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Tom Waits interviews himself

Contributed by corporatecriminal. Posted by jesse on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 7:00 PM (EDT)

In a mad stroke of genius, narcissism, and theatre, the one, the only Tom Waits has interviewed himself for The Independet. Comedy abounds, but interesting questions and answers too:

Q: What's heaven for you?

A: Me and my wife on Route 66 with a pot of coffee, a cheap guitar, pawnshop tape recorder in a Motel 6, and a car that runs good parked right by the door.

Waits also names his favorite artists, songs, philosophies, scenes from movies, and so on and so forth. You can read the whole interview here.

Anti- Records (50 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Seriously.

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listofdemands (June 18, 2008)

i am seeing him next week. i am fucking excited.
-nic

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geoffweobb (June 18, 2008)

I saw him last night. You should be very, very excited.

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listofdemands (June 18, 2008)

sweeeeeeeet.
-nic

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HOISTDATRAG (June 18, 2008)

I would sell all my belongings and hop a train just to see Tom Waits. Hell, I'd do it anyway.

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blue_drink (June 18, 2008)

What a dick.

And that's a compliment, this time.

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MattRamone (June 18, 2008)

I hate this guy's voice. There. I said it. I hate his songs, too. I'm kicked out of old punx.

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LORDSHREDDER (June 18, 2008)

I like some of his stuff. Not all he does. But I can see it being plenty fine why people don't. Also, I don't know what he has to do with being punk anyway. I never understood the correlation. But then again, I don't care much about "whats punk". I just like music I like. I am more of a metal fan than a punker, but the Org is more interesting and focused than Lambgoat, where everyone's answer to every damn thing is "van flip" or "faggots".

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Ollywood (June 18, 2008)

His music is very hit and/or miss. 85% of his music I couldn't get it into upon first listen and there still is a lot I don't really enjoy. I've never really gotten into his music from listening to an album start to finish off the bat(except maybe rain dogs). It helps stumbling his songs on random ipod shuffles. The guy is a brilliant musician if you ever do like his songs you really begin to love them. But I know countless people who just don't like very much as well.

Try "Singapore" i found it to be very accessible

http://search.playlist.com/tracks/singapore

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sugarfull (June 18, 2008)

His music is interesting to put on, but nothing really stands out for me.

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Cheesetits (June 19, 2008)

I thought I was alone....

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LORDSHREDDER (June 18, 2008)

I like Tom Waits' acting role in "Short Cuts".

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veganboyjosh (June 18, 2008)

I like Fisher Stevens' acting role in "Short Circuit 2".

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ArtieFufkin (June 19, 2008)

I always get him and Buster Poindexter confused

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AnarchyPants (June 18, 2008)

What kind of shoes does he wear?

Alkaline Trio Nikes!

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blue_drink (June 18, 2008)

Do any of you remember that shitty movie Hollow Man?

That Tom Waits picture up there. Looks like him when he had the mask, sunglasses, and wig on. Haw haw!

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Dante3000 (rich) (June 18, 2008)

I enjoy some of his work but it truly boggles the mind how many people "love" his work.
-Dante

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listofdemands (June 18, 2008)

i feel the same way about dillinger 4, lawrence arms, against me!, etc.
-nic

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victim (June 18, 2008)

I was going to disagree on D4 but then I remembered Versus God

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DrGunn (June 18, 2008)

ditto.

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HOISTDATRAG (June 18, 2008)

It's really not something you just get right away. I started out at 13 thinking the guy was a crazy, but as I grew up all his music just started making sense and falling into place. Now at 17, he's my favorite artist.. and it will continue to consistently 'click' with me. for the lack of sounding weird/homosexual/stalkerish, everything he says sort of seems like poetry.

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breakthechains (June 19, 2008)

is there a reason that you equate 'weird', 'homosexual', and 'stalkerish'? are you a 50's educational film that necessitates homosexuality being corollary to mental illness?

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sugarfull (June 19, 2008)

No, he's just the DSM I-III.

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SumWon (June 18, 2008)

You can't understand that many people love a very creative, eccentric guy's work? Come off it, dingbat.

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Banger (June 19, 2008)

I enjoy all of his work and it boggles my mind that more people don't. Meanwhile, millions of people listen to music by American Idol contestants. The world's a crazy place.

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TommyPickles (June 18, 2008)

Punk

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DrGunn (June 18, 2008)

flying to (ugh) ohio to see him next week. i saw the set list for the first night of the tour and am fucking excited. plus i will get to eat skyline chili. and it baffles me when people say they don't "get" what's so great about tom waits.

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red_eye_inc (June 18, 2008)

I don't get what's so great about skyline chili, this girl I work with won't shut the fuck up about it.

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DrGunn (June 18, 2008)

it's only so great because i have it once in a blue moon. if i had it all the time i'd probably get sick of it.

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ryanky (June 18, 2008)

it's impossible to get sick of skyline. i eat it at least once a week. my high school teacher eats it every day. it's an obsession in the cincy area

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victim (June 18, 2008)

Think about how awesome that could be if you had a farting fetish

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baldsteve (June 19, 2008)

Just got back from OHIO, ate the hell out of skyline... chili fries, 2 dogs and a buritto

awesome

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thebigtakeover (June 18, 2008)

literally the coolest dude ever.

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sugarfull (June 18, 2008)

Q: Milk at the bottom of the pail?

A: No!

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SumWon (June 18, 2008)

That interview had some awesome shit in it.

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GIVEMEnewWAVE (June 18, 2008)

i like his jazz/blues stuff a lot more than his industrial/experimental stuff.

I found "The Heart of Saturday Night" for $3 in a used bin at a show. Pretty sweet.

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balaka2 (June 19, 2008)

Rain Dogs is probably his most accessible. The new-ish triple disc has some good shit on it as well.

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Starbolt (June 19, 2008)

The first two shows in Phoenix were fantastic with very different set lists both spanning a good selection of old and new material. Tom is in peak form and hearing some new arrangements of his classic masterpieces was an incredible experience as always. There's nobody that does what Tom does. It's theater, poetry, blues, punk, and comedy rolled up into a big dusty mirror ball of redemption. Fave song was "Day After Tomorrow" from night two which made me cry.

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crackpotdemagogue (June 19, 2008)

this is great. tom waits is fucking rad!

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baldsteve (June 19, 2008)

THis may be my favorite interview ever. He should write lots and lots books.

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listofdemands (June 19, 2008)

100% agree.
-nic

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SkolarX (June 19, 2008)

i can't wait for the knoxville show. 8 hour drive or so but its going to be fucking amazing

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dev (June 19, 2008)

What kind of egomaniac interviews himself? I can't even begin to explain how much of a dick you are if you actually think interviewing yourself and then posting it for other people to read is a good idea.

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xote (June 19, 2008)

Obviously this was a good idea. Tom Waits prooves that whatever you have to way about him or what he does is in fact... bullshit.

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ArianeIsEatingADanish (June 19, 2008)

I've been meaning to get into Tom Waits for so long - so many people have such great things to say about his music, and I'm sure it can't possibly be AS great as they say but must have some merit to have inspired such love - but holy shiiiiit, he just sounds so insufferable in that interview.

But hey, apparently Grace Jones is 60 now. Wow.

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ArtieFufkin (June 19, 2008)

never gotten into him - but seems fascinating and intelligent. is he good live? how is his crowd interaction? it seems like he'd be telling stories and stuff in between songs.

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listofdemands (June 19, 2008)

best show ever. he tells plenty of stories and corny jokes between songs. he's a badass.
-nic

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ArtieFufkin (June 19, 2008)

I'll make it point to try and catch him - thanx!

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pierrebouvier (June 19, 2008)

Rain Dogs is in my top 5 recs ever

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Nameless (June 19, 2008)

I just got it... and I agree with this statement!

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KlashedKi (June 20, 2008)

Jeff from BTMI and Jeff from We Versus the Shark recommended in separate locations at separate dates Blood Money. Blood Money Blood Money Blood Money.