Tom Waits's Poetry

Tom Waits

Green Grass ; 'Remember when you loved me,

You'll never be free of me'...

 

Martha

Operator number please
It´s been so many years
And she´ll remember my old voice
While I fight the tears

Hello, hello there is this Martha ?
This is old Tom Frost
And I am calling long distance
Don´t worry ´bout the cost.....

It´s been 40 years or more
Now Martha please recall
And meet me out for coffee
Were we´ll talk about it all

And those were days of roses
Poetry and prose and Martha
All I had was you !
And all you had was me !

And there was no tomorrow´s
As we packed away our sorrows
And we saved it for a rainy day.....!

And I feel so much older now
And you´re much older too
Oh, how´s the husband and how´s the kids
You know that I got married too.....?!

Oh, lucky that you found someone
To make you feel secure
Oh we were all so young and foolish
Now we are mature.....

And those were days of roses
Poetry and prose and Martha
All I had was you !
And all you had was me !

And there was no tomorrow´s
As we packed away our sorrows
And we saved it for a rainy day.....!

And I was always so impulsive
I guess that I still am !!!
But all that really mattered then
Was that I was a man !

I guess that our being together
Was never meant to be
Oh, but Martha, oh Martha I love you !
Can´t you see.....!!!

And those were days of roses
Poetry and prose and Martha
All I had was you !
And all you had was me !

And there was no tomorrow´s
As we packed away our sorrows
And we saved it for a rainy day.....!


And I remember quiet evenings
Trembling close to you..

They Are Really Beasts; The Rolling Stones & Tom Waits - Little Red Rooster - Live in Oakland. 05.05.13

 "God's Away On Business"

I'd sell your heart to the junkman baby
For a buck, for a buck
If you're looking for someone
To pull you out of that ditch
You're out of luck, you're out of luck
The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking
There's leak, there's leak,
In the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers
God's away, God's away,
God's away on Business. Business.
God's away, God's away,
God's away on Business. Business.
Digging up the dead with
A shovel and a pick
It's a job, it's a job
Bloody moon rising with
A plague and a flood
Jain the mob, jain the mob
It's all over, it's all over, it's all over
There's a lick, there's a lick,
In the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers
God's away, God's away, God's away
On Business. Business.
God's away, God's away,
On Business. Business.
[Instrumental Break]
Goddamn ther's always such
A big temptation
To be good, To be good
Tere's always free cheddar in
A mousetrap, baby
It's a deal, it's a deal
God's away, God's away, God's away
On Business. Business.

God's away, God's away, God's away

On Business. Business.
I narrow my eyes like a coin slot baby,
Let her ring, let her ring
God's away, God's away,
God's away on Business.
Business..
.

A Good Man Is Hard To Find

A good man's is hard to find

Only strangers sleep in my bed
My favorite words are good-bye
And my favorite color is red

I always play Russian Roullete in my head
It's sventeen black and twenty-nine red
How far from the gutter
How far fron the pew
I'll always remember to forget about you

A good man's is hard to find
Only strangers sleep in my bed
My favorite words are good-bye
And my favorite color is red

A long dead soldier looks out
From the frame
No one remembers his war; no one
Remembers his name

Go out to the meadow;
Scare off all the crows
It does nothing but rain here,
And nothing will grow

A good man's is hard to find
Only strangers sleep in my Bed
My favorite words are good-bye
And my favorite color is red

                                       

    Everything Goes To Hell

Why be sweet, why be careful, why he kind?
A man has only one thing on his mind
Why ask palitely, why go lightly,
Why say please?
They only want to get you on your knees
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 go to heaven
When you're good
Everything goes to hell, anyway...

Laissez-faire mi amour, ce la vie
Shall I return to shore or swim
Back out to sea?
The world don't care what a soldier
Does in town
It's all hanging in the windows
By the pound
There are few things
I never could believe...

A woman when she weeps
A merchant when he swears
A thief who says he'll pay
A lawer  when he cares
A snake when he is sleeping
A drunkard when he Pravs
I don't believe you go to heaven
When you're good

Everything goes to hell, anyway...

I only want to hear your purr and to hear
Ou moan There is another man who brings
The money home
I don't want dishes in the sink
Please don't tell me what you
Feel of what you think
There are few things I never could believe...

* * * 
We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness. We are monkeys with money and guns.
 T. W