Notable Tom Waits Lyrics

benjs

Inspired by another Tom Waits thread here, how about just post Tom Waits lyrics that get to you?

Some favourites of mine:
"Mercy, mercy, Mr. Persey,
there ain't nothin' back in Jersey,
but a broken-down jalopy of a man I left behind,
and a dream that I was chasin', a battle with the booze,
this ain't nothing but an invitation to the blues"
-Invitation to the Blues (Small Change)

"You know there ain't no devil, there's just god when he's drunk"
-Heartattack and Vine (Heartattack and Vine)

"So if you find someone, someone to have, someone to hold,
don't trade it for silver, don't trade it for gold,
for I have all of life's treasures, and they're fine and they're good,
they remind me of houses that're just made of wood,
What makes a house grand, it ain't the roof or the doors,
if there's love in a house, it's a palace for sure,
without love, it ain't nothing but a house - a house where nobody lives"
-House Where Nobody Lives (Mule Variations)

MysteryTrain

I love this part of the song:

There's a golden moon that shines up through the mist
And I know that your name will be on that list
There's no eye for an eye, there's no tooth for a tooth
I saw Judas Iscariot carrying John Wilkes Booth

-Down There By The Train

JDB

"I don't lose my composure in a high speed chase"

This line tells you so much about the character Waits is creating in the song Goin' Out West.

skippybrew

"All your cryin' don't do no good
(Come on up to the house)
Come down off the cross, we can use the wood..."
-Come on up to the house

"Let marrow bone and cleaver choose,
While making feet for children's shoes.
Through the alley! Back from hell!
When you hear that steeple bell,
You must say goodbye to me..."
-Singapore

"I spent all my money in a Mexican whorehouse,
Across the street from a Catholic church."
-Mr. Siegal

"I sold a quart of blood and bought a half a pint of scotch."
-'Til the Money Runs Out

"There are a few things I never could believe:
A woman when she weeps,
A merchant when he swears,
A thief who says he'll pay,
A lawyer when he cares,
A snake when he is sleeping,
A drunkard when he prays;
I don't believe you can go to heaven when you're good.
Everything goes to Hell anyway..."
-Everything Goes to Hell

"The sun is up, the world is flat
Damn good address for a rat.
The smell of blood, the drone of flies,
You know what to do if the baby cries.
...
Smoke is blacking out the sun,
At night I pray and clean my gun.
Cracked bell rings as the ghost bird sings,
The gods go begging here.
So just open fire as you hit the shore,
All is fair in love and war."
-Hoist That Rag

"Even Jesus wanted just a little more time
When he was walking Spanish down the hall."
-Walking Spanish

I could go on and on and on.....