Tom Waits is an absolute legend, with a career that has spanned decades. Many of his fans are particularly fond of his early career work from the 1970s, and nothing quite matches the power of the 1973 record Closing Time.
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On that album is a noteworthy cut titled “Ol’ ‘55’”. If you’re not a big fan of Waits but recognize the title, there’s probably a reason for that. The song was famously covered by Eagles in 1974 for On The Border.
The original version of that song is quite different from Eagles’ cover. Waits’ version, along with the whole of his work, is centered on authenticity. Not to throw Eagles under the bus, but that’s where the two music-makers diverge. Where Waits was content to be an underground artist forever in favor of authenticity in his art, Eagles were determined to make it big; and make the process art in itself.
Sadly, though, Waits wasn’t a fan.
“I frankly was not that particularly crazy about their rendition of it,” Waits said back in the 1970s of The Eagles’ cover of his song. “[…] It’s one of the first songs I wrote, so I felt like it was kind of flattering that somebody wanted to do your song, but at the same time I thought their version was a little antiseptic.”
“Antiseptic” is a harsh word, though we know where Waits was coming from.
Tom Waits’ Criticism of The Eagles Didn’t Stop There
Just one year after saying he didn’t love Eagles’ version of his folk song “Ol’ ‘55”, Waits gave an even more scathing critique of the band.
“I don’t like the Eagles,” Waits said in 1976. “They’re about as exciting as watching paint dry. Their albums are good for keeping the dust off your turntable and that’s about all.”
Waits has never been mum about his opinions, so we’re not exactly shocked by his sentiment here. Somewhat cheekily, Eagles’ Glenn Frey responded to the criticism Waits dished out. However, he didn’t say anything until several decades later in 1999.
“Tom didn’t really like our version of ‘Ol’ ’55’ when it first came out,” Frey told the audience in Los Angeles during The Eagles’ millennium concert at the end of that year. “And then he got the [royalty] check. Since then, Tom and I, we’re really close.”
Photo by Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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