The Tom Waits Project: #10. "Rain Dogs" (1985)

There are few artists who have had as enjoyably weird of a career as that of Tom Waits. With a career spanning over 45 years, he has reinvented himself countless times while providing some of rock's strangest, most eclectic tunes imaginable. Over the course of 2019, my goal with The Tom Waits Project is to explore every single one of his studio albums as well as live albums and soundtracks (no compilations) and chart the shifts in his career as well as hopefully understand what makes him so ubiquitous in pop culture. He's an artist who has always been there, making things weird, but there's a good chance you haven't truly noticed him. Here's your chance to join me every other Wednesday on a quest to find out what makes him so special.

Album: "Rain Dogs"

Release Date: September 30, 1985

Label: Island Records

Certifications: Gold (Canada)

Singles: 

-N/A

Track List:

1. "Singapore"
2. "Clap Hands"
3. "Cemetery Polka"
4. "Jockey Full of Bourbon"
5. "Tango Till They're Sore"
6. "BigBlack Mariah"
7. "Diamonds & Gold"
8. "Hang Down Your Head"
9. "Time"
10. "Rain Dogs"
11. "Midtown"
12."9th & Hennepin"
13. "Gun Street Girl"
14. "Union Square"
15. "Blind Love"
16. "Walking Spanish"
17. "Downtown Train"
18. "Bride of Rain Dog"
19. "Anywhere I Lay My Head"

*NOTE: Listen to it here.

Track Analysis

This section is a song by song breakdown in hopes of understanding what makes each song special in his catalog. Other things considered will include best song, most interesting standout, and other fields deemed relevant to the album.

"Singapore"

Even before Tom Waits gets singing, there's already a sense that this album isn't going to play it safe. With the marimba playing, you get an eerie sense that something off here. Much like the last album, there's a journey (presumably by sea) to somewhere far away. This is a song about setting sale, and it feels like Tom Waits has no desire but to burn down the city he's in. He's so enthusiastic to get out there and to hear him get everyone excited to take off is so delightful, and the drums and horns create this unease that makes everything so much more wonderful. It becomes a pirate song by the end, and it feels like Waits has set sail from his previous persona entirely. While "Swordfishtrombones" was esoteric, it felt more like a set-up for whatever this is going to be.

"Clap Hands"

After the aggression and energy in the opening, the second song feels a bit more laid back, as if rafting on the seas. The percussive beat is a bit unnerving, and Tom Waits' sneer makes his song go down smoother. There's plenty to love about the song, even in its unassuming state. He seems to be keeping morale up, even as his lyrics dive into the familiar territory of the dark and morbid subject matter. That makes asking people to "clap hands" feel like a nice little punch line. This is one of those songs that is perfectly meditative in its oddity, and the despair that Waits brings to this is at times beautiful and inspired. It's a nice lull after an opening that had so much energy. By the time that the guitar solo (which sounds discombobulated), the world has been established as this kaleidoscopic vision of the world, and the melancholy is hard to ignore. He's even improved on putting the weirdness into his chorus, which has a nice rhythm and creates odd images about people in Harlem and the Salvation Army. It's not a standout song but has more to offer than it lets on.

"Cemetery Polka"

You can't keep Tom Waits away from Cemetery imagery. Here, it's in the title and this feels like a strange eulogy to the past. Even the harpsichord sounds like this eerie vision of death that is recalling a past that many can't accept. With his gruff voice, it's almost like a ghost story where he's just going on and on about every gravestone with hopes of creating a vision of time past. As much as there's nothing exciting going on with a narrative, there's so much to love about the execution where it bumps along, managing to make words like "slaughterhouse" sound a lot more fun than they actually are. It's a song that is quick and to the point, and it only creates a bigger vision of this strange world that he is existing in. We don't understand it, but we're glad to exist in one that manages to find new ground in the polka genre by making it demented and queasy in all the right ways.

"Jockey Full of Bourbon"

This is an early standout on the album and for good reason. Sure, it's one of the simpler songs that also features him recalling nursery rhymes in the chorus. However, it's got a noirish quality that comes across as the guitar strums along like a siren. The bongos in the background are a bit disorienting but only add to the world that he's creating. His whisper makes everything he's singing about all the more dangerous, and it adds wonder to the song. The back half is a perfect production that features excellent use of percussion and a guitar solo that clangs as if it doesn't know how to sound like a guitar. Waits pulled out all of the stops here. Even if you can't understand what he's singing, it's hypnotic and out of his greatest achievements as an artist because of how it manages to feel singular in its approach to lyricism and music.  

"Tango Till They're Sore"

It's another standout on the album. Whereas Tom Waits often played piano in more of a lounge singer or blues fashion, there's something here that feels like walking into a bar in New Orleans. It's not a great bar, and the instruments sound very sad. It only adds to the way that he sings, perfectly mixing his sadness with the jaunty piano that makes everything feel a bit disorienting. It also features arguably one of his greatest, most memorable choruses with a vision that is downright miserable. "Let me fall out of the window with confetti in my hair" is quite a picture of despair even as he's mixing in something positive, like confetti. The imagery of being put into bed, which is likely him dying, only adds to this weird vision of him managing to make this wild journey into his final days in a celebratory fashion that goes awry.

"Big Black Mariah"

While it's maybe the weakest song so far, it's not exactly a bad song. In fact, Tom Waits' choice to sing in a gruffer voice gives the song a personality that improves the overall quality. He's singing about the arrival of a big black Mariah, and it sounds scary. There's not much to the chorus, but him repeating that line manages to add intimidation as the music plays along. Musically, it's one of his more conventional songs, managing to play mostly straightforward like a blues song. It isn't bad, but considering how every song so far has had a long stretch of oddity, it's almost stranger that this song plays it straightforward in a way that works well enough, but does little to elevate it to the levels of its predecessors.

"Diamonds & Gold"

It may seem unintentional (if just for copyright reasons), but there are stretches of this song that play like Mary Poppins' "Chim-Chim-Cheree." It mostly comes as he rattles off facts, such as about a hole in his letter and a fence he can climb, or how Napoleon stayed on his horse following his knees giving out. It's not terribly noticeable, but then again it would add to the world that he's creating here about desperate men trying to get diamonds or gold. A lot of the instrumentation feels repeated from earlier in the album, such as the marimba playing as this lulling beat. It almost serves as a companion track to "Clap Hands" in its ability to mix folkloric lyrics with a music decision that almost plays like waves on an ocean. Maybe Waits is recalling his past journey to land or establishing a metaphor about why you shouldn't do irrational things. It's a bit understated, but it only adds to the revelations in the end that pop with purpose and life as the title suddenly makes sense.

"Hang Down Your Head"

While The Tom Waits Project may yet prove me wrong, it's tough for me to find another song that I have personally loved more from Waits than this. It's in how the guitar manages to strum alongside the drums as the humming harpsichord underneath creates a heartbeat. The chorus is downright beautiful, managing to mix his gruff with something far more personal, eventually descending with his tender, vulnerable voice. It's such a beautiful song that captures so much of the despair that comes with his music but manages to have some optimism thrown in for good measure. This is territory he has covered before, but rarely has the instrumentation been so perfectly in place that it captures the emotion and purpose of the song. All he wants is for you to hang down your head and remember the past, and he makes a pretty convincing point by the end. Also, that guitar is a charmer on this whole album.

"Time"

In a song that feels like a continuation of the last, Tom Waits seems to be developing a sense of deeper feeling in his music. While he's sung in this register before, he has rarely added such intricate inflection into every note, keeping quiet without falling into a whisper. His music sounds sad as he recalls the imagery of calendar girls and people leaving on trains. He wants to believe in a world where the fast-paced world would slow down and learn to love each other. It's a different kind of loss from the previous track, but it's still just as emotional and powerful. It manages to work in its simple form, proving that he may get weird on this album, but he's still a genuine artist who knows when to pull back. It works in favor of the song, allowing the lyrics to breathe better and give purpose to every line.

"Rain Dogs"

After a somber series of songs, the music kicks back up with the familiar band playing its kooky little instrumentation. This time around, Tom Waits is singing about a group of people called "the rain dogs," which he claims to be part of. This may come off as odd from anyone else, but from him manages to feel like a placement among the downtrodden in a manner that almost plays into the melancholy that's developed over the past few songs. He's out in the rain, about ships that have crashed ashore, and trying to survive. He wanders around outside of comfort, and you get the sense that he's drawing attention to them so that he can have some of that. It gives the whole album a central focus, meaning that these characters who wandered to "Singapore" in the opening are still out there looking for comfort and not getting it while losing plenty along the way.

"Midtown"

At this point, an instrumental from Tom Waits is arguably just as exciting as dissecting any lyrics he throws on a song. Following the theme of wayward travelers, this is a song that feels chaotic with intent. Basically, there's a series of instruments and ideas clashing (mostly on horns) that create a sense of just how lost and unfocused Waits is on his journey. The lower melody sounds like a focused theme from a police show as if showing the straight path he's going on. The louder, less focused horns clash and interrupt with such fervor that it manages to create a sense of cars or obstacles getting in the way of the path. At just a minute long, it's hard to really argue much more, but it works given the running theme of this recent run of songs.

"9th & Hennepin"

Another thematic connection to the previous album (the first in a trilogy) is the monologue. Much like "Frank's Wild Years," this is a song that is more an excuse to hear Tom Waits tell a lengthy story. He explores the wayward lifestyle by going through life and noticing the characters in it. There's a woman with teardrop tattoos that he claims a $100 will fix. There's not much rhyme or reason to this beyond the fact that he's observing this community and helping to create an atmosphere. He creates the observant sense of loneliness as if there's nothing important in his life. The use of marimbas when paired with the previous song also create the illusion that he's a bit disoriented as if he's taken a few beatings (or drinks) over the course of two songs. It's again understated, but it helps to create a mood that's perfect for what's to come.

"Gun Street Girl"

Whether it's the same girl from the previous song or one similar, Tom Waits explores what happens when he meets a gun street girl. She isn't a proper one who follows the rules but instead likes to get into trouble. It's a nice little story full of vivid imagery as they talk about doing chaotic things. Considering the lower register that he's singing in, Waits has likely found some affection for this girl that is filling a void in his life. It gives him a purpose for most of the song, even as he recognizes what's wrong with her. By the end, he comes to that realization that things aren't going to work out and that maybe being alone is better. It's a sad way to look at things, but it makes sense given the subdued vision that he displays.

"Union Square"

While the album as a whole is one of his strongest albums, this is a great late-album cut that manages to get the most out of every note. With his gruff voice, he sounds like he's about to fight just about everyone that gets in his way. The way that he sings the word "Down" comes with such intimidation that you just accept his madness. It's also a nice pick-up in the musical accompaniment, that feels like sped up blues, where the horn and guitar are working faster to keep up with his raging pulse. It's such an engaging song that makes you understand the anger and purpose behind every lyric he sings. He manages to make ideas like "Half-Puerto Rican, Chinese" has a nice rhythm to it that only adds to his gifts as a lyricist. There's such an energy to everything here that it is just a wonderful and fun song to play.

"Blind Love"

Here is a song that on its surface sounds like a personal ballad that could easily have been a radio hit if it was done by anyone else. However, there are several brilliant elements playing against expectations here. While it's true that it is about love, it's about a love that can only be found in the mind, that disappears with time and suffers from personal misfortune. Tom Waits sings it with such a gruff heartache that you can feel how saddened he is by everything. The rest of the song manages to sound more conventional than like most of the previous tracks. When Waits delves into just singing the chorus over and over, he creates a subversion that makes you feel his pain, that the blind love will eventually work out. He's been burned enough to be a tad cynical, but there's also that optimism that shines underneath. It's a complicated song that has a happy intent but is so apparently tragic that it's hard to ignore.

"Walking Spanish"

While it's not a clear picture of what makes the walk Spanish, the song as a whole is a nice and jaunty one that makes you believe that it's going to be a great time. Maybe Spanish is something that he's heading towards or that it's a drink that he's had. It's hard to say. Still, the enthusiasm in Tom Waits' voice manages to make it quite an exciting little journey. Add in a nice little guitar riff, and you get the sense that the back half of this album is starting to straighten out as if he's found a purpose in his life. He may have had bum relationships and gotten into fights, but there's a sense that everything is going to be all right now. No more wayward travels, at least for now.

"Downtown Train"

The optimism continues on this song about a downtown train ride. The guitar has straightened itself out and has even begun to have a few flourishes that are upbeat. While there's a gruff to Tom Waits' voice, it does feel like there's a bit of a shy blush to everything that makes it sound like he's in love, trying to hide it from the woman across from him that he sees every day. He recognizes the misery that he's come from, but he still hopes that this journey will produce something worthwhile. It sounds like it does, especially as the song is the closest on the album to a straightforward love song and captures what he's been striving for this entire time. The album may sound more conventional, but it does so with intention and creates something more sonically interesting in the process.

"The Bride of Rain Dog"

It's the second instrumental on the album and maybe works as a thematic conclusion to a lot of the album's second half. If judging that this is a song about the bride, it is a warped vision of a wedding. The percussion is the bride walking down the aisle towards the altar. The instruments are esoteric, joining the world that Tom Waits has inhabited for most of his life. It stalls as if the heart is beating wildly and now with purpose. It's trying to center itself, but it just can't. The heavy breaths that conclude it either come from the bride walking towards the altar or away. It's hard to interpret properly, but it all comes across as a bit of a beautiful cliff hanger to this entire experience.

"Anywhere I Lay My Head"

It's the conclusion that has a bit of a familiar vibe, especially when placed against "Singapore." Where the album opened with a wayward attitude, it only feels right that it would feel the same. Tom Waits sings proudly for something different this time. He may not have everything that he wants, but he's managed to find a way to be passive and happy. The choice to end the album with New Orleans-style jazz does suggest that there's some party going on in his life. He's finally found happiness after searching for 19 songs, and it's quite the achievement. It's such a relief and gives him newfound purpose. The question now is where his wild years will take him.

Closing Remarks

Having assessed the album more thematically, the cover makes more sense. While that's not Tom Waits on the cover, it at least creates this illusion of a man looking for happiness and finding peace in a joyful woman. Over the course of the album, he explores his insular life as well as the struggles he has of fulfilling them externally. It's another vivid album that is so full of life that it ranks among the reasons that he's been so revered for decades. In fact, it was the album that inspired me to do this entire column in the first place. While nothing has quite lived up to it in the previous nine entries, plenty has come close to at least show me that he was so much more than an oddball who wrote songs with kooky lyrics. This is an album so well balanced that it's hard to ignore what he does right. There's the power behind most songs and he doesn't skimp on trying to make it his own. More artists would do good to make an album with this much ingenuity.

Coming Up Next: "Frank's Wild Years" (1987)

Album Rankings

This section is dedicated to ranking the albums from best to worst in hopes of finding which Tom Waits album is the best.

1. "Rain Dogs" (1985)
2. "Blue Valentine" (1978)
3. "Swordfishtrombones" (1983)
4. "Small Change" (1976)
5. "Heartattack and Vine" (1980)
6. "The Heart of Saturday Night" (1974)
7. "Nighthawks at the Diner" (1975)
8. "Foreign Affairs" (1977)
9. "Closing Time" (1973)
10. "One From the Heart" (1982)

Song Rankings

This section is dedicated to finding the best songs from each album and comparing them to each other in hopes of finding which one is Tom Waits' best song.

1. "Hang Down Your Head" from "Rain Dogs" (1985)
2. "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard" from "Blue Valentine" (1978)
3. "I Wish I Was in New Orleans" from "Small Change" (1976)
4. "Martha" from "Closing Time" (1973)
5. "Jersey Girl" from "Heartattack and Vine" (1980)
6. "Shore Leave" from "Swordfishtrombones" (1983)
7. "Potters Field" from "Foreign Affairs" (1977)
8. "Eggs and Sausage" from "Nighthawks at the Diner" (1975)
9. "Please Call Me Baby" from "The Heart of Saturday Night" (1974)
10. "Picking Up After You" from "One From the Heart" (1982)