin?
Telephone's ringin'; it's your second cousin
And the barmaid is smilin' from the corner of her eye
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye.

Makes it kind of special down in the core
And you're dreamin' of them Saturdays that came before
It's found you stumblin'
Stumblin' onto the heart of Saturday night
And you're stumblin'
Stumblin onto the heart of Saturday night

,,Jest to pochwała wolności wynikająca z jazdy samochodem. Opowiada o tym, jak to wspaniale wsiąść do samochodu z sześciopakiem piwa i marzeniem i ruszyć na spotkanie bezkresnej nocy w Los Angeles."


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Płyta : The heart of Saturday Night

Utwór: ,,The Ghosts Of Saturday Night (After Hours At Napoleone's Pizza House) ''

 A cab combs the snake,
Tryin' to rake in that last night's fare,
And a solitary sailor
Who spends the facts of his life like small change on strangers...

Paws his inside P-coat pocket for a welcome twenty-five cents,
And the last bent butt from a package of Kents,
As he dreams of a waitress with Maxwell House eyes
And marmalade thighs with scrambled yellow hair.

Her rhinestone-studded moniker says, "Irene"
As she wipes the wisps of dishwater blonde from her eyes
And the Texaco beacon burns on,
The steel-belted attendant with a 'Ring and Valve Special'...
Cryin' "Fill'er up and check that oil"
"You know it could be a distributor and it could be a coil."

The early mornin' final edition's on the stands,
And that town cryer's cryin' there with nickels in his hands.
Pigs in a blanket sixty-nine cents,
Eggs - roll 'em over and a package of Kents,
Adam and Eve on a log, you can sink 'em damn straight,
Hash browns, hash browns, you know I can't be late.

And the early dawn cracks out a carpet of diamond
Across a cash crop car lot filled with twilight Coupe Devilles,
Leaving the town in a-keeping
Of the one who is sweeping
Up the ghost of Saturday night...

 

Napoleon Pizza Parlor jest pierwszym miejscem, w którym Waits pracował, miał wtedy 14 lat.

Jest to hołd złożony temu miejscu i jego klientom. W jednym z wywiadów Waits 
powiedział : ,, Podobało mi się i podziękowałem mu za to”

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Płyta : The heart of Saturday Night

Utwór: ,,Depot, depot”

 Depot, depot, what am I doing here?
Depot, depot, what am I doing here?
I ain't coming, I ain't going
My confusion is showing
Outside the midnight wind is blowing Sixth Avenue
I'm gonna paint myself blue
At the depot

I watch the taxis pull up and idle
I can't claim title to a single memory
He offered me a key
'Cause opportunity don't knock
He has no tongue and she cannot talk
You're gonna shuffle when you walk
At the depot

This peeping-Tom needs a peephole
And an uptempo song
To move me along
When I find this depot baby
I'm on a roll just like a pool ball baby
I'm gonna be there at the roll call maybe
At the depot

Outside the midnight wind is blowing Sixth Avenue
Oh, tell me what a poor boy to do
At the depot
I'm on a roll just like a pool ball baby
I'm gonna be there at the roll call maybe
At the depot
The depot

 

Jest to obraz nocnego przystanku autobusowego Greyhound na przedmieściach Los Angeles.

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Płyta : The heart of Saturday Night

Utwór: ,,San Diego Serenade”

  I never saw the morning 'til I stayed up all night
I never saw the sunshine 'til you turned out the light
I never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long
I never heard the melody, until I needed a song.

I never saw the white line, 'til I was leaving you behind
I never knew I needed you 'til I was caught up in a bind
I never spoke 'I love you' 'til I cursed you in vain,
I never felt my heartstrings until I nearly went insane.

I never saw the east coast 'til I move to the west
I never saw the moonlight until it shone off your breast
I never saw your heart 'til someone tried to steal, tried to steal it away
I never saw your tears until they rolled down your face.

 

Kiedy Tom miał 10 lat jego rodzice się rozwiedli. Wraz z matką i rodzeństwem w 1959 r. przeprowadził się do Chula Vista, jednak większość czasu spędzał na przedmieściach San Diego. Jest to miłosna pieśń poświęcona rodzinnemu miastu artysty.

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Płyta : ,,Closing Time”

Utwór : ,,Virginia Avenue”

Well, I'm walking on down Virginia Avenue
Trying to find somebody to tell my troubles to.
Harold's club is closing, and everybody's going on home:
What's a poor boy to do?

I'll just get on back into my short, make it back to the fort
Sleep off all the crazy lizards inside of my brain.
There's got to be some place that's better than this
This life I'm leading's driving me insane

And let me tell you I'm dreaming...

Let me tell you that I'm dreaming to the twilight, this town has got me down.
I've seen all the highlights, I've been walking all around
I won't make a fuss, I'll take a Greyhound bus, carry me away from here:
Tell me, what have I got to lose?

'Cause I'm walking on down Columbus Avenue
The bars are all closing, 'cause it's quarter to two
Every town I go to is like a lock without a key
Those I leave behind are catching up on me,
Let me tell you they're catching up on me, they're catching up on me 

Catching up on me, catching up on me, catching up on me

  Virginia Avenue jest jedną z ulic Los Angeles. Miasta do którego Waits jeździł przez pewien czas, aby spróbować swych sił w Hoot Night- były to amatorskie występy w popularnym w tamtym okresie Troubadour Club. Piosenka jest obrazem nocnego Los Angeles, który Waits miał okazje oglądać po wizycie w Troubadour Club.

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