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It’s rather mystifying when you think about writing songs – where they come from, and how they’re born.

Tom Waits

I’m always looking for sounds that are pleasing at the time. The sound of a helicopter is really annoying until you’re drowning, and it’s there to rescue you. Then it sounds like music.
TOM WAITS

Drowning Music Rescue Sound Time Yourself
She’s got the whole dark forest living inside of her.
TOM WAITS

Forest Herself Live
Slept all night in the cedar grove, I was born to ramble, born to rove, some men are searchin’ for the holy grail, but there ain’t nothin’ sweeter than ridin’ the rails.
TOM WAITS

Born Myself Night Search Sleep Sweet
Oh, I’m not a percussionist, I just like to hit things.
TOM WAITS

Funny Instrument Musician Myself
I’ve seen it all through the yellow windows of the evening train.
TOM WAITS

Evening Myself Train
You can learn a lot about a woman by getting smashed with her.
TOM WAITS

Herself Learning Woman
The way you do anything is the way you do everything.
TOM WAITS

Action Style Way Yourself
But it’s so hard to dance that way when it’s cold and there’s no music.
TOM WAITS

Cold Dance Hard Music Way
I always liked the idea that America is a big facade. We are all insects crawling across on the shiny hood of a Cadillac. We’re all looking at the wrapping. But we won’t tear the wrapping to see what lies beneath.
TOM WAITS

Ideas Insect Lying Myself See
Champagne for my real friends and real pain for my sham friends.
TOM WAITS

Friendship Pain Reality
Writing songs is like capturing birds without killing them. Sometimes you end up with nothing but a mouthful of feathers.
TOM WAITS

Capture End Feature Song Writing
Did the devil make the world while God was sleeping?
TOM WAITS

Devil God Sleep World
I like turning on two radios at once. I like hearing things wrong. I get a lot of ideas by mishearing things.
TOM WAITS

Hear Ideas Myself Wrong
I like my music with the rinds and the seeds and pulp left in.
TOM WAITS

Music Myself Song Wind
If people are a little nervous about approaching you at the market, it’s good. I’m not Chuckles The Clown. Or Bozo. I don’t cut the ribbon at the opening of markets. I don’t stand next to the mayor. Hit your baseball into my yard, and you’ll never see it again.
TOM WAITS

Market Myself Nervous Open People See Yourself
I dunno when I started writing really. I was, like, filling out applications and stuff real early. Last name first, first name last, sex. ‘occasionally’ , stuff like that. Then I was writing letters, filling out forms, writing on bathroom walls.
TOM WAITS

Application Fill Myself Sex Start Writing
I don’t have a drinking problem ‘Cept when I can’t get a drink.
TOM WAITS

Drink Myself Problem
I’m not fighting for justice. I am not fighting for freedom. I am fighting for my life and another day in the world here.
TOM WAITS

Fight Justice Myself World
I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.
TOM WAITS

Beautiful Melody Myself Terrible
We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness. We are monkeys with money and guns.
TOM WAITS

Abundance Beneath Bury Confusion Gun Happiness Information Knowledge Money Weapon Weight
When I was younger, I wanted to be older. Now I am older, I am not quite so sure.
TOM WAITS

Age Myself Old Quite Young
On my gravestone, I want it to say, “I told you I was sick.”
TOM WAITS

Funny Grave Myself Sick
Most of the things you absorb you will ultimately secrete.
TOM WAITS

Absorb Willing Yourself
The average person spends two weeks over their lifetime waiting for the traffic light to change.
TOM WAITS

Average Change Life Person Time Traffic
Got a head full of lightning, a hat full of rain.
TOM WAITS

Head Rain
New York forces you to be in endless surreal situations.
TOM WAITS

End Force Surreal Yourself
Songs are really just very interesting things to be doing with the air.
TOM WAITS

Air Interest Song

It’s rather mystifying when you think about writing songs – where they come from, and how they’re born.

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It’s rather mystifying when you think about writing songs – where they come from, and how they’re born.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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