Singapore

Tom Waits

We sail tonight for Singapore
We're all as mad as hatters here
I've fallen for a tawny moor
Took off to the land of nod
Drank with all the Chinamen
Walked the sewers of Paris
I danced along a colored wind
Dangled from a rope of sand
You must say goodbye to me

We sail tonight for Singapore
Don't fall asleep while you're ashore
Cross your heart and hope to die
When you hear the children cry
Let marrow bone and cleaver choose
While making feet for children's shoes
Through the alley, back from hell
When you hear that steeple bell
You must say goodbye to me

Wipe him down with gasoline
Till his arms are hard and mean
From now on boys this iron boat's your home
So heave away, boys

We sail tonight for Singapore
Take your blankets from the floor
Wash your mouth out by the door
The whole town's made of iron ore
Every witness turns to steam
They all become Italian dreams
Fill your pockets up with earth
Get yourself a dollar's worth
Away boys, away boys, heave away

The captain is a one-armed dwarf
He's throwing dice along the wharf
In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king
So take this ring

We sail tonight for Singapore
We're all as mad as hatters here
I've fallen for a tawny moor
Took off to the land of nod
Drank with all the Chinamen
Walked the sewers of Paris
I drank along a colored wind
I dangled from a rope of sand
You must say goodbye to me


Lyrics submitted by yuri_sucupira

Singapore Lyrics as written by Thomas Alan Waits

Lyrics © JALMA MUSIC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Singapore song meanings
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    General Comment

    The legend Tom here continues the sailor theme from his previous album Swordfishtrombones, particularly the second track from that album, Shore Leave. It also has shades of the opening track of that album, Underground. Both are jumpy, up-tempo (at least in Wait's world) introductory tracks about a wolrd of misfits. But where Shore Leave was downbeat, low-key and focused on the minutia of a rainy trip, Singapore is a tour of a carnival of misfits.

    Oh, and the lyric is 'rope of sin' not sand.

    LYRICAL EXPLANATIONS!

    The Land of Nod = Falling asleep obviously, but Nod was also the land that Cain took of for after killing Abel in the Bible.

    Making Feet for Children's shoes= euphemism for sex.

    In the land of the blind...= This is a quote from Erasmus.

    Spectacular track from a spectacular album. Long live The Tom!

    Omnicideon March 19, 2006   Link

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