TOM WAITS: Heartattack And Vine (1980)

1. Heartattack And Vine
2. In Shades
3. Saving All My Love For You
4. Downtown
5. Jersey Girl
6. 'Til The Money Runs Out
7. On The Nickel
8. Mr. Siegal
9. Ruby's Arms

HEARTATTACK AND VINE
Liar liar with your pants on fire
White spades hangin on the telephone wire
Gamblers reevaluate along the dotted line
You'll never recognize yourself on Heartattack and Vine

Doctor lawyer beggar man thief
Philly Joe remarkable looks on in disbelief
If you want a taste of madness you have to wait in line
You'll probably see someone you know on Heartattack and Vine

Boney's high on china white shorty found a punk
Don't you know there ain't no devil theres just god when he's drunk
Well this stuff will probably kill you lets do another line
What you say you meet me down on Heartattack and Vine

See that little Jersey girl in the see through top
With the pedal pushers suckin on a soda pop
Well I bet shes still a virgin it's only twenty-five to nine
You can see a million of ‘em on Heartattack and Vine

Better off in Iowa against your scrambled eggs
Than crawlin’ down Cahuenga on a broken pair of legs
You'll find your ignorance is blissful every goddamn time
You're waitin’ for the RTD on Heartattack and Vine

Boney's high on china white Shorty found a pppunk
Don't you know there ain't no devil thats just god when he's drunk
Well this stuff will probably kill you let's do another line
What you say you meet me down on Heartattack and Vine

Liar liar with your pants on fire
White spade hangin on the telephone wire
Gamblers reevaluate along the dotted line
You'll never recognize yourself on Heartattack and Vine

Doctor lawyer beggar man thief
Philly Joe remarkable looks on in disbelief
If you want a taste of madness you'll have to wait in line
You'll probably see someone you know on Heartattack and Vine

See that little Jersey girl in the see through top
With the pedal pushers suckin on a soda pop
Well I'll bet she's still a virgin but it's only twenty-five to nine
You can see a million of em on Heartattack and Vine

Boney's high on china white shorty found a punk
Don't you know there ain't no devil thats just god when he's drunk
Well this stuff will probably kill you let's do another line
What you say you meet me down on Heartattack and Vine

IN SHADES
(Instrumental)

SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU
It's too early for the circus it's too late for the bars
Everyones sleepin’ but the paperboys
And no one in this town is makin’ any noise
But the dogs and the milkmen and me

The girls around here all look like Cadillacs
And no one likes a stranger here
I'd come home but I'm afraid that you won't take me back
But I'd trade off everything just to have you near

I know I'm irresponsible and I don't behave
And I ruin everything that I do
And I'll probably get arrested when I'm in my grave
But I'll be savin’ all my love for you

I paid fifteen dollars for a prostitute
With too much make-up and a broken shoe
But her eyes were just a counterfeit she tried to gyp me out of it
But you know that I'm still in love with you

Don't listen to the rumors that you hear about me
‘Cause I ain't half as bad as they make me out to be
Well I may lose my mind but baby can't you see
I'll be savin' all my love for you

DOWNTOWN
Red Pants and the Sugarman in the Temple Street gloom
Drinkin’ Chivas Regal in a four dollar room
Just another dead soldier in a powder blue light
Sugarman says baby everythings alright
Goin’ downtown down downtown
Goin’ down downtown

Montclaire de Havelin doin the St. Vitus dance
Lookin’ for someone to chop the lumber in his pants
How am I gonna unload all of this ice and all this mink
All the traffic in the street but it's so hard to think
Goin’ downtown down downtown
Goin’ down downtown

Frankie's wearin’ lipstick le cardin
I swear to god I seen him holdin’ hands with Jimmy Bond
Sally's high on crank and hungry for some sweets
Fem in the sheets but she's butch in the streets
Goin’ downtown down downtown
Goin’ down downtown

It's the cool of the evening the sun's goin’ down
I want to hold you in my arms I want to push you around
I wanna break your bottle and spill out all your charms
Come on baby we'll set off all the burglar alarms
Goin’ downtown down downtown
Goin’ down downtown

Red Pants and the Sugarman in the Temple Street gloom
Are drinkin’ Chivas Regal in a four dollar room
Just another dead soldier in a powder blue night
Red Pants says to Sugarman said everything's alright
Goin’ downtown down downtown
Goin’ down downtown

JERSEY GIRL
Got no time for the corner boys
Down in the street makin’ all that noise
Don't want no whores on Eighth Avenue
‘Cause tonight I'm gonna be with you

‘Cause tonight I'm gonna take that ride
Across the river to the Jersey side
Take my baby to the carnival
And I'll take you on all the rides

Down the shore everythings all right
You with your baby on a saturday night yeah
Don't you know all my dreams come true
When I'm walkin' down the street with you

Sing sha la la la la la sha la la la la la la la la
Sha la la sha la la la
Sha la la la I'm in love with a Jersey girl
Sha la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la la la
Sha la la sha la la la
Sha la la la la la

You know she thrills me with all her charms
When I'm wrapped up in my baby's arms
My little angel gives me everything
I know someday that she'll wear my ring

So don't bother me ‘cause I got no time
I'm on my way to see that girl of mine yeah
Nothin’ else matters in this whole wide world
When you're in love with a Jersey girl

Sing sha la la la la la sha la la la la la la la la
Sha la la sha la la la
Sha la la la I'm in love with a Jersey girl
Sha la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la la la
Sha la la sha la la la
Sha la la la la la

And I call your name
I can't sleep at night

Sha la la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la la la
Sha la la la la la la la
Sha la la la la I'm in love with a Jersey girl
Sha la la la la la la yeah
Sha la la la la la la la la
Sha la la sha la la la
Oh I'm in love I'm in love with a Jersey girl
Sha la la la la la la yeah
Sha la la la la la la la la

‘TIL THE MONEY RUNS OUT
Check this strange beverage that falls out from the sky
Splashin’ Bagdad on the Hudson in Panther Martin's eyes
He's high and outside wearin’ candy apple red
Scarlett gave him twenty-seven stitches in his head
With a pint of green Chartreuse ain't nothin’ seems right
You buy the Sunday paper on a Saturday night

Can't you hear the thunder? Someone stole my watch
I sold a quart of blood and bought a half a pint of scotch
Someone tell those chinamen on Telegraph Canyon Road
When you’re on the bill with the spoon there ain't no time to unload
So bye bye baby, baby bye bye

Droopy stranger lonely dreamer toy puppy and the Prado
We’re laughin’ as they piled into Olmos Eldorado
Jesus whispered “Eni meany meany miney moe”
They're too proud to duck their heads that's why they bring it down so low
So bye bye baby, baby bye bye

Pointed man smack dab in the middle of July
Swingin’ from the rafters in his brand new tie
He said, “I can't go back to that hotel room all they do is shout
But listen baby, I’ll stay wichew ‘til the money runs out”
So bye bye baby, baby bye bye, bye, bye, bye

Bye, bye bye baby, baby bye bye
Bye bye baby, baby bye bye

Check this strange beverage that falls out from the sky
Splashin’ Bagdad on the Hudson in Panther Martin's eyes
He's high and outside wearin’ candy apple red
Scarlett gave him twenty-seven stitches in his head
With a pint of green Chartreuse ain't nothin’ seems right
You buy the Sunday paper on a Saturday night

Bye bye baby, baby bye bye
Bye bye baby, baby bye bye
Bye bye baby, baby bye bye
Oh bye bye baby
Bye bye baby, baby bye bye

ON THE NICKEL
Sticks and stones will break my bones
I always will be true
And when your mama's dead and gone I'll sing this lullaby just for you
And what becomes of all the little boys
Who never comb their hair?
Lined up all around the block on the nickel over there

So better bring a bucket
There's a hole in the pail
And if you don't get my letter then you'll know that I'm in jail
And what becomes of all the little boys
Who never say their prayers?
Sleepin like a baby on the nickel over there

And if you chew tobacco
Wish upon a star
You'll find out where the scarecrows sit just like punch lines between the cars
I know a place where a royal flush
Can never beat a pair
And even Thomas Jefferson is on the nickel over there

So ring around the rosie
Sleepin’ in the rain
You're always late for supper man you let me down let me down again
I thought I heard a mockingbird
Roosevelt knows where
Skip the light with Grady Tuck on the nickel over there

So what becomes of all the little boys
Who run away from home
The world just keeps gettin’ bigger once you get out on your own
So here's to all the little boys
The sandman takes you where
Sleepin with a pillow man on the nickel over there

Climb up through that button hole
Fall right up the stairs
I'll show you where the short dogs grow on the nickel
over there

MR. SIEGAL
I spent all my money in a Mexican whorehouse baby
Cross the street from a Catholic church
And I wiped off my revolver
And I buttoned up my burgundy shirt

I shot the morning in the back with my red wings on
Told the sun he better go back down
And if I can find a book of matches
I'm goin’ to burn this hotel down

You got to tell me brave captain
Why are the wicked so strong?
How do the angels get to sleep
When the devil leaves his porch light on?

Well I dropped thirty grand on the nugget slots
I had to sell my ass on Fremont Street
And the drummer said there’s sanctuary
Over at the Bagdad room

Oh, and now thats one for the money two for the show
Three to get ready and go man go
I said, “Tell me mister Siegel
How do I get out of here?”

Willard's knocked out on a bottle of heat
Drivin’ dangerous curves across the dirty sheets
He said, “Man you ought to see her when her parents are gone
Man you ought to hear her when the siren’s on”

I said tell me brave captain
Why are the wicked so strong?
How do the angels get to sleep
When the devil leaves the porch light on?

Don't you know that ain't no broken bottle that I picked up in my headlights
On the other side of the Nevada line
Where they live hard die young
And have a good lookin’ corpse every time

Well you know the pit boss said: I should keep movin’
This is where you go when you die
So I shot a black beauty
And I kissed her right between the eyes

Oh well Willard's knocked out on a bottle of heat
Drivin’ dangerous curves across the dirty sheets
He said, “When the bitch is wound up and her parents are gone
Man you ought to hear her with the siren’s on”

I said tell me brave captain
Why are the wicked so strong?
How do the angels get to sleep
When the devil leaves his porch light on?

I spent all my money now in a Mexican whorehouse
Cross the street from a Catholic church
And then I wiped off my revolver
And I buttoned up my burgundy shirt

I shot the morning in the back with my red wings on
I told the sun he'd better go back down
And if I can find a book of matches
I'm goin to burn this hotel down

Well it's one for the money two for the show
I said three to get ready and go man go
I said, “Tell me mister Siegel
How do I get out of here?

RUBY’S ARMS
I will leave behind all of my clothes I wore when I was with you
All I need’s my railroad boots and my leather jacket
As I say goodbye to Ruby's arms although my heart is breaking
I will steal away out through your blinds for soon you will be waking

The morning light has washed your face and everything is turning blue now
Hold on to your pillow case there's nothing I can do now
As I say goodbye to Ruby's arms you'll find another soldier
And I swear to God by Christmas time there'll be someone else to hold you

The only thing I'm taking is the scarf off of your clothesline
I'll hurry past your chest of drawers and your broken wind chimes
As I say goodbye I say goodbye I say goodbye to
Ruby's arms

I will feel my way down the darkened hall and out into the morning
The hobos at the freight yards have kept their fires burning
So Jesus Christ this goddamn rain will someone put me on a train
I'll never kiss your lips again or break your heart
As I say goodbye I say goodbye I say goodbye to
Ruby's arms