You know, Tom Waits has always been this cult figure that I’ve been told by both culture and occasionally real life people (though only a small few), that he’s cool and maybe even important. But I’ve never listened to any songs of his until this post. I was curious if there was any actual substance to him. If there was more beyond his persona and veneer of “cool.”
I’m glad the song had the lyrics in the description so I could follow along with what he’s trying to say. And I will say, I did like it. It seems he’s talking about the struggle and hardships within yourself and against a harsh society. But I’m wondering if there’s a real message or perspective here, or if he’s only creating a pastiche of the vagabond type charachter like that in Jack Black’s “You Can’t Win.”
Is he really saying anything of value here, or is he only wearing a costume?