Tom Waits Collection on Letterman, 1983-2015

[Music] [Applause] my next guest is that truly one of the most original music talents working today his latest album right here is called swordfish trombones and he describes it as being made up of journal entries from an exotic Odyssey please welcome it's a real delight to have this man with us tonight mr. Tom Waits [Applause] well Frank settle down out in the valley and he on his wild ears on a nail that he drove through his wife's forehead he's old used office furniture out there on San Fernando Road and he assumed a $30,000 loan on the 15 and a quarter percent he put a down payment on a little two-bedroom place his wife spent piece of used jet trash she made good bloody marys she kept her mouth shut most of the time and they had a little chihuahua named Carlos had some kind of a skin disease and was totally blind [Music] Franco a little sedan they had a thoroughly modern kitchen it was so happy one night Frank was on his way home from work he stopped at the liquor store he picked up a couple of Mickey's big mouth and he dragged him in the car on the way to the Shell station he got a gallon of gas and a can and he drove home he doused everything in the house torched it we parked across the street laughing watching it burn all Halloween orange and jiminy red then Frank put on a top 40 station down on the Hollywood Freeway headed north never could stand that dog [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] late night Christmas card and dr. Charles levy the dangerous animal expert is going to be here congratulations on the album Tom where's reading you have what is that you're brushing off here I thought I ran into Christmas in the hall they're everywhere yeah anyway I was gonna say congratulations on the album you're getting it's getting terrific your reviews isn't it yeah some people are recognizing it and it's really a kind of an odyssey journey as songs in a relate night there's 15 of them I think you get more for your entertainment dollar that's good if you play some of the songs backwards it says dirty thing oh that's great too so you really are for the price of one album getting all kinds of entertainment there yeah I'm looking for some new consumers and attempting to cook my dinner on your stove possibly butter well that's that's what our stove is here for Sam speaking of stoves are you still living in the motel on Santa Monica Boulevard in California you must have me mixed up with somebody else didn't you spend some time there at the atrophicae I'd spent some time at him yeah well I don't know motel I'd call it a palatial state Yeah right on Santa Monica Boulevard there on the other side of La Cienega this is where Dukes coffee shop is yeah that's right beneath yeah he had your piano in the kitchen you've been reading my mail yeah but you're not there anymore up no no longer travel has become an important part of my life yeah yeah you lived in a house trailer for a while just for a brief period now what was that like it's an experience for all it's close but you can always pick up and move the next day that's true you also for a while years ago lived in a car well not for an extended period time [Laughter] yeah yeah what kind of car was it 62 wagon the black interior yeah did you do much entertaining in those days you mean man nightclubs that type of thing no no I mean friends drop over you know I know what you're trying to take this no no I was just I just think it's interesting but also and correct me if this is not the truth you were born in a piece of modern transportation Richard according to my uncle Robert yeah but I I don't know people say a lot of things was it a cab you were supposedly boarded it would say yeah red and white yeah you know meteorite where the meter was running and where was this man Indiana no really what part Indiana said place called Valparaiso oh sure I know where that is yeah no I do I'm from Indiana myself so I'm not going that's the hard time California north Minnesota right now for a for a man who was started life in the backseat of a red and white cab last year you were nominated for an Academy Award this is a long trip you actually you went to the the award ceremony didn't shift for the it was for the music for one from the heart yeah yeah now what was that like for you being there well you know I went back and forth is well I'm gonna go I'm not gonna go I couldn't make up my mind in terms of fashion I I don't know I would have to classify it as a cotillion it's a lot of 1959 prom farmers necktie bethere and so you have a tuxedo as a matter of fact I did yeah an old clothes for psych myself was in the right place yeah did what was the what made you decide to show up for the presentation well you know I mean you really are nominated by by people who are in your field and a lot of composers and songwriters and musicians recognize the score from a couple of film group and so it really is a flattering yeah but you know there was a time when people would think well it's not really chic or hip you're nominated sure but I'll be busy that night oh you know but you decided to show up and while we were living like three four blocks from the place very simple now you mentioned earlier time about the concept of the album swordfish trombones go into that a little bit this is a a combination of sounds you just hear around you all the time that the music ought to be more what you're accustomed to hearing on the streets and in your house and so on and so forth is that close to my getting one there well see Frank really is the central protagonist a guy came to me in a dream and he spoke to me of many things so it's really I was trying to find a musical instruments that were more nightmarish or dreamlike there's some unusual things on here as far as instruments go are okay brake drums yes the ones that you can find this about in any automobile wreck in here yeah and used for for percussion those things hey and I'm with something that hit him with anything or rock we got it we're gonna do another commercial and then you're gonna sing another song for us do you mind Oh terrific it'd be our delight we got a [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you get them you get a lot of strange Emil I don't get as much mail as I used to every now and then I get a letter that catches my attention you have an example from a recent batch that you could share with us I got a letter from a little kid that was was from somewhere in the Midwest who had been suspended from school for bringing one of my records into a share class sure yeah sorry I interrupted his curriculum temporarily what was the what was the particular record of the song he was playing for the kids I think that it was something of some reference to underwear in the song they saw a teacher thought it was inappropriate he's seven years old you made the effort I mean he might are going on to a life of someone's got us you never know sure the name of the song you're gonna do here on the nickel you have to saw all right terrific we're very happy to have you here tonight if you want to go on over there time now and introduce your bass player when you get over there thank you okay Tom Waits [Applause] the song is unlimited like to introduce George Duvivier [Applause] as a song call on the nickel add a holiday feeling to it [Music] from film by ralph waite and it's uh downtown Los Angeles on Fifth Street and all the hobos affectionately referred to it as the nickel and so this is dedicated to all the little boys over run away from home [Music] sticks and stones will break my bones always will be true when your mama's dead I see this lullaby but because of all the pools never cold and up all around the block on the nickel if you chew tobacco flash upon the star fund our the Scarab Crossin just like thoughts lies between the cars I know a place where Royal Flush beat up even Thomas Jefferson so McNichol so I better bring a bucket those holes in the pill if you get my letter we'll know Minju what becomes of all the little boys never say their prayers sleepin like a baby on the nickel [Music] and the rain [Music] I fired a mockingbird Rosabelle knows well skip the line with a credit tuck on the nickel so let's climb up through that [Music] will fall right up the stairs I'll show you well sure dogs grow on the neck [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Applause] [Music] thank you Paul thank you very much sounds terrific thank you very much all through that together on very short notice didn't you have special requests did a very nice job thank you very much do you like that song I love that job young Americans well thank you for doing that I love David collie my next guest is probably the only person we've had on this program who was born in the backseat of a taxi is without a doubt one of the most original musical performers making records today and this is his latest right here it's called rein dogs here singing tonight a selection from this album tango till they're sore Tom Waits thank you this is about a guy that fell out of a window on New Year's Eve and the only thing that broke his fall was the fact that he had a little confetti in his hair needless to say he doesn't go anywhere without a little confetti on his hair [Music] all the boys all go to hell and achievements if the flow can travel down the pipeline hate I go to their soul [Music] [Applause] failure in my hand get out Chancellor Brady I'll tell you all my secrets but I lie about my past so send me off the bed forever ball this make sure she's all in calico and the color of a doll wave the flag on Kat Blaque Bay in a skillet on the world cut me a switch - the Sun Goes Down fall out a window work how funny in my head - October or blanket by the stands I tell you all my secrets but I love [Music] make sure she's all in calico in the color of the dog waving the flag on cadillac knees skillet off the wall cut me a switch send me off to another town tell you all my secrets but I lied about my past so send me off to bed forever would send me off to bed forever would send me off [Music] [Applause] I'm come on over nice to see you again little diversity will come back ever see Tom very nice [Music] Tom Waits is here nice to have you back thank you for being here you living in New York now yeah you lived in Los Angeles for a long time dude I was there for long we lived in a hotel I'll have a lot of different a lot of different places here we're living a car in LA well for a brief time I think everybody's lived in a car for statistics now to back that up that more and more people are living in their car yeah now do which do you this is the silly question that they asked again all the time on shows which do you prefer LA or New York well I don't know I think New York is much more confrontational it's a great city yeah you feel more like you're a part of the city than LA well let's see yeah okay I lived on 14th Street that made me feel a part of the city yeah right over there by the armory across from the Salvation Army there how would you describe the city well it's like a big ship you know and the waters on fire yeah how we mentioned this you were born in a cabinet and we established that for a factor is that just meant I have the registration so you were born in a cab now you have kids of your own I do they're heavily insured and both in military school now how old are they my boys older than me yeah and what were your parents like um my father was an exhaust manifold and my mother was a tree my folks are our teachers yeah and you still see your folks all the big holidays yeah we talked on the phone in between tires now you're doing acting you're in cotton club you're in yeah yeah the one with the rumble fish right no Ben Hur yeah that's right fish had a small part in that yeah you must enjoy that huh I like it I'm getting better at it I think I've done I've done a few others since then and um my picture in New Orleans with Jim Jarmusch and John Laurie and Roberto Benigni it's called down by law it's uh about a a pimp a disc jockey and an Italian tourists that end up in the same prison cell together and I'm guessing you're the tourist I got to wear a hairnet and it was really enjoyed there and now you're taking one of your songs and turning it into a is it a play or a music it's a play well it's a it's a musical it's uh it's kind of a cross between the Love Machine and the New Testament Frank's wild years and I'm doing it in Chicago when you start there April 22nd we go into rehearsal Terry Kinney is the director it's a Steppenwolf this sounds like a very it's a Steppenwolf is the theater company uh-huh and what can you tell us about it what is the the story what's the premise what are we talking about ah well it's about an American psychopath who Rosado plays the accordion and goes off it's Las Vegas and ends up in blood-stained Texas and uh in other places uh New York and it's about a American dreamer and so it sounds like the perfect show for out-of-towners when it comes to Broadway a lot of girls a lot of music a lot of action you're gonna love it okay and and let me ask you a question about the cover of your album here by the way is the album doing well for you it's doing very well I toured in Europe for two months and I played in New York at the Beacon and is real good yeah records doing these people on the front well that's it from Hamburg it's uh his name I believe is Rosicrucian and her name is Lily and it's full of place in Hamburg a bar and there's folks who hang out at Hamburg just playing folks we do a commercial and then you're gonna play a place up there is that all right with you Tom play a play out of town all right great [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] that's it for us tonight it's gonna play us off the air I want to thank everybody who was here tonight of course our wonderful studio audience Mary Tyler Moore Bill and Paul and the band of course it McGinnis will lead Charlie Drayton and David Sanborn again thank you gentlemen Tom let me ask you a question Tom can you hear this yeah I hear that put you in the mind of faeries folks playing from the album Tom Waits Rain Dogs we're gonna hear time right Tom okay [Music] [Applause] [Music] I was just that was short this movie [Music] the smart money's on her and the moon is in the street and the showers are breaking all the law the newest of these st. Louis and the wind is making speeches the rain sounds like a round of applause her Napoleon is weeping in a carnival salut as invisible fiancees in the mayor of above is going home it's raining hammers it's raining needles it's true there's nothing left for him down here and it's time [Music] turn it's time and it's time [Music] and the obits and their orphans and the memories like a train see I'm getting smaller as they pull away now the things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget their history what to say to never dream or she said she'd stick around to the band that just came off but these Mama's boys just don't know when the coolest and Matilda as the sailors all the streams rose prayers close your eyes this one on its time [Music] time [Music] our next guest is one of the most creative musicians and distinctive performers at work today this is his new album it's called Frank's wild ears folks please say hello to the one the only Tom Waits good to see you how you doing have a seat this is helped me out here this is the music from the show of the play that you were doing in Chicago is that am i close there at all yeah it's the music yeah was that a good experience for you today did you enjoy that splendid yeah splendid show and worked with good people yeah and and also you just finished the film with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep I did yeah Ironweed aren't we yeah what was that like well I'd you met those people before I had not know Meryl Streep was wonderful she's like the Lincoln Memorial what does that mean exactly she was just devastating she was really did wonderful work and well we know she does wonderful work was she nice to you all was nice to me uh-huh did you socialize with her oh yeah go to dinner and so forth uh yeah went to dinner now yeah how about how about Jack was he was he fun to work with Jack's a killer yeah he knows about everything from beauty parlors to train yards everything in between yeah so all in all it was then do you think the movie will turn out well well you know you never know you know you wait you it's like it's like it's like anything in the kitchen you put it in the oven right wait don't take it out too early that's right you know you just everyone has the best intentions when you begin and you hope for the best yeah I hope so hector babenco was the director and it was pleasant he had done he directed kiss of the Spider Woman did yeah Brazilian I believe isn't he yes let's talk about your voice do you ever have problems with your throat do you go to a throat doctor you have a well I'm glad you asked for that because I did go to a throat doctor for the very first time here in New York and I told him I I want to get it lower and we wanted to lower your voice care how much it costs bring it down it's embarrassed actually it's Frank Sinatra's throat doctors so I felt safe I was in goody I would think so sure so I'm on steroids if I seem a little let seem a little edgy you know now you're not on steroids now don't be joking like that no but it was it was he's a good doctor what kind of hints does he give for throat care to you see you can't go on singing like that hey you're gonna wind up like Frank Sinatra I said you mean rich and powerful that's kind of the point isn't it yeah no he said he could sing like Tony Bennett if you listened to me yeah speaking of singing what are we gonna hear tonight here let's see we've got something worked up here for you this is called more than rain more than rank got a tragic little number we're gonna roll right I think we're ready to do it if you're ready we're ready oh I thought we were gonna I'm wait more than rain [Applause] [Music] I'll pose on our parade tonight more than thunder [Music] nobody's nobody caught up okay we're on the darkest stretch [Music] driving [Music] the dog [Music] driving [Music] Oh [Music] big skies [Music] [Applause] I'm good to see again that is very nice thank you for dinner thank you gentlemen we'll do a commercial we'll be right back with Mary teddy and her traveling Elle [Applause] [Music] our next guest is one of the most distinctive writers and performers working today in addition to his albums and is a Broadway show he has just completed a musical movie entitled big time performing straight from the top from big time ladies and gentlemen please welcome Tom Waits thank you babe I love you individually and [Music] about traveling I do a lot of trash I go to many town for bells one this I know I just have to go cause I'm gonna straight up to the top oh yeah [Music] [Music] stop [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] big warm round of applause for Johnny Marinero and the Jenna saxophone [Applause] so I'm gonna spin up to the top [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] well [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [ __ ] [Music] [Applause] okay all right good yeah you uh is it me or does your hair is it look a little lighter than the last time I'm sorry have you have you put a little rinse or something on there it looks it looks great well thank you I'm glad you mentioned that you know because I I moved back to California you know makes a difference I get treated better I got more friends really just by altering the color of your hair well I was I was doing 120 miles an hour's on the way of the airport it was late I got pulled over by a cop he opened the door he put the flashlight in my face and he gave me the hand-eye coordination right and he did this and went back and forth and finally he said what did you do to your hair you got a rinse on that and he was a blonde how we talked about moisturizers and he said get out of here see he let you off he did not give you a ticket oh no tickets my tickets yeah I guess so and and how's the movie a big time how is it being received well it's it's kind of an action-adventure film the reviews are coming in and what kind of things that people say about it the wrong guy in Chicago said piano teachers will be shocked and why is that what went in there will be shocking to me something with my technique I don't know another guy said it looks like it was filmed in the belly of a very sick animal well now now does that does that please you I mean is that what you were hoping to achieve or is that well it's pretty close they caught it and you just got here early this morning late last night when did you come in late last night the driver gave me carte blanche he said I can charge everything to NBC so I've been making a lot of calls I got a new suit Singapore for a couple of days now you don't mind flying late at night a lot of people are uncomfortable doing that I don't mind it I like it it's usually clean it's beautiful it's quiet the little lights there that little che but I had a lot of Secret Service men on the plane you traveled with the Secret Service well I thought you hired four very special guests we brought you went overboard myself what were there actually a Secret Service guys well yeah that was about yeah they must spent 30 of them money I think all the business was just Secret Service they were looking at envelopes and opening up magazine and they were doing that little dance they do yeah how do you know they were Secret Service are just well it has a lot of a lot of big voltage type of computer things that coax hanging out of their suits I thought it was maybe a hearing impaired group but it turns out they had big phone jacks and inside of their neck and do you know why they were on your flight no I waited I waited first I thought it was me and then I waited and the door open on the side and I was already seated and Larry bud Melman walked on do not and I said Larry I'm gonna be doing the show and he said sneaking the fluff so snuff that was a Russian I assume now let's see big time is this opening across the country opening in selected theaters where is it right now I wouldn't say it's wide it's it's right about in here yeah it's about 15 cities and we're gonna branch out from there and and Alan King plays your father seems with Faye Dunaway okay nice to see you again congratulations on the hair color [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Julie the dog good-looking dog I think what you got there is there's a guy in the counterfeit truffle business our next guest is a legendary songwriter and performer with one of the most distinctive voices in popular music is current CD right here mule variations please welcome Tom Waits Tom thank you this is a song for those of you in the audience who have trouble getting up on sunny morning and going to church I've discovered something it's a candy item it's actually a kind of an immaculate confection it's there's a cross on one side there's a Bible description on the other this is something for the kids on the eastern this is called a chocolate Jesus [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I enjoyed that I liked the presentation I found the song interesting now obviously there's a story there behind that song well there is a story it was an investment opportunity idea that was presented to me by my father-in-law really your father-in-law it comes to you one day and he says guess what Tom here we go Easy Street well no actually it's a it's a candy I am and they're called Testaments and they um they have little Bible and scripts and saw them each one has a Bible verse yeah the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed and there's a cross on the all right so these are actually so you must be are you not ready to break no I think you're really looking at something here and when your father-in-law comes to you with a proposal like this what is your position because it's got to be a little awkward because obviously you don't want to offend the man do not laugh don't laugh right take it seriously don't point no don't point and it is your wife comfortable with your father-in-law proposing completely yeah it's it's gonna become part of our dynamic and you and your wife how long have you been married I've been married 19 years and you we work together if you write you write together what is that like is that is it's just like more pressure than a person can conjure is that like looking for truffles with a dog is it that much pressure actually no it's it's worked out it's it's she's broadened me I mean I mean she's a she's a broad broaden my view of things it's a complementary it's a symbiotic yeah you mentioned you had something to see want to say about your son oh yes I thought you'd get a kick out of this because my boy asked me for $90 to buy a bottle of cologne whoa and I said boy it's gone up or maybe I misunderstood did you say you wanted to fly to Cologne he said no I I want 90 bucks it's a little thing with a kind of a funny name and I love it nice a man I don't know about you but when I was a kid we made our own Cologne [Applause] it wasn't that bad no wasn't not with with rubbing alcohol and oil of olay a little business they'll even made a purine course he looked at me like I was doing card tricks for a dog yeah how old is the kid he's 14 get him straightened out that to Tom good to see again and you know I think you were on the old shown you haven't been back since and I know you've been in the business all this time so oh and I just I can't tell how much I enjoyed the song and the presentation that guys so you know to come back again [Music] 14 years dressed the way I love today its mule variations family [Applause] you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] alright here's what we're shooting for we can just get the guy to do like this the next time you see him he was more like kind of casual casual tough guy spider-man thing going there like right at the curb you'd pick that guy up our next guest is a legendary songwriter and performer this man has two wonderful new CDs one entitled Alice right there and the other one is entitled Blood Money ladies gentlemen here is Tom Waits [Applause] [Music] fell into the ocean you became my wife waste it all against the sea kings into a magazine the king [Music] you owe me nothing [Music] we're doing like the old Oh was great [Music] who is yellow soon the things that summer brings it's a love that use Cuba for no the world is me he's Palin single dime all blade of grass the two will settle on our graves but all the world is made [Music] nothing [Music] like the old days again [Music] is balancing of time all the blade of grass the do settle all Grey's blowers Mallen sing [Music] only in bread to me Oh though [Music] beautiful again Bob wakes everybody we'll be right back [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] great I really love that that was very enjoyable thank you Dave have you been good good now I noticed you have a lot of times when people have this much music they'll have like a double CD or something all right but you have published you have released two separate CDs separate yeah and what is what is the flaw what is the strategy behind that well now if it was a good idea I guess I'll take credit for it and if it turns out not to be a good idea I guess I'll blame it on somebody else that's that's the American Way isn't it but I wonder will it be a possibility well people will say oh I'll take this time wait album and not that Tom Waits album and one might do better than the other whereas if they were together everybody wins I think you should get both myself you think both [Music] is there is there a different musical theme to each one they are completely unique and different from each other we but we had a lot of dough and we figured we'd make so it's like putting out two books they're both completely separate exactly they don't necessarily complement one another but stand on their own individually thank you so much you're quite family good how's the family families great good you know I I do field trips now I Drive on field trips so yeah I don't know the children seem to like me as a driver I well it's that's important that's key I have a lot of room in the car and I take the turns really fast screen they find that entertaining they love that the radios on full blast and what kind of places do you go on your field trips well you know the most interesting one was was the we took all these kids now turn about 30 kids to a music store and I figured well okay I'll Drive on that and then I we got there and I and I'm kind of standing over by the pianos and I'm thinking well I'm gonna get recognized any minute girl then I decided to move over by the percussion and found an interesting lighting situation you're ready to go I'm ready ready for aren't you that guy nothing really I went over by the guitars and I waited nothing I was a little let down yeah I would think so a week later they asked me to drive on another field trip this time they're going to the dump it's recycling all that yeah 12 guys surrounded my car [Applause] everybody knows well sure why don't you just I'm curious about the early early jobs for you what they were like what kind of places you started in and memorable interesting experiences that you had well you know when you're the opening act for large groups sometimes you feel like a rectal thermometer you going out there I'll take your word for that well you're taking the temperature of the audience sorry sorry so it's you get used to being in that position yeah but actually one of the most interesting was Buffalo Bob I opened for howdy doody Buffalo Bob the same guy Wow it was making a big comeback he was working matinees in small clubs and there we were we were me and Bob but it would would people recognize him at the dump I don't think so I don't know we're lucky here we got not one but two great collections of Tom Waits new music good good for you and good good to see and thank you very much that's it my thanks to everybody we'll see you tomorrow night with Hugh Grant and skateboarder Tony Hawk good night everybody [Applause] the Late Show is a production of world wide pants incorporated this is Alan kalter saying good night and drive safely you [Applause] [Music] I love a rainy day in New York that great is looks gorgeous man I'll tell you I got a I got a look into this Red Bull yeah I know it's still legal hot diggety our next guest is truly one of the great see is a Grammy Award winning a singer songwriter whose new CD right here will be in the stores October 5th it's entitled real gone please welcome back to the Late Show Tom Waits Tom come on [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] okay good to see again and as we ask John how are things with you how's your family my family's good you know how big is your family well we got three kids and I know the other day it's interesting you would ask that because I overheard my older kids talking to my younger boy and they were saying don't ever don't ever ask dad to help you with your homework whoa what oh yeah I can see that it would yeah what's it all about what's well you know I don't know I I said I made I made up a war once again I think I was just groping for the real name and I just substituted it for rhythm yeah it's just to keep the conversation going and did you uh do you exaggerated stuff or you just lie I mean is there a difference really there is really no I was it's interesting because you have a boy right yes I do so you know you know our cribbing is right well no cribbing okay for those of you who have kids when you have a crib and you have a child in the crib you have you have cribbing and you haven't they eat the wood around the eggs of the crib they actually are teething on the rails but they're actually eating into the wood itself and in fact my boy ate straight through the wood just destroyed the resale baby get your money out of the crib then what's the point well here's the deal now horses crib as well I've heard that yeah now they apparently it releases some kind of a chemical in their brain and gets them a little loaded so that they're always cribbing and that was I was out at the track and I was going by a barn and there were several horses and I was looking at them as I walked by and one just caught my eye because he'd been cribbing on a white piece of plywood that was the door to his stall and he'd eaten away the wood and and and and the picture that it created I kid you not it was a picture of a horse jumping over a fence and have a lot of style it looked like a Grecian urn yeah beautiful yeah anyway if you had a photograph you have a hologram oh do you want to see the picture yes I do want to see the picture are you doubting me no I'm not doubting you but I think it would just be okay where do I put the picture I'll show it to me for okay now what's that a picture of my god what is that a picture let me just show this this is unbelievable and notice I notice how he worked around that hinge yeah that's what I like and just so you don't think that every horse is a genius you know here's a guy just saying with it yet there's another one if you think they can all do it the horse in the next stall had written a script not cut that out now when we come back you're going to do or something from the new CD is that correct oh yeah welcome excellent we'll be right back ladies gentlemen that way [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] ladies gentlemen performing a song from his brand-new CD a real gone here's Tom Waits [Applause] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] right I'm close to heaven Lafitte they sharpen their knives my mistakes it's the same old world nothing looks the same make it right you got to make it right [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] what you god you can't give it a name make it rain make it rain [Music] [Music] they drain you got to make terrain I stand alone you make your brain to got thank you Ray [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you very much Bob I like that Tom Waits don't you - yeah he's a lot of fun smart interesting in great music my thanks to mr. woods for being here tonight also a John Goodman also a very nice smart fella yeah as his new show here on CBS and Gary Sheffield sitting out there at the Yankee Stadium getting soaked our next guest is considered one of the great American songwriters he has a new three CD collection of songs called orphans brawlers ballers and bastards ladies gentlemen Tom Waits Tom [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome back to the show Tom thanks a lot Dave where do you where do you live now I live in a place called spittle Ville spittle with little bill it's there's a lot of towns around the same area that have names of situations really I don't know how that happened I don't know how that it would happen either but is this in on the West Coast is in California in California yeah did you have a nice Thanksgiving a big family gathering and stuff there i raked a lot of leaves that's good I fight it's the only way I can be alone during the holidays because no one wants to help you and it's yeah I understand that it's doing that and what what are the what are the kids do for Thanksgiving well you know it's it's normal to us to a certain point and then I overheard my son sank into a friend a is who who said well what have you been doing he says well you know we watched a lot of TV and and I said later to him I said you don't watch a lot of TV we we don't have a TV I shot the TV is that right the TV he says I'm not talking about television down talking about turkey vultures turkey vultures you know and that's what we watch a lot of yeah interrogate launches well what what can one learn from observing the turkey vultures well you know they have a humiliating experience and you know they most of them are hit by cars while dining it's not easy and the problem is they're so late that they they eat and they eat and they eat and then they can't take off really they consume so much food that they can't take flight so you got to choose between getting hit by a car throwing up yeah Wow the tough choice that is humiliating at the very end if they want to save their lives they have to have to throw up and then they can fly again oh my you know I mean there's a lot of things that we all go through that are just as humiliates really trying on clothes but I feel for ya now do you do you enjoy living in a small town town well I do and I don't I you know when I first moved up I felt like an unplugged appliance and it took some time to get used to where it was and the problem is at the supermarket people get very friendly and they want to look at all the things that you purchased and then they want to build a story about it if you're compelled uh-huh I hate it yeah so I now the things that I choose to purchase aren't really things I want there are only things I think will make it a good story or a less embarrassing story the cashier kind of puts together a narrative of your life based on the items a quick one a quick sketch oh well if it's pizzas all pizza party but then but if it's razor blades and toilet paper you know it's just you know you don't want to go there yes I guess not oh boy now you're you I consider you a well-read man perhaps scholarly but what kind of things what's the most important lesson you learn from reading it is it some great general notion about life or is it more specific a sort of silly little everyday kind of things well I wouldn't say silly but I would say everyday you know the most interesting thing I heard lately was my father-in-law sent me a lot of strange and unusual facts and one of them was the origin of dead ringer it's a phrase you hear all the time here all the time but most of us have no idea I have no idea what it means Oh a dead ringer it's like you're a dead ringer for voice that's how I would your day that's right yeah so but but what happened was this is I have to go way back in time back to maybe the 16th century the tomato was considered a poisonous fruit no one would eat tomatoes but the problem was they'd been served on lead plates and that lead was leaching into the meadow but it was giving the appearance of death and a doctor in the community realized that most of the people that had been buried recently hadn't actually expired I mean it was an alarming yeah yeah you want to try you want to get to the bottom of that and stay on it out they opened the lid of a several coffins and they found scratch marks oh yeah so the new law was that they had to tie a string around everyone who died you had to have a string around their wrists and he run it up through the roof of the coffin you put it over the limb of a tree and you put a bell on the end of this string and that that that would connote a a dead ring is a dead ringer yeah there's one other job involved and that would be the guy who has to sit in the chair in the graveyard and listen to the dead to bills yeah and that's called the graveyard shift oh well there you go how about it this thing cost you a little more but it well worth it I would think now when we come back you're gonna sing something from the new collection oh yeah absolutely we'll be right back with Tom Waits everybody [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] now it's time for Tom Waits again the new CD collection is entitled orphans brawlers ballers and bastards here is Tom Waits Tom [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I know new Gotham's up let's get the old man definitely go badly I just don't I [Music] [Music] you [Music] all right our next guest is a multiple Grammy Award winner and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one of America is a preeminent singer songwriters this is his current album it's entitled bad as me ladies gentlemen here is Tom Waits everybody [Applause] [Music] I wish you were here more often but you don't you don't live here do you we're gonna live well I'm living in California I was I was here for a few years wasn't some time here I mean how do you like California well it's it's very different than New York right you know yes my stay here was difficult primarily because I here was new was jogging was new and that drove you out of the city you know I thought it was an acronym I thought it was Jamaicans on grass or something oh sure I enough to make that mistake yeah it's so and I wasn't ready for it I cause I was still drinking and smoking at the time around the clock around the clock sure well it is if you really put yourself into it's a 24 hour a day get got in the man I gotten away am i jogging yeah but you look fantastic by the way oh thanks and I couldn't help but notice what seems to be an artifact here well III to them no longer allowed on eBay really and all well I but the last thing I bought was the last dying breath of Henry Ford [Laughter] Wow what now it's none of my business but what did you pay for that too much yeah too much now what this what this looks like a vessel of some kind well there that's good that's good cuz a lot of people look at it and the first thing my son said was is it a primitive steam iron oh yeah and and other people think that maybe it's a like an oven for cooking just one roll right or but I bought it in a music store well we bought it in a music store and what is it made of what is the material it feels like cement or something it does they're like a composite and sort of stone composite yeah but I I anyway I was gonna ask you if you knew what it was if what you and if you don't I'll tell you yeah no I you know I have one just like it and and I don't know what that one is either now does this open can I touch it that's part of it right there okay you can lift that up and you drop it back down here's the deal you want a description yeah what you take a piece of string and you tie it to here and then you set it you open it up like that and then you bring the string into the back here and it goes through the back and and to the string you tie a piece of 200 they and because of the color rats are drawn to the device yeah and they go in the device and eat the cheese in the back and when the cheese is gone remarkable ever what what year what what the air are we talking about 1800s 1800s and it's heavy and it's heavy for a reason a lot of people think the holes are just so that the rat will have a chance to breathe easier that's mixed message there isn't it what what are the holes Oh to make it wider no no make it well it's so that you can submerge it in water oh this I'm telling you Tom I this is genius this is absolute genius I didn't I didn't know if I said say that laughs oh no because we're talking about rats and the plague is what we're talking about and and if something had to be done and by god this is this is this is one-stop shopping here my friend in trouble totally one rat at a time you know keep you busy yeah that is just remarkable and and do you know anything about the design and how old the design is you know I know from the 1800s I bet this goes back to the 1600s because the beauty of the simplicity is remarkable here we're not capable of anything like that ourselves no we're not in this dimension no it has to go back it is absolute genius and and oh I don't know on a scale of humanity maybe not but fine it's fine with me fine with me when we come back mr. weights going to be singing for us something from the new album right that is me we'll be right back the time [Applause] [Music] [Applause] ladies gentlemen this is gonna be good you can tell by looking at him it's gonna be good performing a song from the new album bad as me here now Tom Waits [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] the seeds off Manor Hill but they won't grow we will happen to say goodbye if we all go [Music] [Music] No [Music] and for us you better go [Music] the Mormon doofus all will all will carry with I know and they've now over the wrap this round I'm not afraid from his cave [Music] so much magic that we know on this safflower we call my hat goodbye to all [Music] kado [Music] [Music] ah ah [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] good job good a venir come son Sofia Tom Waits ladies gentlemen thank you everybody I hope you come back soon nice to meet you here it is but I'm gonna be Tom Waits bad as me great to Adam here thanks for watching good night everybody [Music] the next guest is an iconic American singer-songwriter who first appeared on ER by the way before we let me show a picture of George when he was early on the show do we still have that this is mr. Clooney area oh that's a nice suit oh my god yeah goodness oh boy yes siree and I suit nice nice hair it's the hat trick it was our next guest is an iconic American singer songwriter first appeared on our old show 1983 and we've enjoyed each visit over the years who are always happy to have this great artist with us here's Tom Waits ladies and gentlemen [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hi Tom how are you good to see you David did you bring any mace I usually have a key on me it's amazing how nice folks are to you when they know you're going away yes it is it's been overwhelming how have you been it's so nice to see you you know George right I know George yeah yeah thought I recognized him with the handcuffs yeah what do you been up to and how you hire your family I was a member but everybody's good I I haven't been in New York in a while I was really surprised it was a huge line today on the street and I III figured well maybe it's a girl fight or something it came immediately yeah and then I asked a couple guys in the line they said I said were you in line for he said we're in line for salad good morning for salad I was frankly embarrassed for them they friendly it comes in at a helicopter from Cheyenne it's really fresh now you're a man who's whose mind never stops working turning over creative not just in the sense of music and poetry and so forth but other more tangible ideas oh I don't know where you're going with that haven't you thought of inventions for personal use well I have been considering an antiperspirant the problem is it's so invasive they want to stay with you for weeks and find out what you're like and I like that yeah but I so I came up with one of my own it's its new car smell the other person actually has the scent of a new car and I was in the car with my wife and she says honey is this a new car I said no that's my auntie person but they I mentioned you and and they have something that might be it right up you're out what is that well it's for retirees and stay-at-home dads and adult children who have returned home after college right look I don't know well it's not an antiperspirant it's a purse print first round and we all know what that smells like yes it's called hard work also people not working get the impression that they've been worked up here that there my feeling Dave I'm sorry just be glad that you're not in the tire business the tire business I can't retire from the it sounds like you're signing up for more time yeah yeah do you remember the first time you were on the program I do what year was earlier 83 yeah do you remember what you did well you you weren't nervous coming on I was a little nervous Dave really I thought you had an ejector button under here and it we're gonna send me into another time zone no but that I when I realize you're from Indiana I have so many in-laws from Indiana and Jordan from Kentucky yeah my pumpkin tackle bear attacks just across the Ohio River that's right yeah beautiful country yeah it's lovely hi [Applause] I've never been in this situation before except in jail [Applause] have you done some time this is like the worst extradition imaginable I'm being taken back to you fill in the blank I've become more politically active lately I think that's important and I you know I there was a big rally right here in in Manhattan this morning I was I was just perfect for me because I'm here to be on the show but they the rally was you know you probably heard about it free the glutens oh I didn't free the book I met your wife my wife is doing the kids yeah they've never had a country of their own we adopted a little girl who's yeah I mean again my hats off to both of you and both of your wives because you know when we come back Tom will be featuring favoring us treating us to a Tom Waits song Tom thank you very much [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] as promised performing a brand new song once again ladies and gentlemen Tom Waits [Applause] this for you teeth let's watch the Sun come up in another town [Music] try our look a little further down leave the cards on the table leave the bread on the plate put your hand on the give shift but your foot off the brain unless other place that you are leaving take one Oh take one lesson of the place that you are leaving [Music] look [Music] that was something that the wind killing Carrie the arrow points away across the wading Prairie this call looks like it could give us a good run what choice to leave it was a good one hunt a or less of the place that you are leafy take one us all teh horses [Music] but the place sir you are leafy take one look let's look forward through the lights that all new [Music] world's written of road for you all towns of churches and entire shops they were up speed limit signs and a higher cops I love to see the wind in your hair oh we ever need we can get anywhere and take one last look but the place that you are leaving take one last look Oh take one lesson [Music] at the place that you are day one all day you learn [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] beautiful car beautiful thank you very much sir lovely wonderful god bless you my friend thank you so very much pretty good ball Tom Waits lemon that is gonna take one last look thank you very much George Clooney and I would like to say good night everybody [Applause] [Music] this is an uncommon speaking you night everybody [Music]

Channel: Don Giller

Views: 727,768

Keywords: Tom Waits

Id: wflJVB4cM_c

Length: 106min 27sec (6387 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 20 2019