Whew! this song is F'ing depressing - and that's a HUGE compliment! Tom Waits is one artist exroidinaire.
To be honest, when I listen to this song I envy the poor man who lives out of a battered old suitcase - because 1) he's probably toasted, 2) he's happy enough, and he's at peace w/himself.
OK, you say I'm off target? Well, find for me in the lyrics ONE line that indicates that the subject of this song is UNHAPPY or NOT at peace with himself.
I suggest he is a alcoholism, he has accepted his alcoholism and he is basically observing the night people around him before he lays himself down for a night of drunken sleep.
Again, find for me in the lyrics any line that suggests he is unhappy.
It is funny, because the tone of the song is very sad.
Are we supposed to pity this man? If you accept my premise that he is a happy (aleit alcoholic) person, then why should we pity him?
Personally, my only pity for him is if he doesn't have the joy of raising children. However, we don't even know that much. He could've easily raised 5 kids or more, and then became alone. It has occurred before.
Maybe he missed out on love
Funny .. I'd rank this as one of the saddest songs of all time. Nevertheless I envy this poor, probably homeless, man.
"and it's a battered old suitcase
in a hotel someplace
and a wound that would never heal"
"and it's a battered old suitcase
in a hotel someplace
and a wound that would never heal"
that last line in those 3 is the one that shows that its ment to be sad. the wond that he is talkign about is lonlyness or heartbroken because he was in love with the prostitute matilda
that last line in those 3 is the one that shows that its ment to be sad. the wond that he is talkign about is lonlyness or heartbroken because he was in love with the prostitute matilda
"and you can ask any sailor
and the keys from the jailor
and the old men in wheelchairs know
that matilda's the defendant
she killed about a hundred"
"and you can ask any sailor
and the keys from the jailor
and the old men in wheelchairs know
that matilda's the defendant
she killed about a hundred"
its not meaning that she is actualy killing people its saying that she has broken...
its not meaning that she is actualy killing people its saying that she has broken their hearts. its what makes this song prolly the sadst song ever written.
then again i may be wrong but im pretty sure thats what its leading to =) hope i helped.
@tsreyb He's trying to convince himself that he is at peace with alcoholism. That is not the same as being at peace with oneself. Very similar to Jitterbug Boy on the same album, the narrator is a character and just because he is saying happy things does not mean he is happy.
@tsreyb He's trying to convince himself that he is at peace with alcoholism. That is not the same as being at peace with oneself. Very similar to Jitterbug Boy on the same album, the narrator is a character and just because he is saying happy things does not mean he is happy.
Whew! this song is F'ing depressing - and that's a HUGE compliment! Tom Waits is one artist exroidinaire.
To be honest, when I listen to this song I envy the poor man who lives out of a battered old suitcase - because 1) he's probably toasted, 2) he's happy enough, and he's at peace w/himself.
OK, you say I'm off target? Well, find for me in the lyrics ONE line that indicates that the subject of this song is UNHAPPY or NOT at peace with himself.
I suggest he is a alcoholism, he has accepted his alcoholism and he is basically observing the night people around him before he lays himself down for a night of drunken sleep.
Again, find for me in the lyrics any line that suggests he is unhappy.
It is funny, because the tone of the song is very sad.
Are we supposed to pity this man? If you accept my premise that he is a happy (aleit alcoholic) person, then why should we pity him?
Personally, my only pity for him is if he doesn't have the joy of raising children. However, we don't even know that much. He could've easily raised 5 kids or more, and then became alone. It has occurred before.
Maybe he missed out on love
Funny .. I'd rank this as one of the saddest songs of all time. Nevertheless I envy this poor, probably homeless, man.
"and it's a battered old suitcase in a hotel someplace and a wound that would never heal"
"and it's a battered old suitcase in a hotel someplace and a wound that would never heal"
that last line in those 3 is the one that shows that its ment to be sad. the wond that he is talkign about is lonlyness or heartbroken because he was in love with the prostitute matilda
that last line in those 3 is the one that shows that its ment to be sad. the wond that he is talkign about is lonlyness or heartbroken because he was in love with the prostitute matilda
"and you can ask any sailor and the keys from the jailor and the old men in wheelchairs know that matilda's the defendant she killed about a hundred"
"and you can ask any sailor and the keys from the jailor and the old men in wheelchairs know that matilda's the defendant she killed about a hundred"
its not meaning that she is actualy killing people its saying that she has broken...
its not meaning that she is actualy killing people its saying that she has broken their hearts. its what makes this song prolly the sadst song ever written.
then again i may be wrong but im pretty sure thats what its leading to =) hope i helped.
@tsreyb He's trying to convince himself that he is at peace with alcoholism. That is not the same as being at peace with oneself. Very similar to Jitterbug Boy on the same album, the narrator is a character and just because he is saying happy things does not mean he is happy.
@tsreyb He's trying to convince himself that he is at peace with alcoholism. That is not the same as being at peace with oneself. Very similar to Jitterbug Boy on the same album, the narrator is a character and just because he is saying happy things does not mean he is happy.