Tom Traubert's Blues - guitar chords and comments
Lyrics without distraction HERE
In September 1976 Tom Waits released his fourth album "Small Change". This change wasn't small: it was a revolution. His three former albums were all partially inspired by jazz and blues, but still based on original folk and roots music with a personal twist, good songs and a relatively normal vocal. Some of his songs had been discovered and covered, his reputation was growing, his albums received good critics but didn't sell too much. "Small Change" was a gamechanger. His interest in jazz/blues and experimental music stepped forward, and stayed, as well as his kinda weird vocal did. And "Tom Trauberts Blues" lead the parade, becoming the start of a new era, as the first track.Earlier that year, Waits had been touring Europe. In Copenhagen he met the Danish singer Mathilde Bondo. They spent a night on the town together. Quoting Tom himself from 1979: «Uh, well I met this girl named Matilda. And uh, I had a little too much to drink that night. This is about throwing up in a foreign country.»
Fair enough, and Bondo herself confirmed this many years later. Back in the States, he went guzzling in LA for a while to get inspiration (!), then left the material with famous producer and engineer Dayton Burr "Bones" Howe. Then ... there is nothing more to tell.
Except for an explanation of incorporating the Aussie tune ... "Waltzing Matilda" means dancing solo with a walking stick and a tucker bag, in lack of a partner. The issue is disputed HERE.
C D7 G Em wasted and wounded it ain’t what the moon did Am D D7 G ...Am...G I’ve got what I paid for now C D7 G Em see you tomorrow hey Frank can I borrow A7 D6 D7 a couple of bucks from you to go G D G C waltzing Matilda waltzing Matilda G Bm C D you’ll go waltzing Matilda with me [last verse:] C D7 G Em and it’s a battered old suitcase in a hotel someplace Am D D7 G ...Am...G and a wound that will never heal C D7 G Em no primadonnas : the perfume is on A7 D6 D7 an old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey C D7 and it’s good-night for the street-sweepers G Em the nightwatchmen flame-keepers Am D7 G and goodnight Matilda too
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