You've gotta have somebody to trust, that knows a lot. Tom Waits More Quotes by Tom Waits More Quotes From Tom Waits Let me fall out of the window/ With confetti in my hair Tom Waits hairwindowfall I like vocal word stuff. But I don't always write with an instrument, I usually write a capella. It's more like drawing in the air with your fingers. It's closest to the choreography of a bee. You're freer. Tom Waits drawingairwriting I like writing melody without an instrument. It's just so - it's more like the choreography of a bee; you just go. Tom Waits instrumentsbeeswriting I finally discovered that my life is more important than show business. Tom Waits importantshowslife-is All records are riddles, and whatever you may want people to think it's about, it may just be throwing them off. And you don't want it to get in the way of what someone else's understanding is. It's not really about anything. At the same time, it will find some meaning. Tom Waits understandingpeoplethinking Now it's closing time/the music's fading out. Tom Waits closing-timefadingclosing I didn't really want to be part of a clique or a niche. But I also was looking for my own voice, as a writer, y'know? And a world I could call my own. Tom Waits voicewantworld My first big gig was an opening show for Frank Zappa, and I think that was difficult. Tom Waits gigsfirststhinking I'm usually more concerned with how things sound than how they look on the page. Tom Waits pagessoundlooks I don't go to church on Sunday, don't get on my knees to pray, or memorize the books of the Bible, I got my own special way Tom Waits sundayspecialbook The first time I started listening to Irish music, I had a very strong connection. Strangely enough, there's a great many Japanese melodies and vocal styles that sound very much like Hungarian music. You start seeing all these cross-references and comparative, independent musical cultures. Tom Waits styleindependentstrong I may be drunk but at least I'm not insane. Tom Waits drunkinsanemay Cross my wooden leg, swear on my glass eye. Tom Waits glasseseyeexpression I think some bands thrive on the idea of changing instruments. When they're off their real instrument, the ability to go very far from the original idea is reduced. Tom Waits realideasthinking It's a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace, and a wound that will never heal. No prima donna, the perfume is on an old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey. Goodnight to the street sweepers, the night watchmen flame keepers and goodnight, Matilda, too. Tom Waits flamesnighttravel I never looked at music as a serious venture. There was very little encouragement from my family. I didn't have anybody to entertain, so it was hard to get motivated. Tom Waits my-familyseriousencouragement I was a fireman. I lived in the fire station for about a year. The pay wasn't so good. It was kind of like being in the army, or what I imagine that would be like. Tom Waits firemanarmykind Francis Ford Coppola is completely unconventional. He has a strong sense of loyalty. Great eyes. It's a diabolical undertaking in terms of organization and leadership. Tom Waits loyaltyeyestrong In terms of black music - the only music that we can call our own, that was really born here - I don't think a lot has been done to chronicle the relations between American history and where black music fits in. Tom Waits blackdonethinking It wasn't good for my nerves, that kind of work - a fireman. I've got high blood pressure. I get upset easily. I don't think that was a proper career alternative for me. Tom Waits upsetkindthinking
