Way down in a POLL: ILM's top 50 Tom Waits tracks

1. Jockey Full of Bourbon (Rain Dogs, 1985)
223 points, 18 votes, 2 first place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vEBPYfy1GM

Never understood the love for Jockey or 16 Shells. Both are hoary blues songs and I just don't find them interesting. I absolutely love Clap Hands, but it never struck me as a big highlight. Overall, it's been an interesting and varied poll. Great to see that others appreciate Tom for quite different reasons to how I do (IMO).

Anyway, here's my ballot:

Albums
1 Swordfishtrombones
2 Franks Wild Years
3 Rain Dogs
4 Small Change
5 Bone Machine

Tracks
1 Rain Dogs
2 In The Neighborhood
3 Cold Cold Ground
4 Good Old World (Waltz)
5 The Heart Of A Saturday Night
6 Innocent When You Dream (78)
7 The Black Rider
8 Invitation To The Blues
9 Downtown Train
10 Eggs And Sausage (In A Cadillac With Susan...
11 I'll Be Gone
12 I Don't Wanna Grow Up
13 Town With No Cheer
14 The Piano Has Been Drinking
15 Hell Broke Luce
16 Don't Go Into That Barn
17 Lucky Day
18 Shore Leave
19 Johnsburg, Illinois
20 I Can't Wait To Get Off Work

I dreamed I was in a club dancing to a ten minute dark house remix of Clap Hands once. It was awesome.

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Friday, October 18, 2013 5:02 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I will do this after the reggae version of Cold Cold Ground.

I just want to pop in to say that there are a handful of songs that will make me cry if I even think about them, and Time is one of them. It's emotionally powerful! It's not for every day. I did not participate in this poll for a variety of reasons, but mostly because Tom Waits reminds me of a parade of men I've known, even my dad and other people's dads, and I don't have the energy to spare thinking about them. Tom Waits is very (sometimes cartoonishly) masculine!

#1 and #2 are both really fun to dance to, good work ILM.

My number 1 didn't show up!

thanks to Chap for doing this. Thanks Chap!

Rain Dogs? Number 11!

xpost -you're welcome!

Got a few things to do, will come back with the breakdowns in about half an hour.

My #1 was AWOL.

November
Cold Cold Ground
Trouble's Braids
Yesterday Is Here
Clap Hands
The Black Rider
Emotional Weather Report
Sixteen Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six
The One That Got Away
Singapore
Burma Shave
Alice
The Last Rose of Summer
Diamonds On My Windshield
Eggs and Sausage (In A Cadillac with Susan Michelson)
Temptation
Way Down in the Hole
Ol' 55
Warm Beer and Cold Women
Jockey Full of Bourbon

TOP 5 ALBUMS

Frank's Wild Years
Nighthawks at the Diner
The Black Rider
Swordfishtrombones
Rain Dogs

Thanks for running this chap!

Great poll, thanks to chap for running it! I was a little surprised at the sword/rain/franks dominance, and "Jockey" at #1 baffles me even more than "Clap Hands" at #2.

1. Cold Cold Ground
2. Trouble's Braids
3. The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)
4. Train Song
5. Way Down in the Hole
6. 16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought-Six
7. Soldier's Things
8. Somewhere
9. Burma Shave
10. I never talk to strangers
11. Goin' Out West
12. Time
13. 9th & Hennepin
14. Rain Dogs
15. Telephone Call from Istanbul
16. Martha
17. Walking Spanish
18. Singapore
19. In the Neighborhood
20. Diamonds on my Windshield

Cemetery Polka
Innocent When You Dream (Barroom) (guess I'm the only one who prefers this version)
Jockey Full of Bourbon
Burma-Shave
In the Neighborhood
Train Song
Time
Rain Dogs
Dirt in the Ground
Tango Till They're Sore
Telephone Call from Istanbul
Cold Cold Ground
Clap Hands
Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
Earth Died Screaming
Singapore
Take It With Me
I'll Be Gone
Soldier's Things
Misery Is the River of the World

Although 15-20 could have been any number of other songs. Sorry for voting 75% Sword-Dogs-Franks, gotta be honest about it though.

I'm surprised BM tracks didn't chart so high.

i like jockey full of bourbon ok but never even considered voting for it

glad xmas card from a hooker placed highly

this is my ballot

albums:

nighthawks @ the diner
franks wild yrs
swordfishtrombones
big time
mule variations

tracks (most pts - least)

Christmas card from a hooker in minneapolis
Romeo is bleeding
invitation to the blues
fall of troy
innocent when you dream
flowers grave
please call me baby
goin out west
ill shoot the moon
16 shells from a 30 ought 6
world keeps turning
lord ive been changed
sins of my father
aint goin down to the well
day after tommorow
hold on
big in japan
chocolate jesus
no one knows im gone
earth died screaming

"fall of troy" is prob his song that hits me the hardest idk y exactly but its really simple & beautiful

Mine:

1 Temptation
2 Goin' Out West
3 Clap Hands
4 Jockey Full of Bourbon
5 Innocent When You Dream (78)
6 Blow Wind Blow
7 Cold Cold Ground
8 Black Wings
9 Rosie
10 Cemetary Polka
11 The Earth Died Screaming
12 Step Right Up
13 Gun Street Girl
14 Tango Till They're Sore
15 All Stripped Down
16 Tain't No Sin
17 16 Shells From A 30.6
18 Jesus Gonna Be Here
19 Dirt in the Ground
20 Murder in the Red Barn

50. Diamonds on my Windshield
49. Black Wings
48. Anywhere I Lay My Head
47. Swordfishtrombone
46. Hold On
45. Make It Rain
44. All the World is Green
43. I'll Be Gone
42. I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You
41. Trouble's Braids
40. Invitation to the Blues
39. Ol' 55
38= Hang on St Christopher
38= Shore Leave
36. In the Neighborhood
35. What's He Building in There
34. Yesterday is Here
33. Telephone Call From Instanbul
32. Kentucky Avenue
31. Hang Down Your Head
30. Dirt in the Ground
29. Johnsburg, Illinois
28. Tom Traubert's Blues
27. Temptation
26. Cemetery Polka
25. Picture in a Frame
24. Downtown Train
23. Step Right Up
22. Soldier's Things
21. Alice
20. Martha
19. Blue Valentines
18. The Heart of Saturday Night
17. Goin' Out West
16. Train Song
15. I Don't Wanna Grow Up
14. Way Down in the Hole
13. Ruby's Arms
12. The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)
11. Rain Dogs
10. Innocent When You Dream (78)
9. Burma-Shave
8. Time
7. Singapore
6. Tango Til They're Sore
5. Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis
4. Cold Cold Ground
3. 16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six
2. Clap Hands
1. Jockey Full of Bourbon

http://open.spotify.com/user/joe2goo/playlist/39FGIPX9whrzf9CxzxvxnQ

And number 51-99 (gets a bit too fiddly after that):

51 . Gun Street Girl (38 points, 3 votes)
52. November (38 , 2, 1 first)
53. Green Grass (38, 2)
54. San Diego Serenade (37, 4)
55. Somewhere (36, 4)
56. Earth Died Screaming (35, 6)
58= Take It with Me (35, 4)
58= Walking Spanish (35, 4)
59. Eggs and Sausage (34, 3)
60. Big in Japan (33, 5)
61. Black Rider (33, 4)
62. Town with No Cheer (33, 3)
63. Innocent When You Dream (Barroom) (31, 3)
64. Come on up to the House (30, 3, 1 first)
65. Romeo is Bleeding (30, 2)
66. I Never Talk to Strangers (29, 3)
67. Hoist That Rag (28, 3)
69= A Little Rain (27, 3)
69= 9th and Hennepin (27, 3)
70. Emotional Weather Report (27,2)
71. Heartattack and Vine (26, 5)
72. Misery is the River of the World (25,3)
74= Fall of Troy (25, 2)
74= Blind Love (25,2)
75. Can’t Wait to Get off Work (23, 2, 1 first)
78= Cold Water (23, 2)
78= Red Shoes by the Drug Store (23, 2)
78= Hell Broke Luce (23, 2)
79. This One’s from the Heart (22, 2, 1 first)
80. God’s Away on Business (22, 2)
81. Underground (20, 3)
83= Drunk on the Moon (20, 1, 1 first)
83= Sweet Little Bullet (20, 1, 1 first)
84. Jersey Girl (19, 2)
87= Good Old World (Waltz) (19, 1)
87= Gin Soaked Boy (19, 1)
87= Long Way Home (19, 1)
89= Jitterbug Boy (18, 1)
89= Lowside of the Road (18, 1)
90. Broken Bicycles (17, 2)
92= On the Nickel (17, 1)
92= Pony (17, 1)
93. Straight to the Top (Rhumba) (16, 2)
97= Waltzing Matilda (16, 1)
97= Flowers Grave (16, 1)
97= Heigh Ho (16, 1)
97= Widow’s Grove (16, 1)
99= Everything Goes to Hell (15, 2)
99= The World Keeps Turning (15, 2)

My work is done. Many thanks to all who voted and commented, I had fun!

thanks chap

Early prediction for top five (heavy on the rain dogs):

1. Jockey Full of Bourbon
2. Clap Hands
3. Cold Cold Ground
4. Downtown Train
5. Time /or Martha

Hey! I got the top three right!

great job chap!

Anyway here's my poll, overall happy with the top results excluding the lack of love gor Green Grass and Hoist that Rag

01 Alice
02 Green Grass
03 Clap Hands
04 Jockey Full of Bourbon
05 Burma Shave
06 All the world is green
07 16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six
08 Red shoes by the drugstore
09 Temptation
10 Hoist that rag
11 Shore Leave
12 Earth Died Screaming
13 Blue Valentines
14 Cold Cold Ground
15 Martha
16 Step Right Up
17 Dirt in the Ground
18 I Hope that I Don't Fall in Love with You
19 Little Drop of Poison
20 Christmas card for a hooker in minneapolis

ALBUMS

Swordfishtrombones
Blue Valentine
Rain Dogs
Bone Machine
Alice

Thanks chap!

I love the live boots of sad drunk Tom but often find the albums a bit too fussy. The tunes, though, are killer. He could write a barroom weeper like nobody else.

So true. I have a bootleg with a version of "Christmas Card" that's fucking amazing.

Oo, forgot to post my ballot:

1. clap hands
2. take it with me
3. rain dogs
4. 16 shells
5. singapore
6. swordfishtrombone
7. tango til they're sore
8. underground
9. make it rain
10. alice
11. ghosts of saturday night
12. what's he building in there
13. just the right bullets
14. hang down your head
15. dirt in the ground
16. big in japan
17. san diego serenade
18. don't go into that barn
19. goin west
20. pasties and a g-string

It's ok for the poll runner to submit a ballot right? I put it together before the poll opened so I wouldn't be influenced by others' votes!

Great work Chap, my number one never made the cut nevertheless it is a beautiful, heart-warming track, so ner.

1. Come On Up To The House - Mule Variations

2. Yesterday Is Here - Frank's Wild Years

3. Singapore - Rain Dogs

4. Cemetery Polka - Rain Dogs

5. Jersey Girl - Heartattack & Vine

6. Johnsburg, Illinois - Swodrfishtrombones

7. In The Neighbourhood - Swordfishtrombones

8. Depot Depot - The Heart Of Saturday Night

9. Xmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis - Blue Valentine

10. God's Away On Business - Blood Money

11. Cold Water - Mule Variations

12. 16 Shells From A 30.6 (live) - Big Time

13. Hang On St Christopher - Frank's Wild Years

14. Big Black Mariah (live) - Big Time

15. Innocent When You Dream (bar-room) - Frank's Wild Years

16. Train Song (live) - Big Time

17. Tango Till They're Sore - Rain Dogs

18. Falling Down - Big Time

19. Just The Right Bullets - The Black Rider

20. The Briar & The Rose - The Black Rider

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5X4N2exOsU

Yeah, Come On Up is great.

wow only one other person voted for "Can't Wait To Get Off Work", it was my #1. such a perfect little portrait.

I also appear to be the only person who voted for "Pontiac" and "King Kong"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbiioBFkD_Q

my take on my ballot and his whole discography p much is that if i recompiled it in x amt of time (a year? idk) it could be like ~80% different. also how i viewed the st. etienne ballot poll

1. Swordfishtrombones
2. One From The Heart Soundtrack
3. Rain Dogs
4. Blue Valentines
5. Heart Of Saturday Night

1. This One's From The Heart
2. 16 Shells from a 3:16
3. Martha
4. A Town With No Cheer
5. Burma Shave
6. I Never Talk To Strangers
7. Heart Of Saturday Night
8. Broken Bicycles
9. Blue Valentine
10. A Soldiers Things
11. Step Right Up
12. Small Change
13. I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You
14. Ol'55
15. Somewhere
16. Grapefruit Moon
17. Muriel
18. Lonely
19. Clap Hands
20. Cold Cold Ground

I'll be honest I'm a bit of Waits dillettante (not so keen post Rain Dogs) but adore 'Swordfishtrombones' and think 'One From The Heart' is an overlooked gem...hate 'Tom Traubert's Blues' tho...

2. 16 Shells from a 3:16

Typo of the week. I wonder if there's a bible verse John Thirty-Ought-Six.

my fave album has always been the live nighthawks at the diner from 1975. it has such a phantastic jazzy night club atmosphre. how can it be that there is not one song which placed in the poll?

songs:
Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis
Clap Hands
Way Down In The Hole
Picture In A Frame
Time
Blue Valentines
I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
Gun Street Girl
16 Shells From A 30.6
Innocent When You Dream (78)
Anywhere I Lay My Head
Red Shoes By The Drugstore
Come On Up To The House
Downtown Train
I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You
Step Right Up
The Piano Bas Been Drinking
Big In Japan
Jockey Full Of Bourbon
What’s He Building In There?

albums:
Blue Valentine
Rain Dogs
Nighthawks At The Diner
Swordfishtrombones
Mule Variations

whoah yeah Gun Street Girl didn't place either!

tracks
1. tom traubert's blues (four sheets to the wind in copenhagen)
2. ruby's arms
3. christmas card from a hooker in minneapolis
4. train song
5. cold, cold ground
6. burma-shave
7. tango 'til they're sore
8. anywhere i lay my head
9. way down in the hole
10. kentucky avenue
11. blue valentines
12. jockey full of bourbon
13. take it with me
14. invitation to the blues
15. yesterday is here
16. innocent when you dream (barroom)
17. san diego serenade
18. world keeps turning
19. heartattack and vine
20. all the world is green

albums:
1. rain dogs
2. small change
3. franks wild years
4. swordfishtrombones
5. orphans

"Gun Street Girl" was always a standout to me, surprised it didn't make it

my fave album has always been the live nighthawks at the diner from 1975. it has such a phantastic jazzy night club atmosphre. how can it be that there is not one song which placed in the poll?

― it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Friday, October 18, 2013 5:13 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i voted this #1 album, love it dearly; just didnt break out songs from it for the tracks poll, felt wrong

yeah same here, album was on my ballot but didn't vote for any songs. if i had more time to listen i wanted to at least revisit and pick out one, but i didn't.

Track ballot (1-6 were left off due to c&p fail):

tom traubert's blues
Step Right Up
Jockey Full of Bourbon
Kentucky Avenue
All the world is green
9th & Hennepin

Ruby's Arms
Burma Shave
Ol' 55
Heart of Saturday Night
Heigh Ho
Ice cream man
I hope that I don't fall in love with you
San Diego Serenade
Somewhere
What's he building?
Better off without a wife
16 Shells from a 30-06
Misery is the River of the World
Martha

Btw, if you havent heard the Blind Boys version of way down in the hole you're missing out. (I also like mia's version but I wont defend that one.)

Is the a poo thread for Tom Waits covers?

Thanks for running this. There will always be a place for it in the 9th and Hennepin of my heart.

My ballot:

1. Hang Down Your Head
2. Cold Cold Ground
3. Clap Hands
4. Gun Street Girl
5. Downtown Train
6. Hold On
7. Heartattack and Vine
8. Tango Till They’re Sore
9. Eyeball Kid
10. I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
11. Jockey Full of Bourbon
12. Road To Peace
13. The Return of Jackie and Judy
14. Time
15. Blind Love
16. Underground
17. Til The Money Runs Out
18. Jersey Girl
19. Come On Up To the House
20. What’s He Building?

I avoided a lot of Raindogs stuff, except for Tango Till They're Sore, as I had a feeling a lot of tracks would have a pretty solid following. Disappointed that my #1, Drunk on the Moon, isn't so generally loved, but at least Xmas Card from a Hooker was top 10.

1. Picture in a Frame (25)
2. The Piano Has Been Drinking, Not Me (12)
3. I Don’t Wanna Grow Up (15)
4. Dirt in the Ground (30)
5. Cemetery Polka (26)
*6. Pony
7. Anywhere I Lay My Head (48)
*8. Cold Water
*9. The Briar and the Rose
10. What’s He Building? (35)
11. Soldier’s Things (22)
12. Time
13. Step Right Up (23)
*14. The Fall of Troy
15. Johnsburg, Illinois (29)
*16. Day After Tomorrow
*17. Town with No Cheer
*18. A Little Rain
*19. Chocolate Jesus
20. Clap Hands

This poll has shown me that I need to take some time checking out his pre-Rain Dogs albums

Are you not even familiar with Swordfishtrombones?