tom waits
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 (!), wrote this song about an old pal who died in jail after living the way the song goes - still hiding his real name - and 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.
wasted and wounded : it ain’t what the moon did
I’ve got what I paid for now
see you tomorrow • hey Frank : can I borrow
a couple of bucks from you to go
waltzing Matilda • waltzing Matilda
you’ll go waltzing Matilda with me
I’m an innocent victim of a blinded alley
and I’m tired of all these soldiers here
no one speaks english and everything’s broken
and my strength is soaking away to go
waltzing Matilda • waltzing Matilda
you’ll go waltzing Matilda with me
now I’ve lost my St. Christopher : now that I’ve kissed her
and the one-armed bandit knows
and the maverick chinaman with the cold blooded signs
and the girls down by the striptease shows go
waltzing Matilda • waltzing Matilda
you’ll go waltzing Matilda with me
no I don’t want your sympathy : the fugitives say
that the streets aren’t for dreaming now
manslaughter dragnets and the ghosts that sell memories
want a piece of the action anyhow : go
waltzing Matilda • waltzing Matilda
you’ll go waltzing Matilda with me
and it’s a battered old suitcase in a hotel someplace
and a wound that will never heal
no primadonnas : the perfume is on
an old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
and it’s good-night for the street-sweepers
the nightwatchmen • flame-keepers
and goodnight Matilda ... too ...
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
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 Em6 Cmaj7 D6 D7 a couple of bucks from you to go G D G C waltzing Matilda waltzing Matilda G Dadd4 Am7 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 Em6 Cmaj7 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 D6 D7 G and goodnight Matilda too
