No, Tom Waits himself states that this song is about a friend calling him up in the middle of the night asking for gas money so he could drive the girl he was out with on a date back to her house. The car was in such bad shape that it only had reverse left on it so the friend sold Tom some jokes he could use in exchange for money so he could buy some gas to drive his date home. Tom claims the car was either a '55 Buick Roadmaster or Cadillac and his friend actually drove home all the way in reverse.. If you read the lyrics it all makes sense.
No, Tom Waits himself states that this song is about a friend calling him up in the middle of the night asking for gas money so he could drive the girl he was out with on a date back to her house. The car was in such bad shape that it only had reverse left on it so the friend sold Tom some jokes he could use in exchange for money so he could buy some gas to drive his date home. Tom claims the car was either a '55 Buick Roadmaster or Cadillac and his friend actually drove home all the way in reverse.. If you read the lyrics it all makes sense.