9th & Hennepin Lyrics

Lyric discussion by charrbin 

Cover art for 9th & Hennepin lyrics by Tom Waits

This song is descriptive enough to be an entire movie. I imagine a black and white movie with the narroter introducing a bar while a couple step off of a train, before they head there because of "bad directions." Then they witness a murder, get lost, can't escape, etc.

I think "bad directions" applies here in a more universal sense.

"And no one brings anything small into a bar around here They all started out with bad directions"

He's saying every problem that the patrons in this bar is huge to that particular person. No such thing as a small problem: "no one brings anything small...here."

When he says they all started out with bad directions, he means they have been headed for 9th & Hennipen since childhood. It was their destiny to end up here.

My two cents.