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Shore Leave Lyrics
Shore Leave
Well with buck shot eyes and a purple heart
I rolled down the national stroll
and with a big fat paycheck
strapped to my hip sack
and a shore leave wristwatch underneath
my sleeve
in a Hong Kong drizzle on Cuban heels
I rowed down the gutter to the Blood Bank
and I'd left all my papers on the Ticonderoga
and was in a bad need of a shave
and so I slopped at the corner on cold chow mein
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
and talked baseball with a lieutenant
over a Singapore sling
and I wondered how the same moon outside
over this Chinatown fair
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...
Shore Leave...
Well with buck shot eyes and a purple heart
I rolled down the national stroll
and with a big fat paycheck
strapped to my hip sack
and a shore leave wristwatch underneath
my sleeve
in a Hong Kong drizzle on Cuban heels
I rowed down the gutter to the Blood Bank
and I'd left all my papers on the Ticonderoga
and was in a bad need of a shave
and so I slopped at the corner on cold chow mein
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 miss my Baby so
I can't make it by myself
I love you so
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
and talked baseball with a lieutenant
over a Singapore sling
and I wondered how the same moon outside
over this Chinatown fair
could look down on Illinois
and find you there
and you know I love you Baby
and I miss my Baby so
I can't make it by myself
I love you so
Shore Leave...
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I always wished he would make an album called "For No Man".
So, when coupled with his name, it would read "Tom Waits For No Man".
Yeah, and maybe an album called "For the bus" too.
Yeah, and maybe an album called "For the bus" too.
"Cough"
"Cough"
Swordfishtrombones seems to have a war theme all the way through and this song is self explanatory. He does a fantastic version on the film big time.
the contradiction that is lived by lonely men in the Navy hitting the town anywhere in Asia
This is a fav at my house and we quote it often for our own amusement. For example when it rains, someone invariably announces the intention to go shoot billiards with a midget...
Note the reference to Illinois, home state of his wife, Kathleen.
Easily my favorite Waits' song. I love the haunting "shore leave" crackled voice at the end. He really sets the tone of how miserable the character feels, and can't wait to get home. Not to mention how fun it would be to shoot billards with a midget. lol
Anyone notice how it sounds like he's wailing the name "Shirley" at the end? Just a though. Wickedly awseome song.
No, ikefox, he's saying "Shore leave"
and how many separated lovers didn't think of the moon as the only one thing that they can at the same time, the one possible shared experience.
This song presents such a good atmosphere and really good suitable instruments.
He didn't write this song though? Really?