Tom Waits – Step Right Up
Love it. Just a bass line, snare, cymbal – a quick shuffle.
“Never needs winding”
TW rapping – kinda skatting with lyrics. Snake oil.
“The large print giveth…and the small print taketh away.”
“Step Right Up”/Tom Waits. Sometimes a great way to lampoon something is to reveal its absurdity by simply quoting it. This hipster word-collage from Waits’ early incarnation as a jazzer was on my own short list (despite it lacking any actual brand names!). “One-tenth of a dollar” is a curious pitch I’ve never heard outside this song. Love the way he swings “something for the little lady”. The sax and finger snaps are fun. “Get on the business end of our going out of business sale.”
Tom Waits- This scat/jam perfectly captures the feel of walking down a busy street with the swing of the drums, pulse of the standup bass and TW’s gravelly barking (or maybe barkering). I was pondering to what extent the lyrics were written vs extemporaneously created. I didn’t find an answer but I did find that Frito Lay hired someone to approximate this song for a new Doritos flavor. Waits sued and won.
“Step Right Up” by Tom Waits: The bass and that sax sound great. His lyrics flow into the groove like a sly street poet working the crowd—sharp, rhythmic, and irresistibly cool.
Tom Waits, what is there not to like?
Tom Waits – Step Right Up
Love it. Just a bass line, snare, cymbal – a quick shuffle.
“Never needs winding”
TW rapping – kinda skatting with lyrics. Snake oil.
“The large print giveth…and the small print taketh away.”
“Step Right Up”/Tom Waits. Sometimes a great way to lampoon something is to reveal its absurdity by simply quoting it. This hipster word-collage from Waits’ early incarnation as a jazzer was on my own short list (despite it lacking any actual brand names!). “One-tenth of a dollar” is a curious pitch I’ve never heard outside this song. Love the way he swings “something for the little lady”. The sax and finger snaps are fun. “Get on the business end of our going out of business sale.”
Tom Waits- This scat/jam perfectly captures the feel of walking down a busy street with the swing of the drums, pulse of the standup bass and TW’s gravelly barking (or maybe barkering). I was pondering to what extent the lyrics were written vs extemporaneously created. I didn’t find an answer but I did find that Frito Lay hired someone to approximate this song for a new Doritos flavor. Waits sued and won.
“Step Right Up” by Tom Waits: The bass and that sax sound great. His lyrics flow into the groove like a sly street poet working the crowd—sharp, rhythmic, and irresistibly cool.