The Frankenstein Playlist: Track Three

The Playlist So Far:

• 1- The Creature Lives by Mastodon
• 2- My Father's House by Bruce Springsteen

I didn't know how to do this playlist without one (or more) Tom Waits tracks. In some sense, it really is all about his voice, which is so unique and evocative. It sounds like a voice that should be associated with Frankenstein. When you add to this his evocative lyrics about...here we go again...alienation and loneliness, it's pretty much a no-brainer.

I personally love his early work better than the era represented here, but, that said, the style on his most recent albums is so evocative in the sense of pure creepiness. The industrial sounds, the vocal effects, all create and dark and eerie world. The sort of place you might expect a still-living Creature to walk up to Tom in a dark alley. They'd probably become fast friends and have a few shots together.

On top of all that, lyrically, this song touches on a lot of elements that connect, if not wholly literally. I'm particularly enamored with the verse about sleeping in the graveyard. It combines to something quite lovely and evocative emotionally, which is more what I'm looking for from the songs I'm finding.

I don't intend this to just be a collection of dirges, but that's where we started....It will pick up.

Cold Water
by Tom Waits



Well I woke up this morning
with the cold water
with the cold water
with the cold water
Woke up this morning
with the cold water
with the cold water
with the cold

Police at the station
and the don´t look friendly
Well they don´t look friendly
Well they don´t look friendly
Police at the station
and the don´t look friendly
They don´t look friendly well
they don´t

Blind or crippled
Sharp or dull
I´m reading the bible
by a 40 watt bulb
What price freedom
Dirt is my rug
Well I sleep like a baby
with the snakes and the bugs

Well the stores are open
but I ain´t got no money
I ain´t got no money
Stores are open but I
ain´t got no money
ain´t got no money
Well I ain´t

Found an old dog a
and he seems to like me
seems to like me
Well he seems to like me
Found an old dog and he
seems to like me
seems to like me
well he seems

See them fellows
with the card board signs
scrapin up a little Money
to buy a bottle of wine
Pregnat women and
the Vietnam vets I say
beggin on the freeway
Bout as hard as it gets

Well I slet in the graveyard
it was cool and still
cool and still
it was cool and still
Slept in the graveyard
it was cool and still
cool and still and it
was cool

Slept all night in the Cadar grove
I was born to ramble
born rove
Some men are searchin for
the holy grail
but there ain´t nothin sweeter
than ridin the rails

(Solo)

I look 47 but I´m 24
Well they shooed me away
from here the time before
Turned there their backs
and they locked their doors
I´m watchin T.V. in
the window of a furniture store

Well I woke up this morning
with the cold water
with the cold water
with the cold water
Woke up this morning
with the cold water
with the cold water
with the cold