Tom Waits - Singapore Lyrics

havent heard tom waits in a long time... this is some good shit

McClusky

YOUVE GOT TO BE MAD TO LIKE THIS SO I MUST BE MAD

fuck the beef and let the pot roast...

A singular artist. Like the best, he expresses what's in his human soul without care for who might like it. It just so happens that millions of us do.

So loved his song if you can call it
But what's he building in there

I’m listening to this while in Singapore!

playful and dark at the same time, yes please!!!

'it's about a potential seaman deserter.......stay drinking with his tawny whore or board ship and take that shitty trip.....

I heard this for the first time today on a Country radio station.

Haute tropique by Man Man sounds like this song. Good thing is now both are signed to ANTI-Records

Pretty normal day on a merchant ship😬

this song is so mad and mental , its brilliant

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's shoes
Through the alley, back from hell
When you hear that steeple bell
You must say goodbye to me
Wipe him down with gasoline
Till 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

true dat top hatter these fellows is engaged in illegal piracy, "So..."

Sang this to my dog, think he understood. Great song

Promises of adventure perked up his ears.

@george garley bloody oath lol

YOU MUST SAY GOODBYE TO ME!

NOTHING else was written, sung, played or produced like this album in 1985. NOTHING!
While everyone else was heaping shiny DX7 bell sounds on everything, Waits was thrashing seven shades of shit out of anything that made a noise (including his own voice, of course). A timeless album.

along with Frank's wild years...

I play this whenever i go to Singapore.

Sir James Dyson

In the land of the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.

Illuminati alert

Gosh I wasn't in Singapore for a while now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E929gqIcwwI

In the land of the blind, a one eyed man is king.

Amazing line

I like to imagine this song is autobiographical and in reference to a pretty ordinary week or two for Tom Waits.

This nigga sound like banjo kazooie

"Singapore"

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's shoes
Through the alley
Back from Hell
When you hear that steeple bell
You must say goodbye to me

Wipe him down with gasoline
Till 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 is 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 danced along a colored wind
Dangled from a rope of sand
You must say goodbye to me

Well thankyou captain fucking obvious

Behold, the theme song for the #TwoDictators Two Rat Circus!

for my indo friends

Trump and Kim Un are now in Singapore

Anyone else hear a touch of Kelsey Grammer in there?

Riders on the storm wash your mouth out by the door...
Touche

What is the rum pet for?

This song reminds me of muppets. I have no idea why. Just that sort of tuba line and the way his voice is, it reminds me of the way muppets have like just that sort of flapping mouth and the puppet sort of way of moving.

Manic sea shanty meets muppets!

Miss Piggy hit a bar in the City of the Lion...
where a Mickey Finn made her feistier than ever -
as Kermit fell drooling, the Divine Miss P
made tawny moors quail,
Portuguese man o' wars sail...
confirmed "I like this Waits, 'n'
any time he likes he can rattle MY gates"
Oink!

Muppets? Waits? Well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5X4N2exOsU

@Own private I dunno Ha Ha Ha ? In Singapore I found myself drunk on Tiger Beer and fingering a Malaysian Muslim prostitute that I couldn't pay for . So I gave her cab fare back to Malaysia before the taxis went plus plus . I got back to my ship around taps and woke up on time to make Morning Muster , then stand Petty Officer Of The Watch smelling like poontang . It was awesome ! Then there was Thailand .

კლასიკა

why do the first couple of songs always remind me of Donkey Kong Country?

Eric Lamar I don’t think they sound anything like anything from Donkey Kong Country.

infinitygenealpa I think I mean the recent one from 6 or so years ago. Idk, that's the first thing I thought of when I first heard this album.

Eric Lamar i always thought this is some lanky kong music tbh

Sounds more like crash bandicoot

Now THIS is my idea of a real lullaby. All I need to do while I listen to this is snuff out some lit cigarettes on my arm and I fall fast asleep like a baby. No, listen, don't take that seriously, I like Tom Waits. It's just that my first exposure to his voice was pretty shocking and I've never fully recovered.

Nobody ever does...

I have to admit I yawned and felt relaxed while listening to Waits plus his quirkiness is pleasurable, I could definitely fall asleep to him.

Heave Away

Dare I say Waits greatest song. ..

that's what i say every time i hear a Waits song.

Dare ye not...

Its obviously Dead And Lovely

I would agree with this.

A younger me thought he was a black man in a swamp.

Close enough.

I thought he was a muppet

Tanner McKee I dunno why, but I always believed he was Welsh...

I basically pictured Michael Clark Duncan in a pinstripe suit. Wait's voice is so much bigger than you would think.

You and me both, back in 1995.

Tom waits he's a crazy s.o.b but if he wasn't I'd hate him. Fucking banger 😂

Very nice video. keep it up :-)

Moron Tick.. Macabre Brothers..

I like to imagine this as a pirate telling the new recruits what they're in for.

are ya ready kids

Shakedown Cruise by Jay Ferguson would be a good song to introduce new sailors , or maybe Sloop John B. This is the worst trip I've ever been on . I was in the US Navy for ten years .

@Bladelores aye aye cap'n

Is it okay that I also imagine that but in old school cartoon style?

Shore Leave?

I'm from Singapore

el zz awesome man

el zz I partied a few times in Singapore when I was in the US Navy. Tiger Beer and Newton's Circus seafood was a great way to relax after being at sea for several months.

Singapore back in the day was very exotic..
Maybe not so much anymore.

Love his voice!

You should hear him on Jesus' Blood Failed Me Yet, definitely has me crying more than he did on the Rain Dogs album as melancholically wonderfull some tracks are.