Three Things: Tom Waits - Heartattack and Vine
No One Understands a Loser Like Tom Waits
As part of therapy, I've been tasked to write more, specifically about
music. This particular task was to write three things I love about a
piece of music I deeply enjoy.
The groan comes in at about 21 seconds, then another between seconds 42 and 43. Tom groans like an uncle at the family cookout who really, REALLY doesn’t want to tell this story again because the motherfucker has moved on. He doesn’t want to go back down this road, but he’s been asked over and over again to retell the tale. He’s moved on. The entire song is a mumbling, growling testimony to that which is not good for the soul. This is not a celebration; it’s a threnody. This just ain’t him anymore, but fine. FINE. He’s resigned to forever be known for his “lesser than” moments.
There’s dope everywhere. There’s dope on this surface, that surface, on every horizontal plane in the vicinity. Hey! You can’t turn away now, dear nieces and nephews. You asked for this. Everyone is stoned, including our narrator, but he’s not, by any stretch, beyond self-awareness. This is to his detriment because he offers up a fine example of misanthropic wisdom with the growling nugget “Don’t you know there ain’t no Devil, there’s just God when he’s drunk.” This works out fine for our drunk uncle’s idea of the hereafter because he continues to growl, “This stuff will probably kill you.” Since there’s no Devil, he’s good with it, and as such he doubles down with the snorted poison: “Let’s do another line.” We asked for the story, so now we’re obliged to hear the whole goddamned story.
Who in the blue fuck are your drunk uncle’s shitheel friends? Bony’s apparently high on China White. Shorty found a punk. Some cat named Philly Joe Remarkable is looking on in disbelief. These sonsofbitches are your uncle’s pals. He knows these people in a way no one discusses in public spaces. This is not a story for well-adjusted human beings, which means it is perfect for people obsessed with trainwrecks and car crashes - which is a long-winded way of saying me and my drunk uncles.