Tom Waits is a category of singer/songwriter completely his own. One of the truly elites.

His "Martha" will break your heart. From the same era as this track. About divorce, regret, a high school sweetheart and why you should never call an ex after midnight was a thing even in the 1970's.

Tom defies genres,been enthralled by his song writing since the '70,s! Check out his version of Phantom 309 on his album Nighthawks at the Diner.

I love Tom Waits. He is such an amazingly emotional writer and his voice is the voice of everyman who has ever lived, loved and lost. My favorite song of his is an old one that he wrote when he was about 16 called Martha and he was only about 19 or 20 when he recorded it I think. The lyric in that song is something that a person who has lived a lifetime and with many regrets should have written, not a young boy, he is truly a master poet. Tom most certainly is an old soul and I am so glad to see people listening to him again. For decades it has just been a handful of enlightened souls who followed him, now there are so many more. An old fun song by him is called Ice Cream Man, it makes me smile every time I hear it. To me, this is a ballad as are many country songs but Tom's songs are mostly ballads so if you think this is country you might think a lot of others songs of his are country.

don, my friend, thank , you so much for that reaction, glad you liked it, you were as enthralled by his lyrics as was i, the guy is a lyrical genius. he wrote old 55, an eagles hit and downtown train for rod stewart....the guy is the king of cool tanks so much....peace out....take care

I loved your reaction to this iconic song. Tom is a total one-off. His songs have been the soundtrack to the lives of millions of people around the world since the mid seventies. He sings the stories of real people's lives and emotional struggles and in all honesty, I don't think there's ever been a singer/songwriter/performer like him. What an incredible songbook he's created!

Just a singer and simple guitar playing. I could listen to it all day. Great way to start the day!

Back in the late 70s, before I'd ever heard of Tom Waits, a friend took me to see him in concert without telling me ANYTHING about what to expect. I tell you it was a concert I will never forget. The curtains were closed. The house lights went down. Pitch black in the theater (with the exception of small "courtesy" lights on the floor along the aisles of seats but you couldn't see anything on the stage.) All was quiet. Then a piano started playing softly. As our eyes became accustomed to the dark, we could kind of see the curtains slowly parting. There was a faint hint of red light on the stage but the light was diffused by what appeared like a mist or wispy smoke. Now the curtains are fully open, the stage is still relatively dark, save for the smokey mist and the diffused red light coming from an unseen source that gave the impression of neon lighting coming from somewhere. Now we can see the piano off to stage left. There's enough light that we can see little more than a dark silhouette of the man playing the piano. There's a cigarette burning in an ashtray on the piano. Soon we hear the soft, mournful, bluesy tones of a tenor sax. Subtly, from out of the smoke and just behind the piano, emerges the sax player. The whole scene, the atmospheric ambiance is like a bar scene, a sleezy cocktail lounge scene out of a 1940s noir detective movie. In a moment, the sax player slowly fades back into the dark behind the piano and Tom Waits (the piano player, looking like a homeless vagrant off the street and sounding like an old drunk who's smoked too many cigarettes) starts singing "The Piano Has Been Drinking". Wow. What an opening. It was maybe the most visually creative opening of a concert performance I've ever seen.

I love Tom Waits so much. My favorites of his are Cold Cold Ground, Downtown Train (later covered and made a hit by Rod Stewart) and the Piano Has Been Drinking. Plus Tom is always good for great quotes, "Better a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy."

That was my wedding dance song and her father interrupted it and stopped it and then decided to dance with her under his song so cool.

first heard this song in the 80s when I discovered Tom Waites when I was in high school and I loved this song then. Now I'm 54, divorced, and man does song now resonate on so many more levels for me.

Tom waits is an astounding artist

I believe Tom Waits is his own genre. I used to say, "I can walk into any bar in any town, look at the women. Immediately spot rejection........and run TO IT!!!!

Went to a Bonnie Raitt concert in 1971 and Waits was the opening act, started with a trio of bass drums and sax playing then he walked out in a rumpled suit, drink in one hand and cigarette in the other, sat down at the piano and told a story before singing, been hooked ever since. I just found your channel and after looking over the artists you covered i subscribed and spent the afternoon watching you react to some of my favorite performers, especially the ones nobody else reacts to, a very enjoyable afternoon.

His lyrics all throughout his career are just everything to me!

I've also learned a lot from your reactions to a song which I've heard a thousand times. Thank you!!

I once read that he wrote this song about some girl he saw from afar in a bar but he never talked to her because she left before he could muster enough courage to approach her, but he ended up eventually meeting her somewhere else after some time had passed. The girl was musician Kathleen Brennan, and he went on to marry her and write several more songs about her, such as the famous "Jersey Girl."

I agree Would not change a note or a word 10/10

Highlight of my day to listen to music I haven't heard before. Thanks for posting! Love and hugs for all~stay safe!

Love this song. To me, it's a love song for people who live in their heads. He imagined going up to her but it never happened. It'll never happen for this narrator. How to categorize him? Americana? Folk-pop, etc? I don't know, Tom Waits' music is...Tom Waits music. :) He's an acquired taste. I guess "Hold On" probably matches what your looking for. It was a hit for him maybe 10 years ago and has the same feel as this song. You might have to listen to 10 seconds of it to make sure it fits. But look out if you're going down the Tom Waits Rabbit Hole! His lyrics can get devastating. Make sure the guns are locked up and the bullets hidden before listening to something like "Christmas Card from A Hooker In Minneapolis"!

So glad someone suggested this song. It's one I never get tired of listening to.

Grate song. Great reaction. Always nice to see someone listening to that song for the first time.

Another spot-on reaction...

I think it’s cool you reacted to an early Waits song first. Give some of his later stuff a try like “Tom trauberts blues” and you’ve got a nice surprise comin!

Tom actually wrote a lot of country songs, most of which he said he never recorded. His very early work consisted of country/blues/folk songs for the most part. He is my all-time favorite artist, and his body of work is so varied and multi-textual. He has never had anything close to a hit, but he couldn't care less. He is about the art, and he has a huge cult following. He's also been recognized as a major influence on other artists, being covered by many of them. Nominated for an Oscar, won 2 grammys I think. The best.

Tom's ability to paint with his unpredictable, yet very relatable lyrics accompanies by his subtly wonderful melodies are unmatched

Tom Waits is a treasure.

Been a fan of his since the 70s. One of the great American songwriters. Try the song "Time"

He was so young when he wrote that. It's incredible. I love him so much.

Haven't heard this in decades. I loved this album. Yes, I was a teenager. The whole album is great. Thanks Richard for the request. I gave my son my vinyl but I have a cd I had forgotten about. I have my go to listen for a few days now, thanks again Richard. I need to take a look at my cd's for other gems I may have forgotten about. Check out "Grapefruit Moon" on the same album "Closing Time". I danced to that, I admit it, at a high school graduation party. Wow, Robert you opened the vault, Thanks, Thanks!!! Thanks Don again for making this day better with a great song and many great memories. Sure glad I stumbled onto your channel. You will never know how much I have appreciated the distraction from current events. This has been amazing. Let us know how to help you keep this going. Bravo Don!! :)

There's a key line ..." I had a beer and now I hear you calling out to me " ... he's had a few and he's hopeful ...but he chickens out and then he has a few more. As we do.

Tom Waits and John Prime are the greatest songwriters/lyricists of the past 40 years,

This song is a masterpiece

Tom makes me happy...Waits does all Americana in all its styles and his lyrics are amazing

I have so many favorite Tom Waits songs...but I think "On the Nickel" is probably my favorite favorite.

One of my favorite artists ever. Glad to see you listening to him.

Beautiful!

PLEASE do Peter Blegvad's "Gold". The best non-country country song ever made.

Excellent reaction, you got his feel..

I like Tom's stuff. The uniqueness of his voice. His amazing lyricism. And his stylistic choices. I even like the songs where his voice isn't as 'melodic' as on this track. Mainly *because* of how different it is. One of my favorite songs from Tom is *"Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis".* (Quite poignant, despite the title, it isn't a spoof/humour song. But has an unexpected depth)

Please do Burma Shave too !!

First time I have heard of him, Like the lyrics, its a deep thinking song , Loved your reaction ,looks like you may have been there .You are right you don't get these kind of lyrics with other genres and especially pop country ,not really sure what genre you would place him in, maybe folk,>?maybe one of his own,Kind of like Ray LaMontagne >.Thanks for sharing Don, have a great day!!

There aren't many artists who haven't covered a Tom Waits song. Thanks for giving Tom a fair shake. So many reactors are thoroughly negative on him because he doesn't have a pretty voice or flowery lyrics. Tom is real. Tom tells stories.

great analysis, like others I really would like to hear your thoughts on 'martha'

Definitely a fantastic, hard hitting song. Give the album version a try too when you get a chance.

morning Don 13.5 keep it up be safe HAKAD

This demo version not a patch on the album one

One of Tom's personas is a piano player in a piano bar.

Loves me some Tom Waits!!!

Tom Waits is the best.

Hey Don great video again! I got a song request for you Old School by John Conlee. It’s a great song and good story

Very thoughtful review. Nice work, sir. I’d love to see you react to some Leonard Cohen, perhaps Democracy, Everybody Knows, Steer Your Way, Coming Back to You , or Tonight Will be Fine.

You got it...........I would rather listen to Tom Waites than Bob Dylan, and that's saying a lot. He did a live "Waltzing Matilda" that is just chilling. He's brilliant. He's not really country, more Blues/folk/ maybe even a little jazz mixed in.

not normal is a great way to word it... one of the best most original songwriters ever i think... try Kentucky Avenue, the storytelling will hit you hard.

You'll know his songs just from much more famous bands who have covered his songs lol.

My favorite Tommy the Cat song. since you are a jersey guy, he wrote "Jersey Girl" that Bruce did a version of

I've been a Tom Waits Fan since the Mid-Seventies and with the Exception of His Cover of "Phantom 309" (which I haven't heard) this is about as close as he comes to country. I have two songs that I would like to request whenever you can work to men. The first is Kinky Friedman's cover of the Tom waits song "A Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" in the second song I like to request is Robert Earl Keen's "Young Lovers Waltz". Also just in case nobody mentioned it David Frizzell is Lefty Frizzell's younger brother. Richard Gruver

I hope I don't fall in love with my crush.. because she will never feel it bk 😭

I think experimental jazz is the closest you can get to Waits style. But that is too simplistic too. He started very piano jazz and just began to branch out. He isn't rock, but he is often covered by rock and punk musicians. He isn't country or americana, but people like Neko Case and Sarah Jaroz have covered his work too. In the end Tom Waits does what he wants. And while he has never reached superstar status he is hugely influential to multiple genres.

What version was this? Not the album version

Do tom waits "hold on" next!

King Waits!

Listen to "Kentucky Avenue".

the ''10'' usuly dont play on comercial radio, the artist who is making music FOR music create those kind of songs, not the pop stars. my ''10'' list as like 90 songs beacause im curious and ill listening artist who dont play on radio. sorry for my bad english. jp

The first phase of his music it seemed he wanted to be a crooner, kind of like Frank Sinatra. I believe that he even had a member of his band that played with Sinatra.

Hey Don can you do George Jones shine on

Why does the song sound slower than it does on the cd?

Sounds like a country Bob Dylan 🙂

Renfro

Little Jimmy Dickens country boy let's get back to tradtional country elk hunter

I liked the song but not sure about the vocals. Not my favorite.

its not country, a street poet who can sing, play a guitar, and piano