...Tom who?

Late for bed as usual, I stayed up and watched an old ’89 flick with Al Pacino called Sea of Love. I love the movie anyway (he is VERY sexy in this movie!), but what held me at the end through all the credits was this incredible version of the title song. The original was by Phil Phillips and the Twilights and I knew right away this guy singing wasn’t your ordinary pretty boy singer. His voice was raspy, older, full of wisdom, the melody hauntingly beautiful, enhanced by the rhythm of slow moves.

Who is this guy, I remember thinking. Finally, at the very end of the credits: End version of Sea of Love by Tom Waits. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of him before, especially since his rendition was so bluesy. A quick search gave me more info. Well, goodness, he’s been around for ages and ages. He and his long-time wife are responsible for his lyrics and he sings them with a gritty understanding of what life is really all about. Of course, I had to sample many MP3s and downloaded some (which are not working now…Help Chad!). Anyway, here’s a sample of one I really liked:

I never saw the mornin' 'til I stayed up all night
I never saw the sunshine 'til you turned out the light
I never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long
I never heard the melody until I needed the song
I never saw the white line 'til I was leavin' you behind
I never knew I needed you until I was caught up in a bind
I never spoke "I love you" 'til I cursed you in vain
I never felt my heart strings until I nearly went insane
I never saw the east coast until I moved to the west
I never saw the moonlight until it shone off of your breast
I never saw your heart until someone tried to steal it, tried to steal it away
I never saw your tears until they rolled down your face

My kind of blues artist! Where have I been for the past thirty years? Doesn’t matter, I got the CD titles now and my next trip to Borders should be quite fruitful. Thanks, Tom.