Tom Waits - Goodnight Irene Lyrics






[Chorus:]
Irene, goodnight. Irene, goodnight
Goodnight, Irene. Goodnight, Irene.
I'll see you in my dreams.

Last Saturday night I got married.
Me and my wife settled down.
Now, me and my wife are parted.
Gonna take a little stroll downtown.

[Chorus]

Yeah, sometimes I live in the country
And sometimes I live in town.
Yeah, and sometimes I take a great notion
I'm gonna jump in the river and drown.

[Chorus]

Stop ramblin'. Stop that gamblin'.
Stop staying out late at night.
Go home to your wife and family.
Stay there by the fireside, bright.

[Chorus]

Goodnight, Irene. Goodnight, Irene.
I'll see you in my dreams.





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Tom Waits Goodnight Irene Comments
  1. A.... G....

    I think Tom Waits might actually be drunker than his audience.

  2. n.... ....

    He really botched this one.

  3. I.... 4....

    "If she ever finds another, I'm gonna take morphine and die," is my favorite lyric in this song

    I.... 4....

    My ultimate exit plan.
    ...
    Not anytime soon or anything like that.
    But if I am still driving on the last leg of this trip...that's the exit for me.
    😋

  4. M.... ....

    Irene good night
    Irene Irene good night
    good night Irene
    good night Irene
    I'll get you
    in my dreams

    last Saturday night I got married
    me and my wife settled down
    now me and my wife are parted
    I'm gonna take me a little stroll uptown

    Irene good night
    Irene Irene good night
    good night Irene
    good night Irene
    I'll get you
    in my dreams

    sometimes I live in the country
    sometimes I live in town
    sometimes I take a great notion
    to jump in the river and drown

    Irene good night
    Irene Irene good night
    good night Irene
    good night Irene
    I'll get you
    in my dreams

    I love Irene god knows I do
    I'll love her till the sea runs dry
    if she ever loves another
    someone'll take morphine and die

    Irene good night
    Irene Irene good night
    good night Irene
    good night Irene
    I'll get you
    in my dreams

    stop your rambling
    stop your gambling
    stop staying out late at night
    go home to your wife and your family
    sit down by the fire light

    Irene good night
    Irene Irene good night
    good night Irene
    good night Irene
    I'll get you
    in my dreams

    Irene good night
    Irene Irene good night
    good night Irene
    good night Irene
    I'll get you
    in my dreams

  5. c.... ....

    My mom, Irene (R.I.P.) loved this song, it was "her" song.

  6. G.... ....

    My Grandma use to sing this to me...her name was Irene and so is my middle name. I have always loved it, especially
    after Toms version.

  7. C.... H....

    Good old Irish song

  8. A.... H....

    Should I ever loose my hearing, the last thing I want to hear is him in his songs.

  9. J.... S....

    Listen thinking of the internet dying with net neutrality

  10. A.... T....

    Me reacting to justice league bombing while thinking about a cold drink.

  11. M.... G....

    my fav version ..for say good night to my FB friends

  12. T.... O....

    one of the good ones

  13. P.... S....

    Loved him to sing with The Pogues

  14. A.... T....

    love his voice , so much texture. it's like you can imagine yourself in a new York cafe in 1974 on a rainy day. his breath must have spirit waves that have visual and sensory attachments.

  15. J.... S....

    Been a while since anyone posted here but hundreds of artists have played this song, dozens of them famous. This is still by far the best.

  16. A.... Y....

    You know, my Lady's name's Irene, she looked like the Lady on the picture but now She must be in Heaven, I guess.

  17. H.... F....

    These days we might call Irene a hot mess. Re-hearing it for the countless time today, it made me think of George Jones' hit, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." To be imprinted on someone like a baby duck, over the top for her so bad that it's making you trash your own life. Tough drama. Great song. All-in performance. Glad I stopped by.

  18. R.... ....

    Something it's wrong with this guy. But sometimes wrong is good.

  19. A.... T....

    Ry Cooder also does a great version.

    A.... T....

    Ry Cooder has done many film pieces as well as some Stones contributions.

  20. N.... S....

    This is the best version I heard.  Love it  :))))

  21. c.... ....

    Goosebumps....the one and only Tom .....his voice is perfect for this song, and it sounds like he gargles with tar, metal grindings and kerosene......most original singer/songwriter on the scene....

    c.... ....

    I'm thinking more along the lines of hot Drano and gravel.

  22. C.... N....

    i had the honor of meeting him on main st in Sebastopol Ca one afternoon about 12 yrs ago at a rummage sale..he then walked me back to my store across the street and wished me well.

    C.... N....

    He was probably looking for a brake drum for percussion.

  23. s.... b....

    Peak "Irene" would be Waits singing with Dr John of piano?

  24. J.... R....

    Wonderful. You can imagine pub in Wild West with drunks, whores singing, yelling, fighting, shooting and fucking. :D Brings back memories and feelings. Amazing artist, not much of them can bring similar emotions.

    J.... R....

    or a bunch of sailors

  25. J.... ....

    Up the gas 🔵⚪️🔵⚪️

  26. K.... ....

    katastrofa.......

  27. C.... ....

    This song just brings tears to my eyes

  28. K.... T....

    Unusually, instead of being the original Tom Waits, this is a tribute to Ledbelly. Sung in the traditional.

  29. E.... K....

    Tom Waits is "the voice"

    E.... K....

    The only voice that matters

  30. D.... L....

    I really love Huddie's recording of this,  I also love Tom Waits!

  31. m.... g....

    UP THE FUCKING GAS

  32. T.... 8....

    this song is on bioshock infinite

  33. D.... ....

    The only song by the only artist that i feel is just for me. This is one of my nightly tunes.

  34. C.... ....

    Any other psycho out there that…nevermind. 
    Irene is no longer a problem. 

  35. B.... D....

    Many people have done this song, and I'm sure many of them have sung it with what most people would call a "Prettier" voice. If there is such a thing, but the vulnerable and human feel of this version makes it my absolute favorite. There is something in Tom Waits' voice that is just so unique, it's hard to describe. You either get it or you don't. If you get it you're one of the lucky ones, because there's much to be treasured from this man.

    B.... D....

    @Bobby Davis My friends don't get him, but I love Tom Waits....well said, Bobby!

    B.... D....

    @Bobby Davis This is one of my favorite versions of this cool song. Even better than the Van Morrisson Skiffle sessions.

    B.... D....

    +Jeffrey R. Broido Hmm... it sounds to me like 'get'! Both here and in the video of Leadbelly...
    "I'll get you in my dreams" while maybe not that poetic, might be logical in the sense that the loved/hated Irene, always somehow unreachable or unkeepable in real life, will be his in dreams.  
    Given the long oral history of the song, I get the feeling there may have been verses lost - maybe dropped for respectability - and new ones invented over the years; the storyline is unclear and seemingly incomplete in both the versions I've heard: who knows what the original story might have been.  
    The song seems as elusive as Irene herself...

    B.... D....

    At least he didn't actually take morphine and die!

    B.... D....

    I really don't know how people don't get Tom Waits. None of my friends or family members except one of my alcoholic brothers like him. His voice was truly cinematic since the first song i heard from him which was Wrong Side of the Road. I guess people these days are so full of that saccharine smooth soft singing that innovative versatile voices like Tom, Satchmo, Howlin, Lanegan, Cohen, Callahan or Beefheart get bad looks from most.

  36. t.... ....

    Wonderful tune, nicely done. I'm curious if all the voices in this version belong to Tom, like Billy Joel in 'The Longest Time'

    t.... ....

    Ha-ha!!! An unusual comparison.

  37. C.... C....

    Rough 'N' Gruff I like it

  38. D.... K....

    The sound that is Tom Waits

  39. H.... p....

    excellent

  40. I.... ....

    gorgeous

  41. R.... W....

    Can just imagine a town pub at last call with a bunch of drunks singing this.  Wonderful!

    R.... W....

    +Rob Wolfe
    Actually, I do remember this exact scenario, in a North London pub in the 1960s. I think they had one particular night that was for singing... men and women, all ages from me illegally drinking in my mid-teens to little old ladies probably in their 80s. Goodnight Irene seemed to be a huge favourite, along with Rambling Rose and others. Everyone seemed to know all the words to every song, and there was hardly a dry eye in the house by the end of the night!

    R.... W....

    Omg your comment gave me chills

  42. M.... B....

    A Beautiful Lullaby! Thanks for Sharing! 

  43. F.... d....

    Ok, when Tom Waits sings Leadbelly, the world can stop spinning. Everything is complete. Thank you

  44. t.... ....

    tom should cover "I put a spell on you"
    Don't tell me that doesn't make the hair on your neck stand up

  45. N.... C....

    cool dear Tom...

  46. J.... M....

    Good Night, Lisa.

  47. z.... ....

    holy shit, this is fucking horrible

    z.... ....

    U r probably a pop tart. Give a listen to "Small Change". U'll hate it. Keep on repeat until u get it. Welcome to the underbelly of the misunderstood & forgotten.

  48. J.... ....

    Doesn't even care about nor thinks about the broad in the back..so heartbroken and you feel it. Great song.

  49. H.... M....

    Tom Waits is the best, most honest and most true vocalist there is... :D

  50. N.... C....

    Superb!!!!

  51. d.... ....

    God loves drunks. It may sound cliché but it's 100% true.

  52. t.... ....

    i don't know how to respond to this. i just got out of the drunk tank and am drinking whisky to placate my soul. imma buy some more when the liquor store opens. god love you and up the gas

  53. M.... ....

    great version, but still like leadbelly's better

  54. R.... B....

    try a jack daniels with this

  55. N.... C....

    Fabulous...

  56. S.... A....

    tom waits

  57. B.... B....

    I love Tom Waits but personally I prefer Kelly Joe Phelps version.

  58. S.... ....

    Anybody know who the other singers are in this? I can't seem to figure it out.

  59. K.... ....

    good version but can't measure to Mississippi John Hurt's rendition

  60. F.... ....

    love this version! the ultimate drinking song!. well suited for st Patricks

  61. �.... �....

    Incredible South, incredibly given by an incredible guy.

  62. g.... e....

    the Ry Cooder version is good, but sorry Ry this is the definitive Irene!

  63. a.... w....

    AMAZING!!!!

  64. R.... B....

    this guy is good

    R.... B....

    45 year fan & 7 albums. He was in "Down by Law". Also "Short Cuts" w/Tim Robbins & that famous redhead & "Ironweed" with J. Nicholson & Meryl Streep.

  65. t.... ....

    i'd just like to give a big 'thumbs up' to all who commented on this video. god bless all your souls

  66. U.... ....

    The best thing on Earth when you have to serenade a girl named Irene...
    What a lucky man i am.

  67. j.... h....

    very relaxing! but that picture is the cover of the small change album!

  68. A.... ....

    Where is the picture from?

  69. s.... ....

    love this song - love this version - waits is amazing

  70. T.... ....

    It's a an old U.S. folk standard. Who knows how old it is. Leadbelly popularized it in the 30's [via Allen Lomax recordings] and supposedly performed it starting in the early 20'th century. The Weavers further advanced the tune (as well as many others learned directly from Ledbetter); recorded at their famous Carnegie Hall concert on Christmas Eve 1955. It has been covered hundreds of times since then.

  71. B.... M....

    I've read some stupid things on youtube but this deserves some sort of award.

  72. k.... p....

    Love this song. Herd it in a record store about a year ago. Listend to differant versions but like this one the best.

  73. M.... ....

    Big Bill Broonzy performed it and he died in the late 1950's. It has nothing to do with the hurricane.

  74. I.... d....

    engineer: gooood night Irene!

  75. j.... ....

    If Huddy hadn't written this song Tom would have. This a great version of a great song.

  76. L.... L....

    Tom Waits, the wild side of the music.

  77. F.... ....

    classic song suposedly written by Huddy Leadbetter. many folk talkes about the origin.. certainly a good drinking song! and i think Tom Waits has the best version

  78. T.... B....

    I am not drunk yet, but can tell the same :)

  79. M.... K....

    I´m Irene ....ups

  80. k.... ....

    Disappointing - Waits is much better when he plays the blues piano like his classic Waltzing Matilda -Tom Trabert blues

  81. A.... C....

    Tom Waits is my religion

  82. M.... ....

    IF I LISTEN TO IRENE; I DRINK SCOTCH
    GREETINGS

  83. M.... ....

    the best IRENE
    LOVE IT

  84. g.... ....

    @thetachi7117 In that case, I must stick this on next time I'm staring at the bottom of a glass.

  85. R.... H....

    oh shit, my irish bottlehas crash down
    he dude, give me that shit bourbon bottle
    my song is stupid

  86. S.... P....

    This is really effective; if you don't like it, it's because you don't appreciate what Tom is trying to re-produce here

  87. M.... B....

    @itouchguitar hahhhh okay, PEACE!

  88. i.... ....

    @morganrock1 sorry wrong commented on the wrong comment :P

  89. M.... B....

    @itouchguitar errm, could you remind me what i sais plz, i cant remember

  90. i.... ....

    @morganrock1 no need

  91. l.... ....

    it's christmas eve here in hong kong. glad to hear this song. goodnight, tom!

  92. J.... D....

    @hammerlights
    scotch, single malt. bourbon is water with sugar.

  93. D.... M....

    Tom Waits passes an absolute beauty onto another generation...

  94. M.... B....

    @spotleoruby fuck u mate

  95. I.... D....

    @MrBluey1 <3 i hope she is okay..

  96. I.... D....

    my name is irene, this song makes me cry everytime. makes me think how good i have it, yet sometimes i take it for advantage. you know, you never know how good you got it until its gone...

  97. O.... ....

    @IOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIOIO actually "like a hurricane" by neil young! :D

  98. I.... D....

    my name is irene <3 i love when people sing this too me!

  99. a.... ....

    "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy"

  100. D.... L....

    @irenemir Welterusten!