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Lowside of the Road Lyrics

I'm on a black elevator
Goin down
Little Joe from Kokomo
It rattles to the ground
The dice is laughin at the
man that he throwed
Your rollin over to the
Lowside of the road.

The moon is red and your
Dancin real slow
29 miles left to go
The chain momkeys
Help you with your load
You're rollin over to the
Lowside of the road

Jezebel is naked
With an axe
The prosecution tell you
To relax
Your head feels like it's ready
To explode
You're rollin over, you're rollin over

Well the clapper has been ripped
Out of the bell
The flapper has been kicked right
Out of hell
When the horse whips the
Man that he rode
You're rollin over to the Lowside of the road

The dog won't bite if you beat
Him with a bone
She's so shy when she's
Talkin on the phone
The round rises up and starts to groan
You're rollin over to the
Lowside of the road
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Cover art for Lowside of the Road lyrics by Tom Waits

Everything is inverted; dice laugh at the thrower, horses whip their riders and all the bells are silent.

Cover art for Lowside of the Road lyrics by Tom Waits

I think this song is about the slow decline into moral degredation; The point where the vices you enjoy stop being recreational, and start being in control of your life. I think the inversion hangable is talking about is part of how Waits makes that point. The man isn't throwing the dice anymore, they are throwing him.
I particularly like "A dog won't bite if you beat him with a bone", which I think means that people don't fight back against their vices and habits that are slowly destroying them.

Granted, there are some lines that I have no idea about ("round rises up and starts to moan" huh?), but generally, I think that's the idea.

Cover art for Lowside of the Road lyrics by Tom Waits

Creepy song.

Cover art for Lowside of the Road lyrics by Tom Waits

my favourite when it's too hot. Sounds like it was recorded on a boat in a swamp with flies buzzing around

Cover art for Lowside of the Road lyrics by Tom Waits

Every now and then, I can't help thinking "What the hell is this song about?", and it's not only with Lowside.

 
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