tom waits
This is a '55 Cadillac; Tom Waits' favorite car at the time he wrote this song. His first car was a '55 Buick Special. Which of these he had in mind, I don't know. Neither do I know what he drives today, but I bet it's not a Tesla.
I heard this song first with Ian Matthews, from his -74 album "Some Days You Eat the Bear", that's the way I discovered Tom Waits. It appeared to be the first track of Waits' debut album "Closing Time" from the year before. A friend of mine imported LP's directly from USA, and suddenly my huge pile of albums grew higher ... that guy wrote songs I HAD to grab.
These days, Tom Waits won't accept this song as a major composition on his CV. In fact, he almost denies it's existence. He has, long time ago, moved from his old stage to be a complete composer and lyricist. But back in the seventies, we *all* played his songs from his first two albums on Asylum. Mainly in G major, of course. As the years have gone by, I've brought this one down half an octave, to D major. And still watch the sun rise, lickety splitly, remembering early mornings I had to leave at dawn.
But I used a bike ...
well the time went so quickly • I went lickety splitly
out to my old 55
as I pulled away slowly • feeling so holy
god knows I was feeling alive
six in the morning gave me no warning
I had to be on my way
and now the trucks are all passing me • cars are all flashing me
I'm heading home from your place
and the sun is coming up • I'm riding with lady luck
freeways : cars and trucks
stars beginning to fade and I lead the parade
just wishing I had stayed a little longer
lord knows the feeling's getting stronger
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
July 2025: Here and there I've written something like «I hardly ever use neither D major nor minor key ...». That WAS right, some twenty years ago, as I started to supply my collection of lyrics with chords and comments in addition. My voice has lowered significantly, so now it's almost opposite. The problem with utilizing the 1st string is easily solved by rearranging the fingers from what's usual: use index finger for F# on bass and let the rest follow with pinkie for D on 5th sring. D♮ is in fact suitable for most voice ranges.
G ... F#m ... A ... D ... A7 ... D F#m well the time went so quickly I went lickety splitly G A7 D ...A7 out to my old fiftyfive D F#m as I pulled away slowly feeling so holy G A ...A7 god knows I was feeling alive D A7sus4 G ...A7 and the sun is coming up D A7sus4 G ...A7 I'm riding with lady luck D A7sus4 G ...Em7 freeways cars and trucks A A7 D A A7 D stars beginning to fade and I lead the parade A Bm just wishing I had stayed a little longer E E7 A [A/G...A/F#] A7 ... lord knows the feeling's getting stronger
