Tom Waits - Letterman 12-21-83

next yes 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 well Frank settle down out in the valley Liang is wild years on a nail that he drove through his wife's forehead he sold used office furniture out there on San Fernando Road he assumed a $30,000 loan at 15 and a quarter percent he put a down payment on little two-bedroom place his wife was a spent Lisa used jet trash she made good Bloody Marys she kept her mouth shut most of the time they are look to our name Carlos and some kind of a skin disease was totally blind Frank drop 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 they picked up a couple of Mickey's big mouth and he dragged him in the car on the way to the Shell station you got a gallon of gas and a can he drove home we've now lost everything in the house torched it the park across the street laughing watching it burn all Halloween orange and jiminy red in Frankfort on a top 40 station down Hollywood Freeway headed north never could stand that dog I'm commercial we're gonna processors I'm looking about conjugating we'll take a look at our giant late night Christmas card and dr. Charles levy the dangerous animal expert is gonna be here congratulations on the album Tom we're eating we have what is that you're brushing off here I don't I ran into a Christmas tree in the hall they're everywhere there's a you're on the room 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 Odyssey journey songs in a relate Diana there's 15 of them I think you get more for your entertainment dollar well 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 stoves that's something I'm sure well that's that's what our stove is here for um um 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 Tropicana spend some time at him hey well I know motel I'd call it a palatial a state uh-huh Yeah right on Santa mark being barred there on the other side of La Cienega this is where Dukes coffee shop is yeah that's right beneath yeah what's up you had your piano in the kitchen you've been reading my mail yeah yeah but you're not there anymore 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 as an experience for random walk that's close but you can always pick up and move the next day yeah that's true uh you also for a while years ago lived in a car well not for an extended period of time even are those accommodations gonna be here yeah what kind of car was it sad 62 wagon black interior yeah the kids uh as you do much entertaining in those days you mean that man nightclubs that type of thing no no I mean friends drop over you know no I know where 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 weren't you according to my uncle Robert yeah but I I don't know people say a lot of things it was a cab you were supposedly boarded it was a retina light yeah you know me too right for the meter was running and where was this in Indiana no really what part Indiana uh that place called Valparaiso oh sure I know where that is yeah no I do right I'm from Indiana myself so I'm not gonna invest a lot of time California North Dakota Minnesota long all right now for 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 ship 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 I went back and forth it 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 as a cotillion it's a lot of 1959 prom farmers necktie bethere that so you have a tuxedo as a matter of fact I did yeah an old clothes horse like myself was that 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 are nominated by by people who are in your field and a lot of composers and songwriters and musicians that recognized the score from a Coppola 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 all you know but you decided to show up and Wow when we're living like three four blocks from the place so just drop in what the heck is a very simple now you mentioned earlier time about the concept of the album swordfish trombones go into that a little bit this is 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 really came to me in a dream and he spoke to me of many things so it's really a 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 okay brake drums yes the ones that you can find this about in any automobile wrecking here yeah have used for for percussion those things hae-in them with a something that hit him with anything him or a rock we gotta we gotta do another commercial and then you're gonna sing another song for us do you mind Oh terrific it'd be hard to light we got a boss you get you get a lot of screen Jermel um I don't get as much mail as I used to uh every now and then I get a letter that that catches my attention you have an example from a recent Bachelet you could share with us I got a letter from a kid that was it was from somewhere in the Midwest who I had been suspended from school for bringing one of my records into a share class share got a show-and-tell deal yeah was that type of thing and so it interrupted his curriculum temporarily what was the what was the particular record of the song he was playing for the kids like that uh it was something I have some reference to uh underwear in the song yeah so he thought I was inappropriate he's seven years old so I wrote a letter and I did what I could strike getting off the hook a lot of these things are out of my hands that's true but it's nice that you made the effort I mean without that he might have gone on to a life but someone's got us you never know sure the name of the song you're gonna do here on the nickel you have to song alright terrific well we're very happy to have you here tonight if you want to go on over there Tom oh yeah and introduce your bass player when you get over there thank you okay Tom Waits late night you know the song is on the neck I'd like to introduce George to the VA as a soccer on the nickel holiday feeling to it from phone by Ralph way that's uh now down Los Angeles on Fifth Street and all the hobos affectionately referred to it as the nickel so this is dedicated to all the little boys who've run away from home sticks out doors will break my bones always will be true when your mom was dead and gone I sing this lullaby just for you well we come and of all clock on the nickel Oh if you chew tobacco wish upon those run the whole just like punchlines between the cause I know a place where Royal Flush now Vito even Thomas Jefferson so McNichol so you better pray those all all in the pale longer man never will know ooh what becomes of all boys never say their prayers sleepin like a baby on the nickel you around the road sweep for some food in your head down a fire the market knows well skip the line for the credit Chuck let's climb up through that will fall right up the stairs I'll show you a short dogs grew on the neck Oh Oh

Channel: Mrsilenciobackgammon

Views: 663,892

Rating: 4.9088082 out of 5

Keywords: tom, waits, franks, wild, years, rock, and, roll, hall, of, fame, down, by, law, bone, machine

Id: SnwJuA5n8Gc

Length: 15min 9sec (909 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 15 2011

Reddit Comments

[u/robertflannel]

I love all of his appearances on Letterman. Over the years they built up such a rapport.

[u/tenzin]

If that happens to disappear, you can download my kid that was on Letterman the exact same time! ;)

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