Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Lyrics tuesday: Tom Waits- Table Top Joe

This song is insane. If I understand it correctly it's about a dude born with a head, a pair of arms, and that's it. That's a pretty disturbing mental image, but despite that, it always seems to put a smile on my face.

I knew one day
One, one, two, one, two, three
Well my mama didn’t want me
On the day I was born
I was born without a body
I got nothing but scorn
But I always loved music
All I had was my hands
I dreamed I'd be famous
And I’d work at The Sands
Singing, Tabletop Joe, Tabletop Joe
Now everyone will know
That I'm Tabletop Joe
I had trouble with the pedals
But I had a strong left hand
And I could play Stravinsky
On a baby grand
I said, ‘I’m gonna join the circus
Cause that’s where I belong’
So I went to Coney Island
I was singing this song
Tabletop Joe, Tabletop Joe
Now everyone knows
Yeah I'm Tabletop Joe
They gave me top billing
In the Dreamland show
I had my own orchestra
Starring Tabletop Joe
And the man without a body
Proved everyone wrong
I was rich and I was famous
I was where I belonged, yeah
Tabletop Joe, Tabletop Joe
Now everyone knows, yeah
Tabletop Joe

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