Artist: Tom Waits Album: Closing Time {1973}

One, two, three, four


Well, my time went so quickly, I went lickety-splickly
Out to my ol' fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy
God knows I was feeling alive, now
Now, the sun's coming up
I'm riding with Lady Luck
Freeway, cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade and I lead the parade
Just a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer
Oh Lord, let me tell you that the feeling getting stronger

And it's six in the morning, gave me no warning
I had to be on my way
Well, there's trucks all a-passing me and the lights are all flashing
I'm on my way home from your place
And now the sun's coming up
I'm riding with Lady Luck
Freeway, cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade and I lead the parade
Just a-wishing I'd stayed a little longer
Oh Lord, let me tell you the feeling getting stronger

And my time went so quickly, I went lickety-splickly
Out to my ol' fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy
God knows I was feeling alive, yeah
And now the sun's coming up
Riding with Lady Luck
Freeway, cars and trucks
Freeway, cars and trucks
Freeway, cars and trucks

One, two, three, four


Well, I hope that I don't fall in love with you
Cos falling in love just makes me blue
Well, the music plays and you display your heart for me to see
I had a beer and now I hear you calling out for me
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Well, the room is crowded, people everywhere
And I wonder, should I offer you a chair
Well, if you sit down with this old clown, take that frown and break it
Before the evening's gone away I think that we could make it
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

Well, the night does funny things inside a man
These old tomcat feelings, you don't understand
Well, I turn around to look at you and light a cigarette
I wish I had the guts to bum one, but we've never met
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you

I can see that you are lonesome just like me
And it being late, you'd like some some company
Well, I turn around to look at you and you look back at me
The guy you're with, he's up and split, the chair next to you's free
And I hope that you don't fall in love with me

Now, it's closing time, the music's fading out
Last call for drinks, I'll have another stout
Well, I turn around to look at you, you're nowhere to be found
I search the place for your lost face, guess I'll have another round
And I think that I just fell in love with you

Well, I'm walking on down Virginia Avenue
Trying to find somebody to tell my troubles to
Harold's club is closing and everybody's going on home
What's a poor boy to do
I'll just get on back into my short, make it back to the fort
Sleep off all the crazy lizards inside of my brain
There's got to be some place that's better than this
This life I'm leading's driving me insane
And let me tell you I'm dreaming

Let me tell you that I'm dreaming through the twilight, this town has got me down
I've seen all the highlights, I've been walking all around
Won't make a fuss, I'll take a Greyhound bus
Carry me away from here - tell me what have I got to lose
Cos I'm walking on down Columbus Avenue
Bars are all closing cos it's quarter to two
Every town I go to is like a lock without a key
Those I leave behind keep catching up on me
Let me tell you they're catching up on me, they're catching up on me
Catching up on me, catching up on me, catching up on me 

I'm singing this song, it's time it was sung
I've been putting it off for a while
But it's harder by now cos the truth is so clear
That I cry when I'm seeing you smile
So, goodbye, so long - the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
And I kiss you and then I'll be gone

Every time that I tried to tell you that we'd
Lost the magic we had at the start
I would weep my heart when I looked in your eyes
And I searched once again for the spark
So, goodbye, so long - the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
And I kiss you and then I'll be gone

I can see by your eyes it's time now to go
So, I'll leave you to cry in the rain
Though I held in my hand the key to all joy
Honey, my heart was not born to be tamed
So, goodbye, so long - the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
And I kiss you and then I'll be gone
So, goodbye, so long - the road calls me, dear
And your tears cannot bind me anymore
And farewell to the girl with the sun in her eyes
And I kiss you and then I'll be gone
And I kiss you and then I'll be gone
And I kiss you and then I'll be gone

One, two, three, four


Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye
Hush-a-bye, my baby - no need to be crying
You can burn the midnight oil with me as long as you will
Stare out at the moon upon the windowsill and dream

Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye
Hush-a-bye, my baby - no need to be crying
There's dew drops on the windowsill and gumdrops in your head
Slipping into dream land, you're nodding your head, so dream

Dream of West Virginia or of the British Isles
Cos when you are dreaming you see for miles and miles
When you are much older, remember when we sat
At midnight on the windowsill, had this little chat and dream
Come on and dream, come on and dream and dream and dream, come on and dream

Operator, number please, it's been so many years
She remember my old voice while I fight the tears
Hello, hello there, is this Martha, this is old Tom Frost
And I am calling long distance, don't worry about the cost
Cos it's been forty years or more, now, Martha please recall
Meet me out for coffee where we'll talk about it all
And those were days of roses, poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me
There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day

And I feel so much older now and you're much older too
How's the husband, how's your kids - you know that I got married too
Lucky that you found someone to make you feel secure
Cos we were all so young and foolish, now we are mature
And those were days of roses, poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me
There was no tomorrow, we'd packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day

And I was always so impulsive, I guess that I still am
And all that really mattered then was that I was a man
I guess that our being together was never meant to be
And Martha, Martha - I love you, can't you see
And those were days of roses, poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me
There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day

And I remember quiet evenings trembling close to you

Well, I'm sitting on a windowsill blowing my horn
Nobody's up except the moon and me
And a lazy old tomcat on a midnight spree
All that you left me was a melody
Rosie, why do you evade
Rosie, how can I persuade - Rosie

And the moon's all up, full and big
Apricot tips in an indigo sky
And I've been loving you, Rosie, since the day I was born
And I'll love you Rosie till the day I die
Rosie, why do you evade
Rosie, how can I persuade - Rosie

Rosie, why do you evade
Rosie, how can I persuade - Rosie

And I'm sitting on a windowsill blowing my horn
Nobody's up except the moon and me
And a lazy old tomcat on a midnight spree
All that you left me was a melody
Rosie, why do you evade
Rosie, how can I persuade - Rosie

Lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place
Lonely, lonely, lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place

I thought that I knew all that there was to
Lonely, lonely, lonely

Melanie Jane won't feel the pain
Lonely, lonely, lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place

And I thought that I knew all that there was to
Lonely, lonely, lonely eyes, lonely face
Lonely, lonely in your place
And I still love you, I still love you
Lonely, lonely

I'll be clicking by your house about two forty-five
Sidewalk sundae strawberry surprise
I got a cherry popsicle, right on time
A big stick, mama, that'll blow your mind
Cos I'm the ice cream man, I'm a one-man band, yeah
I'm the ice cream man, honey, I'll be good to you

Baby, missed me in the alley, baby, don't you fret
Come back around and don't forget
When you're tired and you're hungry and you want something cool
Got something better than a swimming pool
Cos I'm the ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm the ice cream man, honey, I'll be good to you, yeah

Yeah, I'm the ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm the ice cream man, honey, I'll be good to you

See me coming, you ain't got no change
Don't worry, baby, it can be arranged
Show me you can smile, baby, just for me
Fix you with a drumstick, I'll do it for free
Cos I'm the ice cream man, I'm a one-man band
I'm the ice cream man, honey, I'll be good to you, be good to you, be good to you, yeah
Good to you, yeah, good to you, yeah, good to you, yeah
Good to you, yeah, good to you, yeah, good to you, I'll be good to you, I'll be good to you
Don't you know I'm gonna be good, yeah
I'll be good, yeah, I'll be good, yeah

Lazy trip to heaven on the wings of your love
Banana moon is shining in the sky
Feel like I'm in heaven when you're with me
Know that I'm in heaven when you smile
Though we're stuck here on the ground
I got something that I've found and it's you

And I don't have to take no trip to outer space
All I have to do is look at your face
And before I know it I'm in orbit around you
Thanking my lucky stars that I've found you
When I see your constellation
Honey, you're my inspiration and it's you

You're my North Star when I'm lost and feeling blue
The sun is breaking through the clouds don't you, don't you know it's true
Honey, all the other stars seem dim around you
Thanking my lucky stars that I've found you
When I see your smiling face
Honey, I know nothing ever going to take your place and it's you
And it's you and it's you and it's you and it's you and it's you and it's you
And it's you, shoo-be-doo, ba-ba-da

One, two, three, four


Grapefruit moon, one star shining, shining down on me
Heard that tune and now I'm pining, honey, can't you see
Cos every time I hear that melody, well, something breaks inside
And grapefruit moon, one star shining, can't turn back the tide

Never had no destinations, could not get across
You became my inspiration, oh, but what a cost
And every time I hear that melody something breaks inside
And grapefruit moon, one star shining, is more than I can hide

Now, I'm smoking cigarettes and I strive for purity
And I slip, just like the stars, into obscurity
But every time I hear that melody, puts me up a tree
And grapefruit moon, one star shining, is all that I can see

Okay, let's do one for posterity


INSTRUMENTAL