Tom is writing from a woman's perspective. He is probably the 'Joan' mentioned in the beginning, a dancer/actress who has been cast out by an ashamed family who pay her to stay away.
She saves money in the hem of her skirt and I think is working in a frontier town in the 19th century. The next 'stage' she wants to be on is Wells Fargo, she is down and disillusioned with kicking her legs high on canvas-tre-ed stages. She wants boots not high-heels.
It's beautiful and the piano also emphasises the starkness of the saloon bar she is working in.
Sad and poignant like only Waits can be.
Tom is writing from a woman's perspective. He is probably the 'Joan' mentioned in the beginning, a dancer/actress who has been cast out by an ashamed family who pay her to stay away. She saves money in the hem of her skirt and I think is working in a frontier town in the 19th century. The next 'stage' she wants to be on is Wells Fargo, she is down and disillusioned with kicking her legs high on canvas-tre-ed stages. She wants boots not high-heels. It's beautiful and the piano also emphasises the starkness of the saloon bar she is working in. Sad and poignant like only Waits can be.