Singapore / Tom Waits

[thetworegs]

I loved this album when it came out way back in the 80's ..Thanks for listening ..

We sail tonight for singapore
We're all as mad as hatters here
I've fallen for a tawny moor
Took off to the land of nod
Drank with all the chinamen
Walked the sewers of Paris
I danced along a colored wind
Dangled from a rope of sand
You must say goodbye to me       

We sail tonight for singapore
Don't fall asleep while you're ashore
Cross your heart and hope to die
When you hear the children cry
Let marrow bone and cleaver choose
While making feet for children shoes
Through the alley, back from hell
When you hear that steeple bell
You must say goodbye to me

Wipe him down with gasoline
'Til his arms are hard and mean
From now on boys this iron boat's your home
So heave away, boys

We sail tonight for singapore
Take your blankets from the floor
Wash your mouth out by the door
The whole town's made of iron ore
Every witness turns to steam
They all become Italian dreams
Fill your pockets up with earth
Get yourself a dollar's worth
Away boys, away boys, heave away

The captain is a one-armed dwarf
He's throwing dice along the wharf
In the land of the blind
The one-eyed man is king, so take this ring

We sail tonight for Singapore
We're all as mad as hatters here
I've fallen for a tawny moor
Took off to the land of nod
Drank with all the Chinamen
Walked the sewers of Paris
I drank along a colored wind
I dangled from a rope of sand
You must say goodbye to me

[Farrell Jackson]

Excellent Regs! You even managed to get some of that Tom Waits grit into you vocals. The acoustic strumming fills it out with ease...nicely done!

[des0free]

I have to admit I'm not too familiar with Tom Waits. Heard of him, but never intentionally sought out to listen to (maybe heard in passing on the radio?). So I don't think I've heard this song, but here you've done a great job with pure power in the vocals and authoritative strumming with a great tone and recording on the acoustic guitar. So now I'm turned on to listen to more of his stuff. But I liked your take so much that I wouldn't be surprised if I will end up liking it better than the original.  For me yours is the original, since I heard it first!

[Ted]

There's almost a sea shanty feel to this – a very creative and different take from the original.

Story time...

The Time I Didn't See Tom Waits
I was visiting a friend in San Jose in late December, 1990.* This friend was a woman on whom I had wasted several years stuck in the friendzone. We looked in the local arts paper and saw that Tom Waits would be playing at the Orpheum in San Francisco on New Years Eve. We decided to go! But on New Years Eve afternoon, she announced that she wanted to stay home, and go to bed early. I was like, Are you fucking kidding me!? Tom Waits! San Francisco! New Years Eve! It was a studio apartment. She went to sleep on a mattress on the floor. I stayed up until midnight listening to music on my cassette player, with my friend just a few feet away. It was the most disappointing New Years Eve of my life, and I can't unlink this memory from Tom Waits. According to this set list, he performed "Singapore" that night. This woman is mentioned in my song "Jodie" (second verse).

*That doesn't seem right. I think it was more mid-1980's but I can't find any other info about a New Years Eve gig in San Francisco other than this one in 1990.