American Singer/Songwriter Tom Waits on This Day in History

 

Rod Stewart covers Wait's Tom Traubert's Blues/Waltzing Matilda

Today in History: American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor, Tom Waits, was born on this day in 1949. His gravelly voice is definitely an acquired taste, and has been described as:

"the sand in the sandwich", something that "sounds like it was hauled through Hades in a dredger", or that it sounded as though "it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car." Rolling Stone also noted his "rusted plow-blade voice." One of Waits's own favorite descriptions of his vocal style was "Louis Armstrong and Ethel Merman meeting in Hell." 

There are many other artists that have done covers of his songs, such as Rod Stewart above. Despite a lack of mainstream commercial success, Waits has influenced many musicians and gained an international cult following, and several biographies have been written about him. In 2015, he was ranked at No. 55 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

Many of his lines are quite descriptive (Waitsisms) such as: 

You got to tell me brave captain,

why are the wicked so strong,

how do the angels get to sleep,

when the devil leaves the porchlight on.

Outside another yellow moon

Punched a hole in the nighttime

Sixteen men on a dead man's chest

And I've been drinking from a broken cup

Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest

I'm full of bourbon, I can't stand up

Well, Jesus gonna be here

be here soon

he's gonna cover us up with leaves

with a blanket from the moon

with a promise and a vow

and a lullaby for my brow

Jesus gonna be here

be here soon

Ramones cover Tom Waits' I Don't Want to Grow Up

Musically, Waits was influenced by Randy Newman, and Dr. John. He regarded James Brown as one of his musical heroes, and was also a great fan of the Rolling Stones. He has praised Bob Dylan, noting that "for a songwriter, Dylan is as essential as a hammer and nails and saw are to a carpenter", as well as the country musician Merle Haggard, relating: "Want to learn how to write songs? Listen to Merle Haggard."

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