Just some FYI for anyone new viewing this: It's off his "Orphans" album. The kids in the video, peeking through the window, are his children. This was a documentary shot at his home.
The song is the same, but the version on 'Orphans' is different, it has handclaps, backing vocals, and sounds like it has been compressed and tweaked in the studio. For the 'complete'ists' out there.
So glad I got to see some live footage of him recording this. I've been attempting to cover this for years. He is without a doubt my favorite singer and writer of all time. Thank you, Sir.
I remember this clip from, like, 11 years ago. That was the first time I heard of Tom Waits, and it captivated me right away. Then I began listening to him I discovered both the music - especially Alice and his "Closing Time" album as well as the movies he starred in. Seven Psycopaths will always be my favourite amongst the ones he starred in. Thank you for uploading it and make me travel down Memory Lane.
My personal favorite of the films has got to be _Down By Law..._ not only is it his only starring role, it's Jim Jarmusch's masterpiece. And it also features John Lurie and Roberto Benigni! 🥰 What's not to love?!?
That laugh at the end kills me 😂😂 I think he's laughing at how long it took him to break that last note 😅 CLASS....well...either that or the kids spying on him 😂
100% militant atheist here. And this is an absolute gem. Tom is a living legend. I've been following his work since about 1975. What a ride! Thanks Tom. ❤
I get a kick out of the goofy fundamentalist atheists breathlessly reassuring the faithful that Mr. Waits is only singing from the perspective of a character. “Rest easy! We’ve peered into the depths of Mr. Waits’s soul and found not a trace of hope in God!”
You're a fucking idiot. Tom Waits sings about religion all the time. But he does it from the perspective of a character, like all of his songs. It's a character study. A brainlet like you can't appreciate that, I guess
