Tom Waits:
Heartattack and Vine

Heartattack and Vine

liar liar with your pants on fire, white spades hangin' on the telephone
wire, gamblers reevaluate along the dotted line, you'll never recognize
yourself on heartattack and vine.

doctor lawyer beggar man thief, philly joe remarkable looks on in disbelief,
if you want a taste of madness, you'll have to wait in line, you'll probably
see someone you know on heartattack and vine.

boney's high on china white, shorty found a punk, don't you know there ain't
no devil, there's just god when he's drunk, well this stuff will probably kill
you, let's do another line, what you say you meet me down on heartattack and
vine.

see that little jersey girl in the see-through top, with the peddle pushers
sucking on a soda pop, well i bet she's still a virgin but it's only twenty-
five 'til nine, you can see a million of 'em on heartattack and vine.

better off in iowa against your scrambled eggs, than crawling down cahuenga
on a broken pair of legs, you'll find your ignorance is blissful every goddamn
time, your're waitin' for the rtd on heartattack and vine.

In Shades

Saving All My Love For You

it's too early for the circus, it's too late for the bars, no one's sleepin'
but the paperboys, and no one in this town is makin' any noise, but the dogs
and the milkmen and me.

the girls around here all look like cadillacs, no one likes a stranger here,
i'd come home but i'm afraid that you won't take me back, but i'd trade off
everything just to have you near.

i know i'm irresponsible and i don't behave, and i ruin everything that i
do, and i'll probably get arrested when i'm in my grave, but i'll be savin'
all my love for you.

i paid fifteen dollars for a prostitute, with too much makeup and a broken
shoe, but her eyes were just a counterfeit, she tried to gyp me out of it, but
you know that i'm still in love you.

don't listen to the rumors that you hear about me, cause i ain't as bad as
they make me out to be, well i may lose my mind but baby can't you see, that
i'll be savin' all my love for you.

Downtown

red pants and the sugarman in, the temple street gloom, drinkin' chivas
regal in a four dollar room, just another dead soldier in a powder blue night,
sugarman says baby everything's alright, goin' downtown down downtown.

montclaire de havelin doin' the st. vitus dance, lookin' for someone to chop
the lumber in his pants, how am i gonna unload all of this ice and all this
mink, all the traffic in the street but it's so hard to think, goin' downtown
down downtown.

frankie's wearin' lipstick pierre cardin, i swear to god i seen him holdin'
hands with jimmy bond, sally's high on crank and hungry for some sweets, she's
fem in the sheets but she's butch in the streets, goin' downtown down
downtown.

it's the cool of the evening the sun's goin' down, i want to hold you in my
arms i want to push you around, i want to break your bottle and spill out all
your charms, come on baby we'll set off all the burglar alarms, goin' downtown
down downtown.

red pants and the sugarman in the temple, drinkin' chivas regal in a four
dollar room, just another dead soldier in a powder blue night, red pants turns
to sugarman and says everything's alright, goin' downtown down downtown.

Jersey Girl

got no time for the corner boys, down in the street makin' all that noise,
don't want no whores on eighth avenue, cause tonight i'm gonna be with you.

cause tonight i'm gonna take that ride, across the river to the jersey side,
take my baby to the carnival, and i'll take you on all the rides, sing sha la
la la la la sha la la la.

down the shore everything's alright, you with your baby on a saturday night,
don't you know that all my dreams come true, when i'm walkin' down the street
with you, sing sha la la la la la sha la la la.

you know she thrills me with all her charms, when i'm wrapped up in my
baby's arms, my little angel gives me everything, i know someday that she'll
wear my ring.

so don't bother me cause i got no time, i'm on my way to see that girl of
mine, nothin' else matters in this whole wide world, when you're in love with
a jersey girl, sing sha la la la la la la.

and i call your name, i can't sleep at night, sha la la la la la la.

'Til the Money Runs Out

check this strange beverage that falls out from the sky, splashin' bagdad on
the hudson in panther martin's eyes, he's high and outside wearin' candy apple
red, scarlet gave him twenty seven stitches in his head, with a pint of green
chartruse ain't nothin' seems right, you buy the sunday paper on a saturday
night.

can't you hear the thunder someone stole my watch, i sold a quart of blood
and bought a half a pint of scotch, some one tell those chinamen on telegraph
canyon road, when you're on the bill with the spoon there ain't no time to
unload, so bye bye baby baby bye bye.

droopy stranger lonely dreamer toy puppy and the prado, we're laughin' as
they piled into olmos' el dorado, jesus whispered eni meany miney moe, they're
too proud to duck their heads that's why they bring it down so low, so bye
bye baby baby bye bye.

the pointed man is smack dab in the middle of july, swingin' from the
rafters in his brand new tie, he said i can't go back to that hotel room all
they do is shout, but i'll stay wichew baby till the money runs out, so bye
bye baby baby bye bye.

On the Nickel

sticks and stones will break my bones, but i always will be true, and when
your mama is dead and gone, i'll sing this lullabye just for you, and what
becomes of all the little boys, who never comb their hair, well they're lined
up all around the block, on the nickel over there.

so you better bring a bucket, there is a hole in the pail, and if you don't
get my letter, then you'll know that i'm in jail, and what becomes of all the
little boys, who never say their prayers, well they're sleepin' like a baby,
on the nickel over there.

and if you chew tobacco, and wish upon a star, well you'll find out where
the scarecrows sit, just like punchlines between the cars, and i know a place
where a royal flush, can never beat a pair, and even thomas jefferson, is on
the nickel over there.

so ring around the rosie, you're sleepin' in the rain, and you're always
late for supper, and man you let me down again, i thought i heard a
mockingbird, roosevelt knows where, you can skip the light, with grady tuck,
on the nickel over there.

so what becomes of all the little boys, who run away from home, well the
world just keeps gettin' bigger, once you get out on your own, so here's to
all the little boys, the sandman takes you where, you'll be sleepin' with a
pillowman, on the nickel over there.

so let's climb up through that button hole, and we'll fall right up the
stairs, and i'll show you where the short dogs grow, on the nickel over there.

Mr. Siegal

i spent all my money in a mexican whorehouse, across the street from a
catholic church, and then i wiped off my revolver, and i buttoned up my
burgundy shirt, i shot the morning in the back, with my red wings on, i told
the sun he'd better go back down, and if i can find a book of matches, i'm
goin' to burn this hotel down.

you got to tell me brave captain, why are the wicked so strong, how do the
angels get to sleep, when the devil leaves the porchlight on.

well i dropped thirty grand on the nugget slots, i had to sell my ass on
fremont street, and the drummer said there's sanctuary, over at the bagdad
room, and now it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready,
and go man go, i said tell me mr. siegel, how do i get out of here.

well willard's knocked out on a bottle of heat, drivin' dangerous curves
across the dirty sheets, he said man you ought to see her, when her parents
are gone, man you ought to hear her when the siren's on.

you got to tell me brave captain, why are the wicked so strong, how do the
angels get to sleep, when the devil leaves the porchlight on.

don't you know that ain't no broken bottle, that i picked up in my
headlights, on the other side of the nevada line, where they live hard die
young, and have a good lookin' corpse every time, well the pit-boss said i
should keep movin', this is where you go when you die, and so i shot a black
beauty, and i kissed her right between the eyes.

well willard's knocked out on a bottle of heat, drivin' dangerous curves
across the dirty sheets, he said when the bitch is wound up, and her parents
are gone, man you ought to hear her with the siren on.

you got to tell me brave captain, why are the wicked so strong, how do the
angels get to sleep, when the devil leaves the porchlight on.

Ruby's Arms

i will leave behind all of my clothes, i wore when i was with you, all i
need's my railroad boots, and my leather jacket, as i say goodbye to ruby's
arms, although my heart is breaking, i will steal away out through your
blinds, for soon you will be waking.

the morning light has washed your face, and everything is turning blue now,
hold on to your pillow case there's nothing i can do now, as i say goodbye to
ruby's arms, you'll find another soldier, and i swear to god by christmas,
there'll be someone else to hold you.

the only thing i'm taking is the scarf off of your clothesline, i'll hurry
past your chest of drawers, and your broken window chimes, as i say goodbye
i'll say goodbye, say goodbye to ruby's arms.

i'll feel my way down the darken hall, and out into the morning, the hobos
at the freightyards, have kept their fires burning, so jesus christ this
goddamn rain, will someone put me on a train, i'll never kiss your lips again,
or break your heart, as i say goodbye i'll say goodbye, say goodbye to ruby's
arms.