4 Times Tom Waits Told Stories Better Than Any Novelist

Tom Waits is best known for his deep, gravelly voice that really doesn’t sound like any other. He’s also known for being an expert storyteller and poet. Waits often writes simple yet compelling narratives that are made even better by his unique blend of jazz, blues, and experimental songwriting. Let’s take a look at a few Tom Waits songs that boast stories that are better than most novels out there!

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1. “Take It With Me”

Mule Variations from 1999 is a fan favorite album from Tom Waits. “Take It With Me” is just one standout track from that album. This song is a divergence from the typical Waits song. Rather than crooning about youthful vagrancy and yearning for love, Waits paints a picture of love after the affair in question has ended. He reflects without judgment or anger, but rather with fondness. 

2. “Downtown Train”

This song is a great example of Waits’ ability to form melodies, both lyrical and electric guitar-based, that weave together seamlessly like a sort of sonic conversation. “Downtown Train” is one of Tom Waits’ finest stories with themes of longing, vulnerability, and falling in love in the big city.

3. “Jersey Girl”

“Jersey Girl” comes from Waits’ 1980 album Heartattack And Vine. It’s a gorgeous piece of work loved by Waits’ fans around the world. On the surface, this track really sounds like a Bruce Springsteen song. However, even Springsteen doesn’t do yearning and romantic passion quite like Waits does. Though, The Boss has covered this song many times through the years.

4. “The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)”

An early-career gem from Tom Waits, “The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)” is a pure and standard example of his ability to write stories within songs. This tune plays like a poem from a beat poet, and it’s more or less just a story about being drunk and observing one’s surroundings.

“The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)” is humorous, dripping with vivid imagery, and almost surreal. Only Waits could write a song that contains both “‘Cause the bouncer is a Sumo wrestler / Cream-puff casper milquetoast” and “And you can’t find your waitress with a Geiger counter” in its lyrics.

Photo by ITV/Shutterstock 

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