Tom Waits

Tom Waits, I Don't Wanna Grow Up

Happy Tom Waits Day! December 7th is Tom Waits' birthday, and for this, we should all be happy and rejoice, for without him, the music world would be a great loss. None more so than Rod Stewart who had a hit with his cover/butchering of Tom Waits' Downtown Train.


An inspired video for a beautiful song from the great album, Mule Variations.

I'll allow others to wax intelligentsia and music critica/pop culturalize Waits and his place in the American music world (as well as internationally). For me, his talent - be it the songwriting with partner/wife Kathleen Brennan, or musical arrangement, or his vocals, or even his acting in cult films - is inspirational. When I hear certain songs, I believe the create the effect he intended: they remind of times and places when those songs were first heard and how they made me feel then. And, just as in the above video, they create new, magical memories when they're heard again in different contexts. More than that, being a fan of his music creates a real kinship with other fans when you meet. Several of my best and closest friends I now know thanks to our initial connection over discussing Tom Waits music. And isn't that the true magic of music?