Early Years Vol. 1


©1991 Bizarre/Straight
All selections by Tom Waits unless noted.

Tracks








Goin' Down Slow


Well It's a quarter a two
and looking at you
and going down, going down slow
Well It's a quarter a two
and looking at you
and going down, going down slow

TV went off about one, we have only begun
I know that the Wednesday may come
but I have no intention of going home

Well It's a quarter a three
digging on me
and going down, going down slow

Could stay here all night,
they claim your outta sight
please get up and turn out the light
There ain't nothing better than the middle of the night

And It's a quarter a four
begging for more
and going down, going down slow
going down, going down slow
going down, going down slow
going down, going down slow



Poncho's Lament


Well the stairs sound so lonely without you
And I ain't made my bed in a week
Coffee stains on the paper I'm writing
And I'm too choked up inside to speak

And Yes, I know our differences pulled us apart
Never spoke a word heart to heart
And I'm glad that you're gone
But I wish to the lord that you'd come home
And I'm glad that you're gone
Got the feeling so strong
And I'm glad that you're gone
But I wish to the lord that you'd come home

Well my guitar still plays your favorite song
though the strings have been outta tune for some time
Every time I strum a cord, I pray out to the lord
That you'll quit your honkey-tonkin' sing my song
And I'm glad that you're gone
Got the feeling so strong
And I'm glad that you're gone
But I wish to the lord that you'd come home

So I'll throw another log onto the fire
And I'll admit I'm a lousy liar
As the coals die down and flicker
I hear that guitar picker
Play the song we used to sing so long ago
I'm glad that you're gone
Got the feeling so strong
And I'm glad that you're gone
But I wish to the lord that you'd come home
And I'm glad, damn glad you're gone
Got the feeling so strong
And I'm glad that you're gone
But I wish to the lord that you'd come home



I'm Your Late Night Evening Prostitute


Well I got here at eight and I'll be here till two
I'll try my best to entertain you and
Please don't mind me if I get a bit crude
I'm your late night evening prostitute

So drink your martinis and stare at the moon
Don't mind me I'll continue to croon
Don't mind me if I get a bit loon
I'm your late night evening prostitute

And dance, have a good time
I'll continue to shine
Yes Dance, have a good time
Don't mind me if I slip upon a rhyme

Well I got here at eight and I'll be here till two
I'll try my best to entertain you and
Please don't mind me if I get a bit crude
I'm your late night evening prostitute
I'm your late night evening prostitute



Had Me A Girl


Well I had me a girl in LA
I knew she couldn't stay
Had me a girl in San Diego
One day she just had to go
And I had me a girl Tallahassee
Boy what a foxy lassie

(chorus)
And my doctor says I'll be alright
But I'm feelin' blue
And my doctor says I'll be alright
And my doctor says I'll be alright
And my doctor says I'll be alright
But I'm feelin blue
And my doctor says I'll be alright
And my doctor says I'll be alright
And my doctor says I'll be alright

And I had me a girl in Mississippi
Oh she sure was kippy
Had me a girl in England
She done split for the mainland
And I had me a girl in New York
She up and pulled my cork

(repeat chorus)

Then I had me a girl in North Dakota
She was just fillin' her quota
Then I had me a girl in Chula Vista
I was in love with her sister
Then I had me a girl in

(repeat Chorus)

Then I had me a girl in France
Just wanted to get in my pants
had me a girl in Toledo
Boy she sure was neato
Then I had me a girl in North Carolina
She's still on my mind

(repeat chorus)



Ice Cream Man


Clickin' by your house about two forty-five
With Sidewalk sundae strawberry surprise,
I got a cherry popsicle right on time
I got a big stick, mamma, that'll blow your mind

'Cause I'm your ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm your ice cream man, baby, I'll be good to you.

If you missed me in the alley, baby, don't you fret
Come back around and don't forget,
When you're tired and you're hungry and you want something cool,
Got something better than a swimming pool

'Cause I'm your ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm your ice cream man, honey, I'll be good to you.
'Cause I'm your ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm your ice cream man, honey, I'll be good to you.

Well if you see me coming, you ain't got no change
Don't worry baby, it can be arranged
Show me you can smile, baby just for me
Fix you with a drumstick, I'll do it for free

'Cause I'm your ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm your ice cream man, and I'll be good to you.
Be good to you, be good to you,
I'm your ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm your ice cream man, and I'll be good to you
I'm your ice cream man, and I'm your ice cream man
I'm your ice cream man, and I'm your ice cream man
I'm your ice cream man, and I'm your ice cream man ...



Rockin' Chair


Well I'm sittin' right here in my rockin chair
Running my fingers right through my hair
Fire is flicken with a yellow and gold
Makin me quiver in the snowy cold
Got a lazy old woman
Screaming bout my money
She took every cent
And she didn't leave me any

Times were never so good, got a fly for food
Got no woman to spend my money
Well she blew and took all my money

So I'm sittin' right here in my rockin chair
Running my fingers right through my hair
Spider caught the fly in his web
Do believe he may be dead

Times were never so good, got a fly for food
Got no woman to spend my money
Well she blew and took all my money

Well I'm sittin' and I'm sittin' and I'm sittin' right here
In my rockin chair
Watchin' my old dog loosing his hair



Virginia Ave.


Well, I'm walking down Virginia Avenue
I'm trying to find somebody to tell my troubles to.
Harold's club is closing, everybody's going on home
What's a poor sailor to do?

I guess I'll get on back into my short, make it back to the fort
Sleepin off all the crazy lizards inside of my brain.
got to be some place that's better than this
This life I'm leading's driving me insane

And I'm dreaming...

And I'm dreaming to the twilight, this town has got me down.
I've seen all the highlights, I've been walking all around
I won't make a fuss, I'll take a Greyhound bus, carry me away from here
Now what have I got to lose?

'Cause I'm walking on down Columbus Avenue
The bars are all closing, 'cause it's quarter a' two
Every town I go to is like a lock without a key
Those I leave behind are catching up on me,
catching up on me, they're catching up on me
Catching up on me, catching up on me, catching up on me.



Midnight Lullabye


Sing a song a sixpence, pocket full a rye
Hush by my baby, no need to be cryin'
Burn the midnight oil with me, as long as you wish
Stare out at the moon, upon the window sill

And dream sing a song a sixpence, pocket full a wry
I tell you another story, tell you no lie
Dew drops on the window sill, gum drops in your hair
Your slippin into dreamland, Your noddin' your head
Oh dream

Dream of West Virginia, of the British Isles
When you are dreaming, you see for miles and miles
When you are much older, remember when we sat
At midnight on the windowsill, and had this little chat
And dream, dream, dream, dream



When You Ain't Got Nobody


Well when you ain't got nobody, anybody looks nice
Don't take much to make you stop and look twice
And it's either feast or famine, I've found out that it's true
And I'm hungry as a bull dog, baby how about you

And when you ain't got no big mama, all the mamas look hot
And when lovin' is you weakness, your just bound to get caught
And the story never changes, history tells it so plain
And I'll be your Dick, honey, if you'll just be my Jane

And when you ain't got nobody, anybody looks nice
It don't take much to make you stop and look twice
And it's either feast or famine, I've found out that it's true
And I'm hungry as a bull dog, baby how about you, baby how about you



Little Trip To Heaven


Little trip to heaven on the wings of your love
Banana moon is shining in the sky
I feel like I'm in heaven when your with me
I know that I'm in heaven when you smile
Though were stuck here on the ground
I got something that I've found, and it's you

I don't need to take no trip to outer space
All I have to do is look in your face
And before I know it I'm in orbit around you
Thanking my lucky stars that I found you
When I see your constellation, your my inspiration
And it's you

Your my North Star when I'm lost and feeling blue
Your my sun that's breaking through, it's true
And all the other stars seem dim around you
I thank my lucky stars that I found you
When I see your smilin face
I know nothing' gonna take your place
And it's you, and it's you, and it's you,
and it's you, and it's you, and it's you



Frank's Song


That woman will take you, that woman will break you
That woman will make you something you've never seen
That woman's got claws, that woman's got laws
Now look out man, you're gonna loose your mind

I had a friend, his name was Frank
He walked on the water and lord he sank
We used to go stag, now he's got a hag
It looks like Frank's got a new bag

That woman will take you, that woman will break you
That woman will make you something you've never seen
That woman's got claws, that woman's got laws
Now look out Frank, you're gonna loose your mind

What happened to Frank, can happen to you
Just find you a woman and watch what she'll do
That woman will take you, that woman's gonna break you
Look out man you're gonna loose, you're gonna loose your mind



Looks Like I'm Up Shit Creek Again


Well the sun came in my window Wednesday morning
And your love was like the golden rays again
Now I'm lying here on a Thursday, and you're lovin someone new
And it looks like I'm up shit creek again

And I can't help thinking of your lovin ways
And I cried a quart of tears since you've been gone
And I can't face the morning by myself love
And it looks like I'm up shit creek again

Since you've been gone, I cry all the time
And I cannot stand leavin you behind
So I'll pull myself together, And I'll dry away my tears
But the morning light has brought back memories
And I can't face the morning by myself love
And it looks like I'm up shit creek again
So I'm out a walkin on this dusty highway
Cause you've given me no reason for to stay
And I'll walk until I've found someone who loves me not in vain
And it looks like I'm up shit creek again
And it looks like I'm up shit creek again



So Long I'll See Ya


Mamas in the kitchen, Daddies on the phone
And nobody knows what's going on
But I've got those
so long I'll see you cause my Buick's outside waiting blues

Well one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready, Tom's gotta go
He's got them
so long I'll see you cause my Buick's outside waiting blues

Well bye-bye-bye, well bye-bye-bye
Sing bye-bye Shooby-do-bye-bye
Gotta skeet-skat outta here, skeet-skat outta here

And mamas in the kitchen, daddies on the phone
And nobody knows what's going on
But I've got those
so long I'll see you cause my Buick's outside waiting blues

Well Tommy's gotta skeet-skat, skeet-skat outta here
Skeet-skat right outta here
And one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready, I gotta go
Cause I've got them
so long I'll see you cause my Buick's outside waiting blues
And skeet-skat outta here, gonna skeet-skat outta here,
Gonna skeet-skatJoutta here, gonna skeet-skat outta here
Got so long I'll see you cause my Buick's outside waiting blues
Gonna skeet-skat outta here, gonna skeet-skat outta here,
Gonna skeet-skatJoutta here, gonna skeet-skat outta here
I got solongI'llseeyoucausemyBuick'soutsidewaitingblues