Tom Waits - Whistlin' Past The Graveyard Lyrics






well i come in on a night train
with an arm full of box cars
on the wings of a magpie
cross a hooligan night
and i busted up a chifforobe
way out by the cocomo
cooked up a mess a mulligan
and got into a fight

whistlin' past the graveyard
steppin' on a crack
i'm a mean motherhubbard
papa one eyes jack

you probably seen me sleepin'
out by the railroad tracks
go on and ask the prince of darkness
what about all thet smoke
come from the stack
sometimes i kill myself a jackel
suck out all the blood
steal myself a stationwagon
drivin' through the mud
whistlin' past the graveyard
steppin' on a crack
i'm mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack

i know you seen my headlights
and the honkin' of my horn
i'm callin' out my bloodhounds
chase the devil through the corn
last night i chugged the mississippi
now that suckers dry as a bone
born in a taxi cab
i'm never comin' home

whistlin' past the graveyard
steppin' on a crack
i'm mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack

myeyes have seen the glory
of the drainin' og the ditch
i only come to baton rouge
to find myself a witch
i'm-ona snatch me up a
couple of em every time itrains
you see a locomotive
probably thinkin' its a train

whistlin' past the graveyard
steppin' on a crack
i'm a mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack

what you think is the sunshine
is just a twinkle in my eye
that ring around my fingers
just the 4th of july
when i get a little bit lonesome
and a tear falls from my check
theres gonna be an ocean in
the middle of the week

whistlin' past the graveyard
steppin' on a crack
i'm mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack

i rode into town on a night train
with an arm full of box cars
on the wings of a magpie
cross a hooligan night
i'm-ona tear me off a rainbow
and wear it for a tie
i never told the truth
so i can never tell a lie

whistlin' past the graveyard
steppin' on a crack
i'm mean motherhubbard
papa one eyed jack





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Tom Waits Whistlin' Past The Graveyard Comments
  1. N.... M....

    The other Best song!
    Man, I'll never forget hearing this album for the first time......like........WTF!!??
    WTF..IS THIS!!!????

  2. H.... R....

    Whistlin’ past the graveyard, smoke a little crack!! 🗣💨

  3. C.... F....

    Whistlin' Past the Graveyard
    I come in on a night train with an arm full of boxcars
    on the wings of a magpie cross a hooligan night
    and I busted up a chifferobe way out by the kokomo
    cooked up a mess of mulligan and got into a fight

    whistlin' past the graveyard steppin' on a crack
    me and mother hubbard papa one-eyed Jack

    you probably seen me sleepin out by the railroad tracks
    go on and ask the prince of darkness
    what about all that smoke come from the stack
    sometimes I kill myself a jackal suck out all the blood
    steal myself a station wagon drivin' through the mud

    I'm gonna be whistlin' past the graveyard steppin' on a crack
    me and mother hubbard papa one-eyed Jack

    I know you seen my headlights and the honkin of my horn
    I'm callin out my bloodhounds chase the devil through the corn
    last night I chugged the Mississippi now that suckers dry as a bone
    I was born in a taxi cab I'm never goin home

    Whistlin' past the graveyard steppin' on a crack
    me and mother hubbard Papa one-eyed Jack

    my eyes have seen the glory of the draining of the ditch
    I only come to Baton Rouge I gotta find myself a witch
    I'm gonna snatch me up a couple of em every time it rains
    you'll see a locomotive probably thinkin its a train

    whistlin' past the graveyard steppin' on a crack
    me and mother hubbard Papa one-eyed Jack

    what you think is the sunshine is just a twinkle in my eye
    that ring around my fingers called the fourth of July
    when I get a little bit lonesome and a tear falls from my cheek
    there's gonna be an ocean in the middle of the week

    whistlin' past the graveyard steppin' on a crack
    me and mother hubbard Papa one-eyed Jack

    I come into town on a night train with an arm full of boxcars
    on the wings of a magpie cross a hooligan night
    I'm gonna tear me off a rainbow and wear it for a tie
    I never told the truth so I can never tell a lie

    whistlin' past the graveyard steppin' on a crack
    me and mother hubbard Papa one-eyed Jack

  4. W.... S....

    whistle past the graveyard
    (idiomatic, US) To attempt to stay cheerful in a dire situation; to proceed with a task, ignoring an upcoming hazard, hoping for a good outcome. (From wikitionary)

    W.... S....

    Thanks a lot! (anyway)

  5. L.... S....

    holy shit listening to this stoned as fuck at the moment, this is AMAZING! vocally and lyrically brilliant.. NOVEMBER 2018 anyone?

  6. M.... M....

    I can drink two pints of whiskey and still not sound as sandpaper-y as Tom Waits. People may ask why I drink so much liquor and I tell 'em "I'm whistlin' past the graveyard, Steppin' on a crack, A mean Motherfucker (in keeping with modern profanity), Papa one-eyed Jack"

    M.... M....

    He once admitted in an interview that he "barked through closed vocal chords" pretty much did that until the damage was permanent and got this godly gruff voice to love

  7. R.... H....

    Harold Baptiste on piano.

  8. M.... ....

    This is a Screamin' Jay Hawkins song, are you guys aware?

    M.... ....

    +Patrick Harte Ha!

    M.... ....

    Ummmmmm.. yeah.

    M.... ....

    That's a no, bud.
    https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/161500
    Originally released on 'Blue Valentine', by Tom Waits.

    M.... ....

    +MaggotCinema nice try bud

    M.... ....

    MaggotCinema, haha you're funny

  9. w.... ....

    I'd replace the chocolates by a bottle of bourbon and a pack of smokes really

  10. A.... N....

    I wish I could write songs like this. A real soundtrack to your own movie.

  11. F.... D....

    "I never told the truth so I can never tell a lie"
    I fucking love this man

    F.... D....

    One of best. I love that line.😎

  12. P.... J....

    Back in '71 or '72 I had a friend, Pete B., that opened the first "LEGAL" tattoo parlor in Orange Park, FL by Daytona Beach where I got my first tattoo listening 2 Tom Waits. I love 2 hear him sing , I just can't get enough of his music!!! I would like 2 thank You Tube , cause if EVER there was a TIME MACHINE THIS IS IT !!!!!!

  13. f.... ....

    yeahhhhhhhhhh great song great vocal