Swordfishtrombones Lyrics

Swordfishtrombones - Lyrics
1	Underground
2	Shore Leave
3	Dave the Butcher - Instrumental
4	Johnsburg, Illinois
5	16 Shells From A 30.6
6	Town With No Cheer
9	In the Neighborhood
9	Just Another Sucker On The Vine - Instrumental
9	Frank's Wild Years
9	Swordfishtrombones
9	Down, Down, Down
9	Soldier's Things
9	Gin Soaked Boy
9	Trouble's Braids
9	Rainbirds - Instrumental

Underground (Tom Waits 1982)
Rattle Big Black Bones in the Danger zone There's a rumbling groan down below There's a big dark town it's a place I've found There's a world going on underground They're alive, they're awake While the rest of the world is asleep Below the mine shaft roads it will all unfold There's a world going on underground All the roots hang down swing from town to town They are marching around down under your boots All the trucks unload beyond the gopher holes There's a world going on underground
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Underground
(Tom Waits 1982)

Rattle Big Black Bones in the Danger zone
There's a rumbling groan down below
There's a big dark town it's a place I've found
There's a world going on underground

They're alive, they're awake
While the rest of the world is asleep
Below the mine shaft roads it will all unfold
There's a world going on underground

All the roots hang down swing from town to town
They are marching around down under your boots
All the trucks unload beyond the gopher holes
There's a world going on underground

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Shore Leave (Tom Waits 1982)
Well with buck shot eyes and a purple heart I rolled down the national stroll And with a big fat paycheck strapped to my hip sack And a shore leave wristwatch underneath my sleeve In a Hong Kong drizzle on Cuban heels I rowed down the gutter to the Blood Bank And I'd left all my papers on the Ticonderoga And was in a bad need of a shave I slopped at the corner on cold chow mein And shot billards with a midget until the rain stopped And I bought a long sleeved shirt with horses on the front And some gum and a lighter and a knife And a new deck of cards (with girls on the back) And I sat down and wrote a letter to my wife And I said Baby, I'm so far away from home And I miss my Baby so I can't make it by myself I love you so Well I was pacing myself trying to make it all last Squeezing all the life out of a lousy two day pass I had a cold one at the Dragon with some Filipino floor show I talked baseball with a lieutenant over a Singapore sling And I wondered how the same moon outside over this Chinatown fair Could look down on Illinois and find you there You know I love you Baby I'm so far away from home I'm so far away from home And I miss my Baby so I can't make it by myself I love you so Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave Shore Leave
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Shore Leave
(Tom Waits 1982)

Well with buck shot eyes and a purple heart
I rolled down the national stroll
And with a big fat paycheck strapped to my hip sack
And a shore leave wristwatch underneath my sleeve
In a Hong Kong drizzle on Cuban heels
I rowed down the gutter to the Blood Bank
And I'd left all my papers on the Ticonderoga
And was in a bad need of a shave
I slopped at the corner on cold chow mein
And shot billards with a midget until the rain stopped
And I bought a long sleeved shirt with horses on the front
And some gum and a lighter and a knife
And a new deck of cards (with girls on the back)
And I sat down and wrote a letter to my wife

And I said Baby, I'm so far away from home
And I miss my Baby so
I can't make it by myself
I love you so

Well I was pacing myself trying to make it all last
Squeezing all the life out of a lousy two day pass
I had a cold one at the Dragon with some Filipino floor show
I talked baseball with a lieutenant over a Singapore sling
And I wondered how the same moon outside over this Chinatown fair
Could look down on Illinois and find you there
You know I love you Baby

I'm so far away from home
I'm so far away from home
And I miss my Baby so
I can't make it by myself
I love you so

Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave
Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave
Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave
Shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave, shore Leave
Shore Leave

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Johnsburg, Illinois (Tom Waits 1982)
She's my only true love She's all that I think of Look here in my wallet That's her She grew up on a farm there There's a place on my arm Where I've written her name next to mine You see I just can't live without her And I'm her only boy And she grew up outside McHenry In Johnsburg, Illinois
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16 Shells From A 30.6 (Tom Waits 1982)
I plugged 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six And a black crow snuck through a hole in the sky So I spent all my buttons on an old pack mule And I made me a ladder from a pawn shop marimba And I leaned it up against a dandelion tree Leaned it up against a dandelion tree Leaned it up against a dandelion tree Mon cooked them feathers on a time spit And I filled me a sachel full of old pig corn And I beat me a billy from an old French horn And I kicked that mule to the top of the tree Kicked that mule to the top of the tree And I blew me a hole 'bout the size of a kickdrum And I cut me a switch from a long branch elbow I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin' Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six Whittle you into kindlin' Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six Well I slept in the holler of a dry creek bed And I tore out the buckets from a red Corvette Tore out the buckets from a red Corvette Lionel and Dave and the Butcher made three You got to meet me by the knuckles of the skinnybone tree With the strings of a Washburn stretched like a clothes line You know me and that mule scrambled right through the hole Me and that mule scrambled right through the hole I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin' Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six Whittle you into kindlin' Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six Now I hold him prisoner in a Washburn jail That I strapped on the back of my old kick mule Strapped it on the back of my old kick mule I bang on the strings just to drive him crazy I strum it loud just to rattle his cage Strum it loud just to rattle his cage Strum it loud just to rattle his cage Strum it loud just to rattle his cage I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin' Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six Whittle you into kindlin' Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
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16 Shells From A 30.6
(Tom Waits 1982)

I plugged 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
And a black crow snuck through a hole in the sky
So I spent all my buttons on an old pack mule
And I made me a ladder from a pawn shop marimba
And I leaned it up against a dandelion tree
Leaned it up against a dandelion tree
Leaned it up against a dandelion tree

Mon cooked them feathers on a time spit
And I filled me a sachel full of old pig corn
And I beat me a billy from an old French horn
And I kicked that mule to the top of the tree
Kicked that mule to the top of the tree
And I blew me a hole 'bout the size of a kickdrum
And I cut me a switch from a long branch elbow

I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'
Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
Whittle you into kindlin'
Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six

Well I slept in the holler of a dry creek bed
And I tore out the buckets from a red Corvette
Tore out the buckets from a red Corvette
Lionel and Dave and the Butcher made three
You got to meet me by the knuckles of the skinnybone tree
With the strings of a Washburn stretched like a clothes line
You know me and that mule scrambled right through the hole
Me and that mule scrambled right through the hole

I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'
Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
Whittle you into kindlin'
Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six

Now I hold him prisoner in a Washburn jail
That I strapped on the back of my old kick mule
Strapped it on the back of my old kick mule
I bang on the strings just to drive him crazy
I strum it loud just to rattle his cage
Strum it loud just to rattle his cage
Strum it loud just to rattle his cage
Strum it loud just to rattle his cage

I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'
Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six
Whittle you into kindlin'
Black Crow 16 shells from a thirty-ought-six

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Town With No Cheer (Tom Waits 1982)
Well it's hotter than blazes and all the long faces There'll be no oasis for a dry local grazier There'll be no refreshment for a thirsty jackaroo From Melbourne to Adelaide on the overlander With newfangled buffet cars and faster locomotives The train stopped in Serviceton less and less often Now there's nothing sadder than a town with no cheer VicRail decided the canteen was no longer necessary No spirits, no bilgewater and 80 dry locals And the high noon sun beats a hundred and four There's a hummingbird trapped in a closed down shoe store This tiny Victorian rhubarb Kept the watering hole open for sixty five years Now it's boilin' in a miserable March 21st Wrapped the hills in a blanket of Patterson's curse The train smokes down the xylophone There'll be no stopping here All ya can be is thirsty in a town with no cheer No Bourbon, no Branchwater Though the townspeople here Fought the Vic Rail decree tooth and nail Now it's boilin' in a miserable March 21st Wrapped the hills in a blanket of Patterson's curse The train smokes down the xylophone There'll be no stopping here All ya can be is thirsty in a town with no cheer
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Town With No Cheer
(Tom Waits 1982)

Well it's hotter than blazes and all the long faces
There'll be no oasis for a dry local grazier
There'll be no refreshment for a thirsty jackaroo
From Melbourne to Adelaide on the overlander
With newfangled buffet cars and faster locomotives
The train stopped in Serviceton less and less often
Now there's nothing sadder than a town with no cheer
VicRail decided the canteen was no longer necessary
No spirits, no bilgewater and 80 dry locals
And the high noon sun beats a hundred and four
There's a hummingbird trapped in a closed down shoe store

This tiny Victorian rhubarb
Kept the watering hole open for sixty five years
Now it's boilin' in a miserable March 21st
Wrapped the hills in a blanket of Patterson's curse
The train smokes down the xylophone
There'll be no stopping here
All ya can be is thirsty in a town with no cheer

No Bourbon, no Branchwater
Though the townspeople here
Fought the Vic Rail decree tooth and nail
Now it's boilin' in a miserable March 21st
Wrapped the hills in a blanket of Patterson's curse
The train smokes down the xylophone
There'll be no stopping here
All ya can be is thirsty in a town with no cheer

Top

In The Neighborhood (Tom Waits 1982)
Well the eggs chase the bacon round the frying pan And the whining dog pidgeons by the steeple bell rope And the dogs tipped the garbage pails over last night And there's always construction work bothering you In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood Well Friday's a funeral and Saturday's a bride Sey's got a pistol on the registers side And the goddamn delivery trucks they make too much noise And we don't get our butter delivered no more In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood Well Big Mambo's kicking his old grey hound And the kids can't get ice cream 'cause the market burned down And the newspaper sleeping bags blow down the lane And that goddamn flatbed's got me pinned in again In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood There's a couple Filipino girls giggling by the church And the window is busted and the landlord ain't home and Butch joined the army yeah that's where he's been and the jackhammer's digging up the sidewalks again In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood
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In The Neighborhood
(Tom Waits 1982)

Well the eggs chase the bacon round the frying pan
And the whining dog pidgeons by the steeple bell rope
And the dogs tipped the garbage pails over last night
And there's always construction work bothering you
In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood

Well Friday's a funeral and Saturday's a bride
Sey's got a pistol on the registers side
And the goddamn delivery trucks they make too much noise
And we don't get our butter delivered no more
In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood

Well Big Mambo's kicking his old grey hound
And the kids can't get ice cream 'cause the market burned down
And the newspaper sleeping bags blow down the lane
And that goddamn flatbed's got me pinned in again
In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood

There's a couple Filipino girls giggling by the church
And the window is busted and the landlord ain't home
and Butch joined the army yeah that's where he's been
and the jackhammer's digging up the sidewalks again
In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood
In the neighborhood, in the neighborhood, in the neighborhood

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Frank's Wild Years (Tom Waits 1982)
Frank settled down out in the Valley And he hung his wild years in a nail that he drove through his wife's forehead He sold used office furniture out there on San Fernando Road And assumed a $30,000 loan at 15 1/4 % And put down payment on a little two bedroom place His wife was a spent piece of used jet trash Made good bloody marys, kept her mouth shut most of the time Had a little Chihuahua named Carlos That had some kind of skin disease and was totally blind They had a thoroughly modern kitchen, self-cleaning oven (the whole bit) Frank drove a little sedan, they were so happy One night Frank was on his way home from work He stopped at the liquor store Picked up a couple Mickey's Big Mouths Drank 'em in the car on his way to the Shell station He got a gallon of gas in a can Drove home, doused everything in the house, torched it Parked across the street laughing and watching it burn All Halloween orange and chimney red Then Frank put on a top forty station Got on the Hollywood Freeway Headed north Never could stand that dog
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Frank's Wild Years
(Tom Waits 1982)

Frank settled down out in the Valley
And he hung his wild years in a nail that he drove through his wife's forehead
He sold used office furniture out there on San Fernando Road
And assumed a $30,000 loan at 15 1/4 %
And put down payment on a little two bedroom place
His wife was a spent piece of used jet trash
Made good bloody marys, kept her mouth shut most of the time
Had a little Chihuahua named Carlos
That had some kind of skin disease and was totally blind
They had a thoroughly modern kitchen, self-cleaning oven (the whole bit)
Frank drove a little sedan, they were so happy

One night Frank was on his way home from work
He stopped at the liquor store
Picked up a couple Mickey's Big Mouths
Drank 'em in the car on his way to the Shell station
He got a gallon of gas in a can
Drove home, doused everything in the house, torched it
Parked across the street laughing and watching it burn
All Halloween orange and chimney red
Then Frank put on a top forty station
Got on the Hollywood Freeway
Headed north

Never could stand that dog

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Swordfishtrombones (Tom Waits 1982)
Well he came home from the war with a party in his head And modified Brougham DeVille And a pair of legs that opened up like butterfly wings And a mad dog that wouldn't sit still He went and took up with a Salvation Army Band girl Who played dirty water on a swordfishtrombone He went to sleep at the bottom of Tenkiller lake and he said "gee, but it's great to be home." Well he came home from the war with a party in his head And an idea for a fireworks display He knew that he'd be ready with a stainless steel machete And a half a pint of Ballentine's each day And he holed up in room above a hardware store Cryin' nothing there but Hollywood tears And he put a spell on some poor little Crutchfield girl And stayed like that for 27 years He packed up all his expectations he lit out for California With a flyswatter banjo on his knee With a lucky tiger in his angel hair and benzedrine for getting there They found him in a eucalyptus tree Lieutenant got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word And Chesterfielded moonbeams in a song And he got 20 years for lovin' her from some Oklahoma governor said everything this Doughboy does is wrong Now some say he's doing the obituary mambo Now some say that he's hanging on the wall Perhaps this yarn's the only thing that holds this man together Some say he was never here at all Some say they saw him down in Birmingham Sleeping in a boxcar going by And if you think that you can tell a bigger tale I swear to God you'd have to tell a lie
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Swordfishtrombones
(Tom Waits 1982)

Well he came home from the war with a party in his head
And modified Brougham DeVille
And a pair of legs that opened up like butterfly wings
And a mad dog that wouldn't sit still
He went and took up with a Salvation Army Band girl
Who played dirty water on a swordfishtrombone
He went to sleep at the bottom of Tenkiller lake
and he said "gee, but it's great to be home."

Well he came home from the war with a party in his head
And an idea for a fireworks display
He knew that he'd be ready with a stainless steel machete
And a half a pint of Ballentine's each day
And he holed up in room above a hardware store
Cryin' nothing there but Hollywood tears
And he put a spell on some poor little Crutchfield girl
And stayed like that for 27 years

He packed up all his expectations he lit out for California
With a flyswatter banjo on his knee
With a lucky tiger in his angel hair and benzedrine for getting there
They found him in a eucalyptus tree
Lieutenant got him a canary bird and skanked her head with every word
And Chesterfielded moonbeams in a song
And he got 20 years for lovin' her from some Oklahoma governor
said everything this Doughboy does is wrong

Now some say he's doing the obituary mambo
Now some say that he's hanging on the wall
Perhaps this yarn's the only thing that holds this man together
Some say he was never here at all

Some say they saw him down in Birmingham
Sleeping in a boxcar going by
And if you think that you can tell a bigger tale
I swear to God you'd have to tell a lie

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Down, Down, Down (Tom Waits 1982)
He went down down down and the devil called him by name He went down down down, hangin' onto the back of a train He went down down down, this boy went solid down Always chewed tobacco and the bathtub gin Always chewed tobacco and the bathtub gin He went down down down this boy went solid down He went down Well he went down down down and the devil took it on his head He went down down down, staying in a broken down shed He went down down down, sleeping in the devil's bed He went down down down, never listened to the words I said He went down down down down down Well he went down Well he went down down down and the devil said where you been He went down down down, he was screaming down around the bend Down down down, this boy went solid down He was always cheating and he always told lies He was always cheating and he always told lies Down down down, this boy went solid down He went down
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Down, Down, Down
(Tom Waits 1982)

He went down down down and the devil called him by name
He went down down down, hangin' onto the back of a train
He went down down down, this boy went solid down
Always chewed tobacco and the bathtub gin
Always chewed tobacco and the bathtub gin
He went down down down this boy went solid down
He went down

Well he went down down down and the devil took it on his head
He went down down down, staying in a broken down shed
He went down down down, sleeping in the devil's bed
He went down down down, never listened to the words I said
He went down down down down down
Well he went down

Well he went down down down and the devil said where you been
He went down down down, he was screaming down around the bend
Down down down, this boy went solid down

He was always cheating and he always told lies
He was always cheating and he always told lies
Down down down, this boy went solid down
He went down

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Soldier's Things (Tom Waits 1982)
Davenports and kettle drums and swallow tail coats Table cloths and patent leather shoes Bathing suits and bowling balls, clarinets and rings All this radio really needs is a fuse A tinker, a tailor, a soldier's things His rifle, his boots full of rocks Oh, and this one is for bravery And this one is for me And everything's a dollar in this box Cuff links and hub caps, trophies and paperbacks It's good transportation but the brakes aren't so hot Neck tie and boxing gloves This jackknife is rusted You can pound that dent out on the hood A tinker, a tailor, a soldier's things His rifle, his boots full of rocks Oh and this one is for bravery And this one is for me And everything's a dollar in this box
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Soldier's Things
(Tom Waits 1982)

Davenports and kettle drums and swallow tail coats
Table cloths and patent leather shoes
Bathing suits and bowling balls, clarinets and rings
All this radio really needs is a fuse
A tinker, a tailor, a soldier's things
His rifle, his boots full of rocks
Oh, and this one is for bravery
And this one is for me
And everything's a dollar in this box

Cuff links and hub caps, trophies and paperbacks
It's good transportation but the brakes aren't so hot
Neck tie and boxing gloves
This jackknife is rusted
You can pound that dent out on the hood
A tinker, a tailor, a soldier's things
His rifle, his boots full of rocks
Oh and this one is for bravery
And this one is for me
And everything's a dollar in this box

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Gin Soaked Boy (Tom Waits 1982)
I got a belly full of you and that Leavenworth stuff Now I'm gonna get out and I'm gonna get tough You been lying to me, how could you crawl so low With some gin-soaked boy that you don't know I come home last night full a filth of Old Crow You said you going to your ma's but where the hell did you go? You went and slipped out nights, you didn't think that I'd know With some gin-soaked boy that you don't know Well I would bet you as far as Oklahoma by now The dogs are barking out back and you're knittin' your brow Well I'm on your tail I sussed your M.O. From some gin-soaked boy boy that you don't know
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Gin Soaked Boy
(Tom Waits 1982)

I got a belly full of you and that Leavenworth stuff
Now I'm gonna get out and I'm gonna get tough
You been lying to me, how could you crawl so low
With some gin-soaked boy that you don't know

I come home last night full a filth of Old Crow
You said you going to your ma's but where the hell did you go?
You went and slipped out nights, you didn't think that I'd know
With some gin-soaked boy that you don't know

Well I would bet you as far as Oklahoma by now
The dogs are barking out back and you're knittin' your brow
Well I'm on your tail I sussed your M.O.
From some gin-soaked boy boy that you don't know

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Trouble's Braids (Tom Waits 1982)
Well I pulled on trouble's braids and I hid in the briars Out by the quick mud, stayin' away from the main roads Passing out wolf tickets downwind from the blood hounds And I pulled on trouble's braids And I lay by a cypress as quiet as a stone 'til the bleeding stopped I blew the weather vane off some old road house I built a fire in the skeleton back seat of an old Tucker And I pulled on trouble's braids I spanked cold red mud where the hornet stung deep And I tossed in the ditch in a restless sleep And I pulled on trouble's braids I hung my rain-soaked jacket on some old barbed wire Poured cold rusty water on a miserable fire I pulled on trouble's braids The creek was swollen by daybreak and I could just barely see And I floated downstream on an old dead tree And I pulled on trouble's braids I pulled on trouble's braids I pulled on trouble's braids
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Trouble's Braids
(Tom Waits 1982)

Well I pulled on trouble's braids and I hid in the briars
Out by the quick mud, stayin' away from the main roads
Passing out wolf tickets downwind from the blood hounds
And I pulled on trouble's braids
And I lay by a cypress as quiet as a stone
'til the bleeding stopped
I blew the weather vane off some old road house
I built a fire in the skeleton back seat of an old Tucker
And I pulled on trouble's braids
I spanked cold red mud where the hornet stung deep
And I tossed in the ditch in a restless sleep
And I pulled on trouble's braids
I hung my rain-soaked jacket on some old barbed wire
Poured cold rusty water on a miserable fire
I pulled on trouble's braids
The creek was swollen by daybreak and I could just barely see
And I floated downstream on an old dead tree
And I pulled on trouble's braids
I pulled on trouble's braids
I pulled on trouble's braids

Top