Frank's Wild Years

[Alexander]

So I'm in my classroom, eating lunch, and listening to "Swordfishtrombones" by Tom Waits. "Frank's Wild Years" just came on. Just wanted to celebrate this wonderful song. Here are the lyrics, in full.

Frank settled down in the Valley,

and he hung his wild years on a

nail that he drove through his

wife's forehead.

He sold used office furniture out

there on San Fernando Road and

assumed a $30,000 loan at

15 1/4 % and put a down payment

on a little two bedroom place.

His wife was a spent piece of used jet trash

Made good bloody-marys, kept her mouth

shut most of the time, had a little Chihuahua

named Carlos that had some kind of skin

disease and was totally blind.

They had a thoroughly modern kitchen;

self-cleaning oven (the whole bit)

Frank drove a little sedan.

They were so happy.

One night Frank was on his way home

from work, stopped at the liquor store,

picked up a couple of Mickey's Big Mouth’s.

Drank 'em in the car on his way to the

Shell station; he got a gallon of gas in a can.

Drove home, doused everything in

the house, torched it.

Parked across the street laughing,

watching it burn, all Halloween

orange and chimney red.

Frank put on a top forty station,

got on the Hollywood Freeway

headed North.

Never could stand that dog.

Edited April 3, 2008 by Alexander

[RDK]

Great song. Love that last line about Carlos.

Always wondered if this was the same Frank Tom's writing about...

What's he building in there?

What the hell is he building

In there?

He has subscriptions to those

Magazines... He never

Waves when he goes by

He's hiding something from

The rest of us... He's all

To himself... I think I know

Why... He took down the

Tire swing from the Peppertree

He has no children of his

Own you see... He has no dog

And he has no friends and

His lawn is dying... and

What about all those packages

He sends. What's he building in there?

With that hook light

On the stairs. What's he building

In there... I'll tell you one thing

He's not building a playhouse for

The children what's he building

In there?

Now what's that sound from under the door?

He's pounding nails into a

Hardwood floor... and I

Swear to god I heard someone

Moaning low... and I keep

Seeing the blue light of a

T.V. show...

He has a router

And a table saw... and you

Won't believe what Mr. Sticha saw

There's poison underneath the sink

Of course... But there's also

Enough formaldehyde to choke

A horse... What's he building

In there. What the hell is he

Building in there? I heard he

Has an ex-wife in some place

Called Mayors Income, Tennessee

And he used to have a

consulting business in Indonesia...

but what is he building in there?

What the hell is building in there?

He has no friends

But he gets a lot of mail

I'll bet he spent a little

Time in jail...

I heard he was up on the

Roof last night

Signaling with a flashlight

And what's that tune he's

Always whistling...

What's he building in there?

What's he building in there?

We have a right to know...

[DTMX]

I remember hearing that song for the first time in my teenage years and liking it. I hear it now in now in my forties and I understand it.

[Niko]

I remember hearing that song for the first time in my teenage years and liking it. I hear it now in now in my forties and I understand it.

one of my favorite Waits songs (favorite being the title track from swordfishtrombones)... i have the feeling i can understand it pretty well already now, hope i won't learn to understand it much better...

[HolyStitt]

I believe he performed it on Letterman to promote the album. From what I can recall it is memorable because he seems a little nervous during performance and not as sharp during the interview. After I watching it I came to the realization that it was likely one of his first public appearance after he quit drinking.

I love the song but one of my favorite things about it is how it fits, to me, so well with Swordfishtrombone starting right after it, which really connects with me on another level.

[Niko]

I believe he performed it on Letterman to promote the album. From what I can recall it is memorable because he seems a little nervous during performance and not as sharp during the interview. After I watching it I came to the realization that it was likely one of his first public appearance after he quit drinking.

I love the song but one of my favorite things about it is how it fits, to me, so well with Swordfishtrombone starting right after it, which really connects with me on another level.

you got me curious...

[Man with the Golden Arm]

I believe he performed it on Letterman to promote the album. From what I can recall it is memorable because he seems a little nervous during performance and not as sharp during the interview. After I watching it I came to the realization that it was likely one of his first public appearance after he quit drinking.

I love the song but one of my favorite things about it is how it fits, to me, so well with Swordfishtrombone starting right after it, which really connects with me on another level.

you got me curious...

That Paul the Shiv provides some excellent accompaniment!

I watched a whole raft of Waits-tube a month or so back. Make sure to check him on Fernwood. Classic!

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwUtEEjZJ8&...feature=related

[ghost of miles]

Always loved that last line myself. This thread reminded me of seeing Waits on Letterman to promote RAIN DOGS...he closed the show with a beautiful version of "Time" (in spite of an out-of-tune guitar string). Hadn't seen it in 20+ years, but sure enough, it's on YouTube. Weird to watch it now and remember, quite clearly, being 19 and living in my own apartment for the first time, staying up late and watching it on an old TV with crappy reception, but being so moved by hearing that song as the show's credits rolled.

Edited April 3, 2008 by ghost of miles

[RDK]

I believe he performed it on Letterman to promote the album. From what I can recall it is memorable because he seems a little nervous during performance and not as sharp during the interview. After I watching it I came to the realization that it was likely one of his first public appearance after he quit drinking.

I love the song but one of my favorite things about it is how it fits, to me, so well with Swordfishtrombone starting right after it, which really connects with me on another level.

you got me curious...

I remember seeing that when it first aired. But damn if that isn't an awkward and uncomfotrable interview. Looks like Tom's still getting over the DTs.

[Alexander]

Tom Waits and Iggy Pop share some coffee and cigarettes

Love this movie...

[porcy62]

Well, I owe to the Man at least a couple of true love stories of mine, including my wife, just taped "Blue Valentine" for the ladies...and add something of mine...girls with refined taste.

Edited April 3, 2008 by porcy62

[Elissa]

By only the most tangential of relations to this topic: I was thinking of Frank and his post-Wild era today, because when I came into work, first thing I was debriefed on was that a co-worker, who we all liked a great deal but who'd been missing a week or two, seems to have turned up in Texas (someone found this out when they Googled him!) collared by cops while apparently on his way to Mexico fleeing child molestation charges. Could be another fellow - there were no pix - but same name, similar dates etc... Odd.

[Alexander]

By only the most tangential of relations to this topic: I was thinking of Frank and his post-Wild era today, because when I came into work, first thing I was debriefed on was that a co-worker, who we all liked a great deal but who'd been missing a week or two, seems to have turned up in Texas (someone found this out when they Googled him!) collared by cops while apparently on his way to Mexico fleeing child molestation charges. Could be another fellow - there were no pix - but same name, similar dates etc... Odd.

How'd he feel about the dog?

[crabgrass]

Great song. Love that last line about Carlos.

Always wondered if this was the same Frank Tom's writing about...

What's he building in there?

I have always thought that the guy "building in there" was more of a Buzz Fledderjon than a Frank.

I stood on the roof, stood toward dark

To get a better look at the Fledderjons' lawn

Big sharp pistols, ammo too

Nothing but books about World War II

Rottweiler, Dobermann, a Pinkerton guard

I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjon's yard

I ain't allowed

No, I ain't allowed

I said, I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjon's yard

I seen a python swallowing a Dobermann whole

Piranhas swimming in a mixing bowl

Buzz Fledderjon

Paper's full of stabbings, the sky's full of crows

She's singing in Italian while she's hanging out her clothes

Carp in the bathtub and it's raining real hard

I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjon's yard

I said that I ain't allowed

No, I ain't allowed

No, I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjon's yard.

Well, the sailor's ringing doorbells, the sinner's in the pew

Weathervane's squeaking to the west

I seen the cliffs of Dover and the deepest ocean blue

One thing in the world I can't recommend to you

Because I ain't allowed

I said, I ain't allowed

No, I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjon's yard

I said, I ain't allowed

No, I ain't allowed

I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjon's yard

I ain't allowed

I ain't allowed

I said, I ain't allowed in Buzz Fledderjon's yard

[Elissa]

How'd he feel about the dog?

it was how he felt about bunnies that threw me.