â ĸ. Big time (
: Ē.¨)
---------------------------------------------------------------
© Copyright Tom Waits
© Copyright Ē ¨,
Email: Ignatoff@bigfoot.com
Date: 16 Dec 1998
¯
Waitsa.
ĸ
-.
å
.
---------------------------------------------------------------
TOM WAITS
¨ Ē. ¤.
:
¨ Ē ¤, 1969 .., Ŧ.
:
ignatoff@bigfoot.com
BIG TIME
(video)
Frank's wild years (For Frankie Z.) ¤
ä (¤ ä §)
This is story about guy named Frank O'Bryan í -
ä Ž'Ą
Well Frank settled down in the Valley ¯
, , ä ¤
and hung his wild years
on a nail that he drove through ,
his wife's forehead
he sold used office furniture Ž
out there on San Fernando Road
- á-ä
-ā
and assumed a $30,000 loan 30,000$
at 15 1/4 % and put down payment 15 1/4%
on a little two bedroom place
well, his wife, I don't know, she was a dog, she was a baby, â--,
,
, , ,
she was a killer, she was a spent piece of used jet trash
,
made good bloody marys Ē Ŧ
kept her mouth shut most of the time
had a little Chihuahua named Carlos ã
į
Ē
OK, I love dogs, let it be know, I love dogs! ¤ ! ¯
, ī !
The dog. IS A DOG! á, !
that had some kind of skin disease - ,
I don't know that it was, they try everything,
,
,
and was totally blind. They had a
. ã
thoroughly modern kitchen
self-cleaning oven (the whole bit)
(
)
Frank drove a little sedan ä
they were so happy Ž .
One night Frank was on his way home ¨ ä
from work, stopped at the liquor store, ,
,
picked up a couple Mickey's Big Mouths
Mickey's Big Mouths
drank 'em in the car on his way
to the Shell station, he got a gallon of Shell,
gas in a can, drove home, doused
everything in the house, torched it,
,
,
parked across the street, laughing, ¯
watching it burn, all Halloween
,
å
orange and chimney red then
,
Frank put on a top forty station ä -
got on the Hollywood Freeway Ŗ â
headed north ¯
Never could stand that dog
Shore Leave ã
Well with buck shot eyes and a purple heart §,
I rolled down the national stroll á
and with a big fat paycheck á
strapped to my hip sack
and a shore leave wristwatch underneath
my sleeve
in a Hong Kong drizzle on Cuban heels ĸ Ŗ Ē
I rowed down the gutter to the Blood Bank
Ą Ē
and I'd left all my papers on the Ticonderoga
â
and was in a bad need of a shave
and so I slopped at the corner on cold chow mein â
-
and shot billards with a midget
until the rain stopped
and I bought a long sleeved shirt
with horses on the front
and some gum and a lighter and a knife ,
and a new deck of cards (with girls on the back) (
)
and I sat down and wrote a letter to my wife ¨
and I said Baby, I'm so far away from home "¤
,
and I miss my Baby so
I can't make it by myself
I love you so
"
Well I was pacing myself ,
,
,
trying to make it all last
,
squeezing all the life
out of a lousy two day pass
and I had a cold one at the Dragon
¤
with some Filipino floor show - ä
and talked baseball with a lieutenant
over a Singapore sling
and I wondered how the same moon outside
over this Chinatown fair į-
could look down on Illinois
¨
and find you there
and you know I love you Baby "¨
,
,
,
and I'm so far away from home
and I miss my Baby so
I can't make it by myself
I love you so
"
Shore Leave... ã
Shore Leave... ã
Way Down In The Hole ¯ ĸ -
``Well, I feel we should move right into "į , ,
the religious material.''
. "
When you walk through the garden, Ē ĸ
,
You've gotta watch your back. ĸ
-
Well, I beg you're pardon; ¨ ĸ
Walk the straight and narrow track. ¨
When you walk with Jesus, Ē ĸ
¨,
He's gonna save your soul. Ž
You've got to keep the Devil; ĸ ¤
Well, you've got to keep him ¤,
down in the hole. ĸ
He's got the fire, people, ã
, !
he's got the fury at his command. ¨
.
Oh, you don't have to worry Ž,
Hold on to, hold on to... Jesus hand ¤
,
... ¨
we'll all be safe from Satan Ŧ
á
when the thunder, Ē ,
when the thunder starts to roll. Ē
.
We've got to keep the devil, Ŧ ¤
keep him on down ¤
down in the hole. ĸ
That red horned, lousy, low life, underneath our boots.. í , , , , .
Praise the Lord. ĸ
Ŗ!
I don't know what it is. ī
, .
Two dollar - that demonmiester ¤ -
-
.
Three dollar - that prince devil â - .
Just see if you can come up with a figure â
,
that matches your faith
He said, how much has Jesus done for you? Ž , ¨
ĸ?
And we got to go in, with our hydrolic system, ¨ ,
,
and blast him out. ¨
.
People, can I get an amen? Ģ, ?
All the angels, pledge God to sing; ĸ
,
Ŗ;
all about Jesus mighty sword. Ž
¨ .
And they'll shield you with their wings ¨ ĸ
People, they'll keep you Ģ, ĸ
close to the Lord. ā Ŗ.
Now don't pay heed to temptation, ¨
For his hands are so cold. ¤
You've got to keep the devil, ĸ ,
keep him on down in the hole. ¤
Down in the hole ĸ
Down in the hole ĸ
Down in the hole ĸ
People, I've got to speak about something... Ģ, ī
-
Can I get an amen? Ŧ ?
Can I get an halaluja? Ŧ ?
Praise the lord. ĸ
Ŗ.
God bless you. ¤ Ŗ.
The Lord is a very very busy man. Ą -
.
I'll do what I can.
, .
But Jesus is always going for the big picture... ¨
But he's always there to help us out of the little jams too.
Down in the hole ĸ
Down in the hole ĸ
Down in the hole ĸ
Keep him down in the hold ¤
-
.
You've got to keep the devil down in the hole ĸ
-
You've got to keep the devil down in the hole ĸ
-
Keep him on down in the hole ¤
-
Down...down, down, down mighty devil ĸ... , ,
I send you down below my boots. ī
, .
down, down, filling my live with anger and strife ĸ, ,
Go down mighty devil. Ŗ
.
Find a place to live.Down down down...
. ĸ ...
Hang On St. Christopher ¤
C
-Ē
Hang on st. christopher through the smoke and the oil ¤
C
-Ē
Buckle down the rumble seat Ž
let the radiator boil ¤
got an overhead downshift Ē
and a two dollar grill ¨
got an 85 cabin ¤
on an 85 hill 85
Hang on st. christopher on the passenger side ¤
C
-Ē
open it up tonight the devil can ride á
,
hang on st. christopher with a barrel house dog ¤
C
-Ē
kick me up mt. baldy Ŧ
¯
throw me out in the fog á
tear a hole in the jack pot ¯
-
drive a stake through his heart á
do a 100 on the grapevine á
do a jump on the start
hang on st. christopher now don't let me go ¤
C
-Ē
,
get me to reno and bring it in low, yeah Ž
,
hang on st. christopher with the hammer to the floor ¤
C-Ē
put a hi ball in the crank case §
nail a crow to the door Ģ
get a bottle for the jockey ¤
gimme a 294 Ŧ
- 294
there's a 750 norton bustin down january's door á 750
hang on st. christopher on the passenger side ¤
C
-Ē
open it up tonight the devil can ride á
,
hang on st. christopher now don't let me go ¤
C
-Ē
,
get to me reno got to bring it in low Ž
,
put my baby on the flat car ĸ /
got to burn down the caboose Ļ
get 'em all jacked up on whiskey ¤
then we'll turn the mad dog loose â
hang on st. christopher on the passenger side ¤
C
-Ē
open it up tonight the devil can ride á
,
Telephone Call From Istanbul â
á
All night long on the broken glass
livin in a medicine chest á
mediteromanian hotel back Ž
á
sprawled across a roll top desk ā
the monkey rode the blade on an Ŧ
overhead fan ĸ
they paint the donkey blue if you pay ¨
I got a telephone call from Istanbul ¨ ¨
my baby's coming home today á
will you sell me one of those if I shave my head ¨
-
get me out of town is what fireball said ¯ -
never trust a man in a blue trench coat ĸ
-
never drive a car when you're dead ¨
,
Saturday's a festival ĸ á -
Oh, now Friday's a gem ĸ ¯ -
dye your hair yellow á
and raise your hem ¨
follow me to beulah's on ¤ beulah's
dry creek road ¤
I got to wear the hat that my baby done sewed ī
,
take me down to buy a tux ĸ
,
on red rose bear ĸ
got to cut a hole in the day ¨
I got a telephone call from Istanbul ī ¨
my baby's coming home today á
Cold Cold Ground â
Crest fallen sidekick in an old cafe ã
never slept with a dream before he had to go away â
,
there's a bell in the tower Ĩ
Uncle Ray bought a round ¤ ā
don't worry about the army Ž
in the cold cold ground ĸ
now don't be a cry baby į , ,
when there's wood in the shed Ē
there's a bird in the chimmney
and a stone in my bed ĸ
when the road's washed out ¤
they pass the bottle around ¨
and wait in the arms ¨
of the cold cold ground â
cold cold ground â
there's a ribbon in the willow ¯
and a tire swing rope
and a briar patch of berries
takin over the slope č
the cat'll sleep in the mailbox ĸ
and we'll never go to town ¨
til we bury every dream in ¯
the cold cold ground ĸ
cold cold ground ĸ
gimme a Winchester rifle and a whole box of shells ¤
ĸ
blow the roof off the goat barn á
let it roll down the hill ¯
the piano is firewood ä
-
times square is a dream ¯ -
I find we'll lay down together in the cold cold ground Ŧ
cold cold ground ĸ
cold cold ground ĸ
call the cops on the Breedloves Ģ
Ą
bring a bible and a rope ĸ
and a whole box of rebel â
, Ą,
and a bar of soap ¤
make a pile of trunk tires ¯
and burn 'em all down Ē
bring a dollar with you baby á
, ,
in the cold cold ground ĸ
cold cold ground ĸ
take a weathervane rooster ¨
throw rocks at his head
-
stop talking to the neighbors ¨
til we all go dead
, ,
beware of my temper Ą
and the dog that I've found ¨ ,
break all the windows in the ā
cold cold ground ĸ
cold cold ground ĸ
Straight To the Top (Vegas) ¯
(ĸ
)
I'm going straight to the top ī
oh yea up where the air is Ž , ,
fresh and clean į
I'm going straight up to the top ī
if you know me, you know what I mean Ŧ
I can't let sorrow
try and pull ol' Frankie down â ä
live for tomorrow I have found you Ļ ,
I'm going straight up to the top ī
up where the air is fresh and clean Ŗ
i know that I will never stop, oh no ¨
,
until I know I'm wild and free ī , -
just like a champagne bubble Ē
pop pop pop å, ,
I'm like those birdies ī -
high up in the trees ĸ
I can't let sorrow
pull ol' Frankie down â ä
live for tomorrow Ļ
I have found you ī
I'm going straight up to the top oh yeah ī
up where the air is Ž , ,
fresh and clean į
Strange Weather á ¯
Will ye take me across the channel
London Bridge is falling down â
Strange a woman tries to save â ,
More than a man will try to drown į
And its the rain that they predicted í
,
And its the forecast every time í ,
The rose has died because you picked it ¯
And I believe that brandy's mine ¨
And all over the world strangers ¨
Talk only about the weather â
All over the world its the same Ž
,
Its the same! ĸ
! ĸ
!
And the world is getting flatter ¨
And the sky is falling all around
Oh, when nothing is the matter §
For I never cry in town Ŧ
And a love like ours, my dear ,
Is best measured when its down Ŧ
And I never buy umberellas ī
Because there's always one around Ŧ
And all over the world strangers ¨
Talk only about the weather â
All over the world its the same Ž
,
Its the same! ĸ
! ĸ
!
And you know that its the beginning §
,
And you know that its the end §
,
Once again we are strangers á
As the fog comes rolling in Ģ
And all over the world strangers ¨
Talk only about the weather â
All over the world its the same Ž
,
Its the same! ĸ
! ĸ
!
Gun Street Girl ¤
Falling James in the Tahoe mud ¯ ¤ â
Stick around to tell us all the tale á
,
Well he fell in love with a Gun Street girl Ž
And now he's dancing in the Birmingham jail á
Ą
,
Dancing in the Birmingham jail á
Ą
,
He took a hundred dollars off a slaughterhouse Joe § ¤
Brought a brand new Michigan twenty-gauge ¤
He got all liquored up on that road house corn ¨
, ,
Blew a hole in the hood of a yellow Corvette Ž
Ē
A hole in the hood of a yellow Corvette Ļ
Ē
He bought a second-hand Nova from a Cuban Chinese Ē
Ē Ē
And dyed his hair in the bathroom of a Texaco ¯ â
With a pawnshop radio, quarter past four ā
"-
"
He left for Waukegan at the slamming of the door ¨
ĸ
Left for Waukegan at the slamming of the door å
ĸ
I said John, John, he's long gone ī ¤, ¤,
Gone to Indiana, ain't never coming home ã
¨ -
I said John, John, he's long gone ī ¤, ¤,
Gone to Indiana, ain't never coming home ã
¨ -
He's sitting in a sycamore in St. John's wood á
á
-¤
Soaking day-old bread in kerosene ¨
Well he was blue as a robin's egg and brown as a hog Ą
,
He's staying out of circulation 'til the dogs get tired ¯
Out of circulation 'til the dogs get tired ¯
Shadow fixed the toilet with an old trombone â
He never get up in the morning on a Saturday Ž
Sitting by the Erie with a bull-whipped dog
Ĩ
Telling everyone he saw, "They went that-a-way, boys" ĸ
"ā
, - "
Telling everyone he saw, "They went that-a-way" ĸ
"ā
, - "
Now the rain's like gravel on an old tin roof ¤
And the Burlington Northern pulling out of the world ĸ á
Ą
Now a head full of bourbon and a dream in the straw ¯ ,
And a Gun Street girl was the cause of it all ĸ
-
A Gun Street girl was the cause of it all ĸ
-
Well he's riding in the shadow by the St. Joe ridge į ,
C
. ¤
Hearing the click-clack tapping of a blind man's cane á
-
He was pulling into Baker on a New Year's Eve Ž ¯
Ŗ
One eye on a pistol and the other on the door Ž
,
One eye on a pistol and the other on the door Ž
,
Miss Charlotte took her satchel down to King Fish Row Ŧ č
Ē ä ā
Smuggled in a brand new pair of alligator shoes Ļ
With her fireman's raincoat and her long yellow hair á
Well they tied her to a tree with a skinny millionaire ¯
They tied her to a tree with a skinny millionaire ¯
I said John, John, he's long gone ī ¤, ¤,
Gone to Indiana, ain't never coming home ã
¨ -
I said John, John, he's long gone ī ¤, ¤,
Gone to Indiana, ain't never coming home ã
¨ -
Banging on the table with an old tin cup á
Sing I'll never kiss a Gun Street girl again á "¤
-
"
Never kiss a Gun Street girl again ¤
-
I'll never kiss a Gun Street girl again ¤
-
I said John, John, he's long gone ī ¤, ¤,
Gone to Indiana, ain't never coming home ã
¨ -
I said John, John, he's long gone ī ¤, ¤,
Gone to Indiana, ain't never coming home ã
¨ -
Clap Hands å
Three, six, nine â,
, ,
The goose drank wine ĸ .
The monkey chewed tobacco á
On the streetcar line
.
The line broke ĸ
-
The monkey got choked
.
And they all went to heaven ĸ
In a little row boat.
Clap Clap å, ( )
Sane, sane, they're all insane, ¯, , -
,
fireman's blind, the conductor is lame -
, -
A Cincinnati jacket and a sad-luck dame Ļ
æ,
Hanging out the window with a bottle full of rain â
Clap hands, clap hands, clap hands, clap hands å
,
,
.
Said roar, roar, the thunder and the roar ā
,
, ,
Son of a bitch is never coming back here no more á
The moon in the window and a bird on the pole Ģ
, -
We can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal Ŧ
Clap hands, clap hands, clap hands, clap hands å
,
,
.
Said steam, steam, a hundred bad dreams ī , ,
Going up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans ¯ Ŗ
A fifty-dollar bill inside a palladin's hat
¯
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at Ŗ
,
Roar, roar, the thunder and the roar ā
,
, ,
Son of a bitch is never coming back here no more á
Moon in the window and a bird on the pole Ģ
, -
Can always find a millionaire to shovel all the coal Ŧ
Clap hands, clap hands, clap hands, clap hands å
,
,
.
I said steam, steam, a hundred bad dreams ī , ,
Going up to Harlem with a pistol in his jeans ¯ Ŗ
A fifty-dollar bill inside a palladin's hat
¯
And nobody's sure where Mr. Knickerbocker's at Ŗ
,
Shine, shine, a Roosevelt dime á
,
ā
All the way to Baltimore and running out of time ¨
Salvation Army seemed to wind up in the hole á
, -
, ""
They all went to heaven in a little row boat ĸ
Clap hands, clap hands, clap hands, clap hands å
,
,
.
Clap hands, clap hands, clap hands, clap hands å
,
,
.
Clap hands, clap hands, clap hands, clap hands å
,
,
.
Well the smart money's on Harlow and the moon is in the street į ,
å
Ģ
And the shadow boys are breaking all the laws ĸ
And you're east of East Saint Louis â, á
-Ģ
and the wind is making speeches
And the rain sounds like a round of applause ¨
And Napoleon is weeping in a carnival saloon ¨
-
His invisible fiancee's in the mirror Ĩ
And the band is going home, ¨ -
,
it's raining hammers, it's raining nails
And it's true there's nothing left for him down here ¨ ,
And it's time time time, and it's time time time Ŗ
- , , ,
- , , .
And it's time time time that you love Ŗ
- ,
And it's time time time Ŗ
- , , .
And they all pretend they're orphans ĸ
-
and their memory's like a train -
You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away â ,
And the things you can't remember ¨
tell the things you can't forget ,
That history puts a saint in every dream ¯ ,
.
Well she said she'd stick around until the bandages came off Ž " ,
"
But these mama's boys just don't know when to quit
,
And Mathilda asks the sailors ¨ Ŧ
"Are those dreams or are those prayers?" "č
?"
So close your eyes, son, and this won't hurt a bit § , ,
Oh it's time time time, and it's time time time Ŗ
- , , ,
- , , .
And it's time time time that you love Ŗ
- ,
And it's time time time Ŗ
- , , .
Well things are pretty lousy for a calendar girl į ,
The boys just dive right off the cars â
and splash into the street
And when they're on a roll she pulls a razor from her boot Ž ,
And a thousand pigeons fall around her feet ¨
So put a candle in the window and a kiss upon his lips ¨
As the dish outside the window fills with rain ¨
Just like a stranger with the weeds in your heart ¨
And pay the fiddler off 'til I come back again Ą
Oh it's time time time, and it's time time time Ŗ
- , , ,
- , , .
And it's time time time that you love Ŗ
- ,
And it's time time time Ŗ
- , , .
And it's time time time, and it's time time time Ŗ
- , , ,
- , , .
And it's time time time that you love Ŗ
- ,
And it's time time time Ŗ
- , , .
Last-modified: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 20:28:10 GMT