The Tom Waits Project: #21. "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards" (2006) - Part Two of Three

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: "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards"

Release Date: November 17, 2006

Label: ANTI- Records

Certifications: 
-Certified Gold in U.S. (500,000 copies sold)
-A million copies sold internationally

Track List:

1. "Bend Down the Branches"
2. "You Can Never Hold Back Spring"
3. "Long Way Home"
4."Widow's Grove"
5. "Little Drop of Poison."
6. "Shiny Things"
7. "World Keeps Turning"
8. "Tell It To Me"
9. "Never Let Go"
10. "Fannin Street"
11. "Little Man"
12."It's Over"
13. "If I Have to Go"
14. "Goodnight Irene"
15. "The Fall of Troy"
16. "Take Care of All My Children"
17 "d\DownThere By the Train"
18. "Danny Says"
19. "Jayne's Blue Wish"
20. "Young At Heart"

*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.

"Bend Down the Branches"

The second section ("Bawlers") begins with a nice subversion of the children's song genre. Unlike most covers, this feels more sincere, reflecting a straightforward cover that lacks any growls or perverse twist of an instrument. Instead, it feels like it comes from Tom Waits'heart and he sings every note in unison, capturing the feel of this strange little ditty. It's a nice, if understated, way to start this portion of the album. It also makes sense with how brief it is why it never quite made it to another album, especially since it tonally feels dissonant from the style that he had been developing over the past 20 years.

"You Can Never Hold Back Spring"

What's a bit crazy is how this song complements the previous, as if it's a more adult version of a similar tale. It's one of his most beautiful songs on the album so far, especially as he covers familiar ground dealing with the struggle to enjoy a moment that is doomed to pass. As he sings in his haggard, hushed tones he wonders what he needs to do to keep moving forward. The piano sounds ancient as if itself reminiscing on times long gone. It's a nice little song that sounds like dozens of other thematically similar songs that Tom Waits has sung. Luckily he's really good at making the struggle to hold onto the past sound beautiful and tragic. 

"Long Way Home"

Unlike the previous section, it's interesting to hear Tom Waits toning it down a bit and, after three, songs unveil his more emotional side of things. In this case, he sings about all of the hard work that he brings to the world and how it fills him with meaning. Even if he wants to be there with his loved ones, he always takes the long way home. He has a tradition that he cannot break up. With the drums playing a scurrying melody, it creates the sense of walking down that road, trying to put together himself with every step. It's another quiet, subdued track full of a deeper sense of affection that proves that even if Tom Waits has become known for his haggard style, he still has a sensitive side that's plenty of fun to listen to.

"Widow's Grove"

Once again, here's a love song from Tom Waits that reflects his journey down Widow's Grove. On one hand, the song has a morbid context with its title symbolizing death. However, there's a beauty that lies inside of a man walking down the path with someone that he loves, performing these odd little tasks that make them happy. It's a beautiful song full of rich instrumentation, capturing something that is sincere. Even with his voice somewhat hushed, he brings the lyrics out with a passion, as if serenading a woman into a promise in the only way that he knows how. It's an effective song, to say the least, and one that captures the beautiful heart that lies under his wayward traveler persona.

"Little Drop of Poison"

It wouldn't be a Tom Waits love story without a sense of betrayal. After things have been going well for a few songs, he shifts the compilation to a tango-like song about how something went wrong. In this case, he is talking about a little drop of poison that threatens to kill him if they ever disagree with each other. It's a neurotic song underneath its clean production and rhythmic structure, but it captures a tension to the listener. Will she actually use it, or is it just a lingering threat that keeps everything in her power? As a whole, it's another effective song about how Waits sees love, and what's funnier is how this was used in Shrek 2 of all places. For such a niche artist, he's really making it out there.

"Shiny Things"

It's a quick little song that in any other context would have an implicit connection to the previous. Instead, it's another song from another place. Still, the nostalgic instrumentation allows for Tom Waits to look back on his time with a woman and remember what it was that made her happy. Among the many aspects was her love of shiny things. It's a bit of odd observation, but the song's brevity gives just enough time to the subject to make it resonate with the listener, creating a world that is beautiful and full of deeper meaning. The shiny things is only the start to a bigger picture it seems, though what has yet to be seen.

"World Keeps Turning"

It's yet another song by Tom Waits about the world is full of heartache. Even with that in mind, the world keeps turning. Things keep moving on and there's nothing that can be done to stop it. While the song itself is another fine track, it makes sense why it didn't make the cut on any album. It's a bit straightforward, lacking any deeper nuance that would make it into something greater. It does the trick as an emotional song rich with piano and texture, but there's something missing that's keeping it from being a great emotional experience like other songs that capture his struggle to move on amid heartbreak.

"Tell It To Me"

Tom Waits is back with his desiring heart, wanting a girl named Louise to tell him if their love is true. He's pleading with her to know. What's beautiful about the song is how straightforward everything is, as if Waits is just giving into the idea of romance. It's beautiful and sincere in a way that makes you want to believe that the answer is yes, that love is on the other side for him. The Hawaiian touch that sprinkles throughout the album is a bit of an odd and corny element that doesn't mesh with Waits' other work, but it works here at finding something silly in the artist. Still, considering how much it's struggling to be a cute song, it makes sense why it didn't appear on any of his more nihilistic albums later in his career.

"Never Let Go"

Things are starting to pick up as we reach the midway portion of the album. With his voice starting to form a growl, the passion is starting to return to his body as he tries to hold back his deepest urges for a woman that he's singing to. He will never let go of her hand. It's all so romantic and captures the energy that Tom Waits brings to love songs. With the instruments pounding just as hard as his heart, it creates such a rich experience that makes you believe in the power of love, wanting him to succeed in his goals. It's a song that makes everything seem more optimistic, even if Waits will be the first to tell you just how screwy the world actually is.

"Fannin Street"

At this point, we're halfway through "Bawlers" and we get to a different form of sadness. Whereas the previous songs have tussled back and forth between love songs and heartache, this is one about finding love down in Houston town, where things are now ruined and cursed. It's a warning not to follow down the same path that he did. What makes the song beautiful is the simple chorus, where he sings the warning with his voice growing more earnest with each note. It's a powerful little move and one that suggests a man worn by time and experience. It's the type of work that Tom Waits has been great at, and the same can be said here. You feel like he really did have a bad experience on Fannin Street. It's simple, to the point, and captures the struggles of a love that is not genuine.

"Little Man"

This track finds Tom Waits to return to his boozy barroom beginnings. With the jazzy instruments backing up, he gives another rousing story about a little man. You can feel the smoke blowing through the air as the horns slowly mourn behind him and the drums shuffle behind him. It's another story of woe for a fairly effective song. It captures everything that made him compelling from the beginning. It wasn't just how he evolved and changed his style, but how much of it was rooted in the blues and jazz styles that he was birthed from. It's a fun little song that proves his capabilities to sing vulnerably and without any larger than life gimmickry. 

"It's Over"

It's another melancholic blues barroom song from Tom Waits. This time, he sings about how things are starting to change, where he no longer cares about the ramifications for other actions. He confesses to other peoples' sins just to get it over with. It's another subdued track that finds him comfortable in a landscape of woe. Like the previous track, it's easy to get caught up in the atmosphere and is fairly beautiful on its own. However, it does work as a b-side because it does have a sense of familiarity that isn't as interesting as his other music. It's good but needs something else to make it a hit.

"If I Have to Go"

Backed up by a piano, Tom Waits sings about how he's struggling to say farewell. He wants to stay and revel in the good times, but the issue is that he may have to go. The piano is bittersweet, sounding upbeat despite its slow and dragging beat. It's a nice quick song as if Waits had to flee in the middle of it. For the most part, it works at capturing an atmosphere of trying to sneak out the back door without drawing attention to himself. He doesn't want to make a scene. His hushed voice only adds to that, even as the piano finishes with a fond and fading goodbye. It's another decent song that feels like a filler track for an early album.

"Goodnight Irene"

This is as great as Tom Waits covering other peoples' work goes. He doesn't just take the instruments and replay the song. No, he makes it his own and this time he takes a beloved ditty and turns it into another drunken singalong. What makes it brilliant is that it adds subtext to the song about being miserable around Irene. The vocals try to harmonize, but they are too drunk to fully get there. Even the accordion adds a comedic sense of woe to the whole experience. It is an intoxicating track that is rather memorable. Just when you think it has done everything to win you over, someone randomly yells "Everybody!" and it becomes an all-timer. This is one of those infectious songs that find Waits at his most creative peaks. Once you hear it, it will be hard to hear it any other way.

"The Fall of Troy"

In this song, Tom Waits tells the story of several boys who end up together. The one that fascinates him is Troy, who tries to get out ahead in the situation but finds himself getting lost. It's another clever play on classic imagery, as Troy was a figure in history that seemed unconquerable. When he was taken down, it was surprising. It's a nice little song that finds him lulling through a deeper meaning within this tragedy, and what Waits finds is that there's plenty to mull over. It's a decent enough song, subdued enough to not really stand out and focus mostly on lyrics that have the typical provocative meaning. It's good, but not great.

"Take Care of All My Children"

In what would be one of the sweeter songs on the album, Tom Waits fully admits to sacrificing it all for the love of his children. He doesn't care about possessions, so long as he can have those around him that makes him happy. With the marching drum behind him, it all becomes the more powerful in its simplicity. He makes the swinging beat sound like waving hands around with joy as if walking down to see something great. It's a beautiful song and one of the best that he's done. It really gets you excited to see what lies beyond. The spiritual imagery only helps to strengthen the story and makes you eager to stay with him for another verse. It's smart to end early, if just because it allows yourself to get caught up in the imagery with him and make your own conclusion.

"Down There By the Train"

As those who have heard the attached YouTube version will quickly recognize, this is not the full version of the song, cutting off almost two minutes for some unknown reason. Still, what is there is a powerful song about what happens when everyone is found in the same place. In this case, it's where the train runs slow. Tom Waits revels in imagery that pulls from some of history's biggest sinners, continuing this portion of the album's image-heavy songs meant to symbolize a sense of forgiveness and deeper understanding for those who need atonement. It's a nice little song and one that works at capturing the sense of change that Waits for wishes the world could have. Things could be brighter, provided we try and get there.

"Danny Says"

There is clearly something that draws Tom Waits to the discography of The Ramones. This is the third cover he's done (the second on this album). In this case, he strips everything but a guitar away, singing with a bit of dreariness as he takes in the imagery that The Ramones sang at a faster tempo. By removing this element, he feels like a man wandering through these landscapes, wondering about the past and things that still happen there. It's more of a reflective song that challenges perception simply by changing the tempo. While it's the third-best cover he's done of The Ramones, it's further evidence that he knows better than everyone else how to make these songs his own. 

"Jayne's Blue Wish"

Again, I wish to apologize for the song being cut short. This time it's a more reasonable 30 or so seconds, but the emphasis is still kind of lost. Still, the penultimate track of "Bawlers" is one that's full of the familiar emotion that has been building throughout this album. It is one seeking forgiveness and meaning for life. It's a beautiful little song accentuated with a powerful horn solo towards the middle of things. It's a good song full of rich texture and reflects his woeful gift of lyrics. It's also great to know that since this song was released in 2002 that he was able to still pull back on his roots and find something powerful and rich to explore musically.

"Young At Heart"

So this is how things end for "Bawlers." Whereas it's become accustomed for Tom Waits to end his albums on more dour notes, this is one that embraces the optimism in life. He encourages everyone to be young at heart, living the joys of what is out there. While the song is slow, it manages to serve as an opened-arm track that's full of sweetness. The whistling only helps to meditate the listener into the theme, making everything that came before sound like a beautiful set-up for this relaxing finale. In what may be Waits' most optimistic stretch of songs in his entire career, he captures what makes him great. It isn't just that he experiments now and makes music weird. He legitimate has an ear for craft that is hard to match.

Closing Remarks

Two albums into "Orphans" and it's hard to deny that there's at least three great albums worth of material here. While not every song is a masterpiece, it's fascinating to hear what was barely unable to make it onto his other albums, whether due to redundancy or just thematic incoherence. Waits has always been gifted at making music that challenges the notion of structure, and here is a great example of his gift for vulnerability through ballads and romance that has always been the secret heart to his sustainability. It also feels like the closest we have gotten to hearing early Waits crop up in the 21st century. Even his covers have this creative twist. As a whole, this may be his most uneven album, but it's great because of that. We're seeing all sides of him, and all of them are all kinds of fascinating.

Coming Up Next: "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards" (2006) - PART THREE OF THREE

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. "Mule Variations" (1999)
5. "Small Change" (1976)
6. "Frank's Wild Years" (1987)
7. "Heartattack and Vine" (1980)
8. "Bone Machine" (1992)
9. "The Heart of Saturday Night" (1974)
10. "Nighthawks at the Diner" (1975)
11. "Real Gone" (2004)
12. "Blood Money" (2002)
13. "Foreign Affairs" (1977)
14. "Closing Time" (1973)
15. "The Black Rider" (1993)
16. "Alice" (2002)
17. "Night on Earth" (1992)
18. "Big Time" (1988)
19. "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. "Filipino Box Spring Hog" from "Mule Variations" (1999)
3. "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" from "Bone Machine" (1992)
4. "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard" from "Blue Valentine" (1978)
5. "I Wish I Was in New Orleans" from "Small Change" (1976)
6. "Way Down in the Hole" from "Frank's Wild Years" (1987)
7. "Way Down in the Hole" from "Big Time" (1988)
8. "Martha" from "Closing Time" (1973)
9. "Jersey Girl" from "Heartattack and Vine" (1980)
10. "The Day After Tomorrow" from "Real Gone" (2004)
11. "Shore Leave" from "Swordfishtrombones" (1983)
12. "God's Away on Business" from "Blood Money" (2002)
13. "Potters Field" from "Foreign Affairs" (1977)
14. "Eggs and Sausage" from "Nighthawks at the Diner" (1975)
15. "Watch Her Disappear" from "Alice" (2002)
16. "Los Angeles Mood (Another Private Dick)" from "Night on Earth" (1992)
17. "Please Call Me Baby" from "The Heart of Saturday Night" (1974)
18. "Just the Right Bullets" from "The Black Rider" (1993)
19. "Picking Up After You" from "One From the Heart" (1982)