En el tren de Tom Waits…

Hoy cumple 60 añitos Tom Waits y para festejarlo me voy a zampar de una sentada el "Rain dogs" (1985), los dos volúmenes de “The early years” (dos discos que se editaron en 1991 y 1993 sin el consentimiento de Waits que recogen maquetas grabadas en la segunda mitad de 1971 en Los Angeles y en los que aparecen bastantes canciones que luego publicaría en el genial “Closing time” junto con otras que hasta ese momento permanecían inéditas) y si me quedan fuerzas esa pequeña gran obra de arte que es “Orphans” (2006)

Ahora podría empezar a soltar un rollo sobre alguno de los pasajes más curiosos y oscuros de su biografía, pero sinceramente me apetece más ponerme a escuchar su música mientras releo el magnifico libro de entrevistas que recopiló Mac Montandon (traducido por Ignacio Juliá y publicada en España por la Editorial Global Rhythm en 2007) y dejar eso para otro día. En compensación os invito a ver el video de “Down town train” para que disfrutéis de un Tom Waits en estado puro…

Martha (Tom Waits)

Operator, number, please: it's been so many years

Will she remember my old voice while I fight the tears?

Hello, hello there, is this Martha? this is old Tom Frost,

And I am calling long distance, don't worry 'bout the cost.

'Cause it's been forty years or more, now Martha please recall,

Meet me out for coffee, where we'll talk about it all.

And those were the days of roses, poetry and prose

And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me.

There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows

And we saved them for a rainy day.

And I feel so much older now, and you're much older too,

How's your husband? and how's the kids? you know that I got married too?

Luck that you found someone to make you feel secure,

'Cause we were all so young and foolish, now we are mature.

And those were the days of roses, poetry and prose

And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me.

There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows

And we saved them for a rainy day.

And I was always so impulsive, I guess that I still am,

And all that really mattered then was that I was a man.

I guess that our being together was never meant to be.

And Martha, Martha, I love you can't you see?

And those were the days of roses, poetry and prose

And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me.

There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows

And we saved them for a rainy day.

And I remember quiet evenings trembling close to you...

(Extraída del álbum "Closing time" / ASYLUM RECORDS - 1973)