First listen to Tom Waits - Tom Traubert's Blues (Reaction) 

As a 63 year old songwriter, I can assure you ; as long as a song paints images in your head, those images are EXACTLY the images the songwriter intended 🙏 NAMASTE

Yes, this is representative of Waits' style, very much so. The voice of the down and out, the voice of regret, the voice of hard-won wisdom. Emotionally as intense as it gets.

I HIGHLY recommend Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis by him. A great and sad story song and, yes, a Christmas song

You have a huge catalogue of wonder to await you. LOVE Tom So happy for you D.

Tom Waits doesn't just write songs, he is a story teller. I have listened to Tom Waits since 1987 and one thing is for sure, he never repeats himself. You never know what to expect besides him pushing the sound forwards. I have written in my last will that Kentucky Avenue is to be played at my funeral.

More than a singer-songwriter. He is a performance artist.

You said (basically) “this song made me cry and I don’t even know what the words mean.” That’s spot on! I feel the same way about so many Tom Waits songs, especially the slower ones like this one. “Time” has a similar effect on me.

So emotionally charged and great singer and one of the best songwriters in the world, he is definitely the best from America; he paints so many pictures in your head, and not many songwriters can do this. His lyrics are sharp, sad whitty , heartfelt, and insightful. Lyrics like "there ain't no devil there's just god when he's drunk" and "it's the tatooed broken promise, I gotta hide beneath my sleeve." There are so many great Tom Waits songs for you to dive into.

He's an amazing artist. Immensely emotionally arousing with his vocals.

It's pretty cool that a young guy like you is so touched by Waits' stunning visual poetry, and deep emotion. Since this touched you, so will his song "Time"

A voice that could make Mother Teresa reach for a shot of whisky and a cigarette.

Much is made of Tom's unique and gravelly voice but he sings in perfect tune and his music is always so powerful and emotive. That's because Tom is basically a poet and so his genius for storytelling is unrivalled. I've been listening to his amazing music since 1976 and I can honestly say there is nobody on earth like him, and long may he continue to entertain us with his stories, and occasionally make us laugh with tracks like 'The Piano Has Been Drinking' and 'Step Right Up'.

Incredible song. What I would call a “ story of how I died” song, this is one of the best examples. Blew me away. There is much more to Tom Waits than you’ve heard. Great reaction.

So great to see a young fella moved to tears by Tom Waits’ genius. He’s like Bukowski, but sung.

One of the great songwriters of our time. So many songs. So many styles. So many stories. But always that voice - though it has changed over the years, always that voice...

I think you might also like Martha, On the Nickel and Down there by the Train, they all have the power to make you both cry and smile at the same time.

Never heard of you sorry about that I've seen a lot of reaction videos I begged them to react to Tom waits Tom waits is my favorite songwriter and I'm glad you're reacting to him I will be checking out your page to see if you reacted to anything else before this but I'm glad you're reacted to this Tom waits is a great storyteller God bless you and God bless Tom waits

Swordfish Trombone and Rain Dogs are my two favourite albums by Tom

I had the privilege of being able to follow Tom Waits’ progression in real time, from Nighthawks at the Diner and Small Change and Heart of Saturday Night, to Swordfish Trombone and Rain Dogs and Bone Machine and on and on, so it all seems of a piece to me, a natural progression from lush strings and jazz combos to stripped down primal howling. He’s an international treasure, one of a very small handful of artists like Dylan and Bowie whose later works are as powerful and moving as their more famous early hits. Try Picture in a Frame, or A Little Rain, possibly the saddest song ever recorded.

So pleased to find someone at RU-vid who listens properly. There's no greater interpretation of Bernstein & Sondheim's 'Somewhere' (from West Side Story) than Tom's. It opens the 1978 album, 'Blue Valentine', which also includes 'Kentucky Avenue' and 'Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis' - two of the most beautiful songs ever written. For me, though, his greatest work was yet to come. 1983's 'Swordfishtrombones' was the watershed moment. From that album, give 'Swordfishtrombone' or 'Shore Leave' a go. Then, it'll be time for 'Rain Dogs'... and the rest. Tom Waits is my hero. And Waits/Brennan is my favourite songwriting partnership. A composer of true originality, a magnificent lyricist, an incomparable vocal stylist, a worldy-wise humourist, Tom Waits is the consummate artist. His work assimilates and transcends so much that is great from the rich seam of not only American music, but of 20th century literary, dramatic, poetic and visual arts. Hence, just as the influence of Kerouac, Burroughs, Bukowski, Beefheart and Partch are clear in Waits' work (not to mention the themes and moods of Edward Hopper's and others' paintings), so are the equally giant European sources: Büchner, Brecht, Weill. Here is a musician whose seamless move from the beat poetry jazz of the barfly bard to purveyor of a twisted blend of junkyard blues and the carnivalesque, from songwriters' songwriter to dabbler in avant-garde musical theatre (with Robert Wilson in particular), is testimony to the fact that he's one of those rare few for whom innovation comes with age. Well, I like him anyway. 🙃

Thank you for the music out old Germany! What a voice from Tom Waits!

Nice reaction- this song always chokes me up. There’s an outstanding live version of this out there.

Great reaction. Tom Waits will always get right to your heart. Thanks.

Such a great a choice to react to. He's about as real as it gets. Please consider 'Kentucky Avenue' as another one of his for consideration.

This is my favourite Tom Waits song. Powerful and fragile at the same time. And that voice... That final Tooooooo....

“Old Bushmill's I staggered, she buried the dagger” Love this song. Love that line. Old Bushmills is Irish whiskey (American whisky is spelled without the “e”) distilled in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland since 1608. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Oh he will paint pictures in your mind, that’s his artistry and our pleasure

I highly recommend his spoken word stuff as well. Usually stranger, a little more surreal, but just as poetic and evocative. My favorite remains 9th and Hennepin, but What's He Building in There, The Ocean Doesn't Want Me Today...he's just an amazing and amazingly diverse artist.

I can hardly wait until you get to the Raindogs album.

Small Change is worth listening to in its entirety. So good.

Great reaction, Daniel. One of my favorite Tom Waites songs. Keep up the great work.

You did a fantastic job with a very difficult piece. Bravo.

You’re the best I’ve encountered reacting. Thank you.

Small Change, the album this song comes from, is what propelled Tom Waits into my personal #3 slot for favorite lyricists. My top 3: 1. Bob Dylan 2. Leonard Cohen 3. Tom Waits.

This is one of my favorite songs to play on the piano, I absolutely love it.

I love this artist and have been listening to him since his first album came out. A man I knew had produced that first album which is how I got introduced to Tom. His voice is so crazy, he doesn't look like he should sound like this. His lyrics are so amazing, what an outstanding poet he is. Thank you for revisiting this artist, his work is addicting.

He's amazing 😍

I recommend - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda by The Pogues. Another interesing emotional story sung with an interesting voice.

Another classic of his - The Piano Has Been Drinking. Which might be true - The Piano Has Been Drinking, not me:".

Tom Waits will always be the man. If you ever want to do another "cover vs original" kind of thing... Screamin' Jay Hawkins did two renditions of "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard" and "Heart Attack and Vine", both originals from Tom Waits. Good day!

You're about to go down an incredible rabbit hole if you're about to investigate the music of Tom Waits. Great choice, Daniel.

Yes 💜 this has become, kind of a Tom Waits standard. A tissue for lost souls and kindred spirit of the downtrodden, with that perfectly singed voice. Thank you so much Daniel. Glad you got a proper introduction, he truly is a genius, this one always brings tears to my eyes.

One of the first Waits songs I listened to and I was hooked. So glad you enjoyed it!

Tom Waits is such an amazing artist/performer. I love that gravelly voice. Check out the Cold cold ground and there's so much more....thanks for checking him out!

YES! And thanks for the read - always good to re-peruse.

So, you've started your Tom Waits journey then :) (you've started Cohen too -can't wait to watch those as well...) Like you, I started my Waits' journey with Ol'55 - discovered my mum's Closing Time record when I was 13...I remember being curious but not entirely convinced, but he grew on me the more I listened to Closing Time. My second album (and the first I bought myself) was Raindogs and that was it - hook, line, sinker. He is one of those rare artists who is creative, bizarre (What's he building), funny and insightful. He tells haunting stories (Alice / Poor Edward). He can make you cry (Walzing Matilda), want to drink, make you laugh and sometimes just want to scream along wholeheartedly (Jersey Girl). I remember singing the Australian folk version in choir when I was a child and when I first heard Waits' reference I was confused but immediately fascinated. I love this song so much, it just does things to me. I know it's a weird thing to say, but from the moment I first heard this song, I knew I wanted this song to be played at my funeral. I don't think I can explain why satisfyingly...I know the lyrics won't / don't fit the occasion, but it is what it is, I guess... Another thought - while I cannot make most of my friends appreciate my taste in music, they do seem to agree upon Tom Waits. Maybe because some of his songs are so powerful musically, especially with that voice of his, that the lyrics do not matter so much - you can listen to Waits and feel all the feels without even listening, if that makes sense.

Your description of how it nearly made you cry whilst not knowing what half of it means is perfect. You should check out the live version of this from The Old Grey Whistle Test. Absolutely the definitive version of the song for me.

Love this. Thank you. After all these decades the Rod Stewart song that endures for me is 'Mandolin Wind.' I do like the live version with Ron Wood.

My favorite Tom Waits' song is one he has never recorded himself, but it is just a beautiful story that could only come from him. He wrote Rainbow Sleeves for Rickie Lee Jones. Her version is amazing. Covers by Bette Midler and Justin Vivian Bond are both incredible. I'd love to hear Tom sing it. It is a part of his work that you should hear.

Rod Stewart has covered a number of Waits songs. Most notably Downtown Train. None come close to the original, though none are bad. I know many people will argue for Dylan, Cohen, or others, but for me Waits is the best song writer. He tells a story like no other. In his songs and in general. Watch his VH1 Storytellers, his many appearances on David Letterman, or see if you can get a hold of any recordings of his live shows where he entertains the crowd as much between songs as he does during them. I hope this man lives forever and continues to write new songs the whole time.

A powerful song.

I saw Tom when this album came out. the tour he was on in 76 was my senior year of high school, my introduction to him, and the beginning of a lifetime love affair. P.S. it’s pronounced Tro-bear.

You should do The Band Played Waltzing Mathilda by The Pogues.

If you like this song, try the whole album, then try Nighthawks at the Diner. It’s live, has a similar vibe to Small Change and has some good storytelling with a bit of humor injected into it. After that just keep progressing through his catalog. He constantly evolves.

It's a song of heartache,

Has lyrics that are still taught in musical and screenwriting classes to this day: And it's a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace And a wound that will never heal

I live by his lyrics. 😢

More Tom please 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

reminded me of a song by Eric Bogle titled And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda . A song about a young Australian soldier maimed during the Battle of Gallipoli (1915) during the First World War and what happened when he returned home and the futility of war . a really great song you should review ... and of course no one has reviewed yet

If you haven't heard it, "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" by Eric Bogle is a great story song.

Hey Daniel great reaction - Tom Waits is unique - his range of material over time isn't something you can describe in a month of Sundays, pick an album, hear the moving lyrics, feel the beauty of the images they conjure, the observation, oftimes anger, humour or sadness, raw emotion and sometimes manic energy in his work. I think you felt some of that from this track - I had drunken tears dripping down my face the first time I heard it after a good friends funeral one night many years ago. You will not go wrong with the genius that is Tom Waits.

His movie "Big Time" is a must

Ruby's arms is another song that will rip your heart out

Thank you! I had heard this song a half dozen times at this or that party, in the '70s, and loved it, and him, but never knew the name of it. His mentioning "Waltzing Matilda" is not unlike when Elliot Smith mentions "Cathy's Clown" in "Waltz #2". Two very sad songs. We were taught "Waltzing Matilda" in the 3rd grade for some reason. Full of cool Aussie terms. "Step Right Up" and "The Piano Has Been Drinking" are my personal favorites of Tom.

Just let the tears flow.

You should listen to some of his more experimental work as "Blood Money", or "Bone Machine", they are very different from his early years. "Rain Dogs" is also one of his best album.

America's Last Great Beatnick.

tom is top notch.....one of a kind and talented. i always liked his Better Off Without a Wife from the NIghthawks album, but everything is superb. Jersey Girl is a knockout too. you will listen to him for life now i feel......js.

Nobody takes you into the streets like Waits. For a fun listen by Waits try "Jack and Neil" a tribute to Jack Kerouac. I've been a fan of his since 1974

I think you're emotionally stable enough to listen to Tom Waits "Georgia Lee". Tissues are advised. Tom has fun music, music to make you think and sad songs that hit you in the feels.

tom waits ex, rickie lee jones, wrote a bunch of songs about him. the title song to flying cowboys album is a good example

The single most emotive song there is about syphilis

a stunning song...many times i've been touched by this song. Watch the live version too, just another example of RU-vid greatness. "The Nickle" is another song about children living homeless in earlier years. It might be better....depending on the version.

It's the tone of the song rather than the lyrics. Gets me as well.

Thank God I found Tom before i died

in my country matilda is name for death with scythe and put her in the lyrics that way

I think next you should react to 'Christmas card from a hooker in Mineapolis' , for me, the best Christmas song ever....

if you did a whole Tom Waits retrospective you would have a loyal following. not a big one, but loyal.

Tom's girlfriend back in the day was Rickie Lee Jones...you should check her out...underrated artist. We Belong Together, Night Train, Easy Money, she sings Tom's song Rainbow Sleeves beautifully, too!!!

You should now listen to his ex-girlfriend Rickie Lee Jones. She has the same sleazy saloon voice and honky tonk delivery. Her big hit was "Ckuck E's in Love", but sha has some other great songs, " Danny's All-Star Joint"

Tom has a huge body of work and is all powerful in the impact it HS on emotions. You mentioned Rod Stewart as a potential reaction video. Try Broken Arrow, a cover of a Robbie Robertson song.

Tom has acted in several movies & his live events are deliberately theatrical. I'm suggesting you should watch some of his live or official videos. A recent one based on the suicide note of a vet named Luce is "Hell Broke Luce" & is unlike the previous songs you've heard & quite the experience.

Tom was 25 when this album came out.

Having watched hundreds of these reactions and channels, I simply don't subscribe. The channels are fine, but they rarely offer any new or interesting info. Then I found your channel. Being a philosophy major years ago, lyrics and their interpretation is kinda in my wheelhouse, it's one of the things I love to do. You do a brilliant job and your eclectic mix of songs is to be applauded. Would love to hear your opinions on early Marillion with Fish on lyrics and vocals, particularly " Script for a Jester's Tear "...actually anything off the first four albums is quite entertaining. Keep up the great work.....

YES you should pull up the lyrics!!! The lyrics are the best part.

The thing you understand up front is Tom's a storyteller. He draws great pictures in the listener's mind. He's not a singer or major instrumentalist. He weaves great pictures. That's what he does. Realty is not always pretty. And truth can be gritty. I hope you listen to more Tom Waits. Not necessarily on your channel. But for your own growth.

I've been a Tom Waits fan for a couple of decades now. I'm only 6min into this 'reaction' video, and I suspect that he's been converted.

broken bicycles, tom waits

I've always thought the pronunciation would have been like, True Bert. Like your friend Bert tells you something crazy and you reply, is that true bert? ;-) I think it's French in origin so I reckon that's how they would pronounce it.

Please do "Kentucky Avenue". Thanks

"And the maverick Chinaman" Opium.

Fun fact: Mathilda actually exists, only her name is Mathilde. This is her ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Sfy6glaBsuA.html

Does anyone know why he borrowed the Australian folk song?

I've been a Waits fan for over 40 years. No one takes you into the streets like Waits. try "Jack and "Neil"

Do "time"

Bob Dylan didn't have a great voice either, but like Tom they were very special people. You looked like you were about to cry, you get it. Tom is a poet that should be studied in high school. Filled with imagery.

Although I love Tom as a writer, I personally think Rod Stewart done a much better version, I know Rod didn't sing the whole song but his version brings tears to my eyes, also love Rod's version of Down Town Train, probably I just prefer Rod's voice to Tom's

Not shabby, right???

During the Vietnam war, American soldiers referred to doing heroin as "waltzing Matilda"

The song is about alcoholism.