Last night, Tom Waits performed a brand new song on David Letterman's Late Show: Take one last look.
Take one last look
Let's watch the sun come up in another town
Try our luck a little further down
Leave the cards on the table
Leave the bread on the plate
Put your hand on the gear shift
Put your foot off the brake
And take one last look at the place that you are leaving
Take one last look
Oh, take one last look at the place that you are leaving
Take one last look
Our bed was something that the wind couldn’t carry (?)
The arrow points the way across the waiting prairie (?)
This car looks like it could give us a good run
Our choice to leave was a good one
And take one last look at the place that you are leaving
Take one last look
Oh, take one last look at the place that you are leaving
Take one last look
Let's look forward to the lights that are new
The world's a ribbon of road for you
All towns have churches and tyre shops
They put up speed limit signs and they hire cops
I love to see the wind in your hair
All we ever need we can get anywhere
And take one last look at the place that you are leaving
Take one last look
Oh, take one last look at the place that you are leaving
Take one last look
Oh, take one last look
Oh, take one last look
16 comments:
"There are points across the waiting prairie" I believe
He actually said, "The arrow points the way across the waiting prairie."
Anyone know anything about the guitar he uses in this clip?
The interview part was great comedy, absolutely enjoyable in every way. The joke about inventing perspirants as well as anti-perspirants was right on the money for me. "Free the glutens" was another hot ticket. Just hilarious!
The new song "Take One Last Look" isn't all that great though, it's more of a mood piece. Still, the accordion gives the song depth and, overall, it's a worthwhile listen.
Isn't all that great? Really? A great song of regrets about leaving while moving forward.
"Take One Last Look" doesn't do it for me, no. It's a fluent song and creates a reflective mood but in "A Little Rain", for example, essentially the same message of leaving the old behind is portrayed with more accuracy and emotion. In my opinion, the strumming progression on "Take One Last Look" goes too much to "Day After Tomorrow" territory...
Still, rearranged with maybe electric guitar along the acoustic, it could become a great song for the next album. And I do like the accordion.
I have a rough draft of the chords. It seems to play like this.
Let's watch the [F] sun come up in an[C] other town
[G] Try our luck a little [C] further down
Leave the [F] cards on the table
Leave the [C] bread on the plate
Put your [Dm] hand on the gear shift
Put your [G] foot off the brake
And take [C] one last look at the [F] place that you are [C]leaving
Take one last [G] look
Oh, take [C] one last look at the [F] place that you are [C]leaving
Take [C] one [G] last [C] look
Our bed was [F] something that the [C] wind couldn’t carry (?)
[G] The arrow points the way across the [C] waiting prairie
This [F] car looks like it could give us a [C] good run
Our [Dm] choice to leave was a [G] good one
And take [C] one last look at the [F] place that you are [C]leaving
Take one last [G] look
Oh, take [C] one last look at the [F] place that you are [C]leaving
Take [C] one [G] last [C] look
Let's look [F] forward to the lights that are [C] new [G]
The world's a ribbon of road for [C] you
All [F] towns have churches and [C] tyre shops
They put up [G] speed limit signs and they [C] hire cops
I love to [F] see the wind in your [C] hair
[Dm]All we ever need we can [G] get anywhere
And take [C] one last look at the [F] place that you are [C]leaving
Take one last [G] look
Oh, take [C] one last look at the [F] place that you are [C]leaving
Take [C] one [G] last [C] look
Oh, take one last look
Oh, take one last look
It is a nice song, very catchy tune and after having listened to it a few times i can appreciate what a great job he did singing it too. The Bass and accordion really bring it to life.
I have listened to this many times but still cannot decide on the first phrase in the second verse...
with pro headphones this is my best shot:
"our bed is something that the wind CAN carry"
as a lifelong songwriter I can see Waits possibly referring to their fetherbed...my take on this is that he does not say "couldn't" but "can"...I thought at first he was saying "I'll bet WE'RE something that the wind can carry" but now I'm going with "bed"
ANY HELP? or other takes on these phrases?
"I beg for something that the wind can carry."
From what I can tell, it's "Our bed was something that the wind couldn't carry," though the way he says "couldn't" does makes it sound a little weird.
I'm not an avid fan of Waits, but this free-form, mood piece is rather delicate in Tone. I recognize TW as a folk icon and poet, but not much of a musician.
Great song! I can't help but wonder if the place the couple is leaving is their life on earth, and they are hoping to recreate it (with speed limit signs and tire shops, etc.) in wherever they land in the after life.
I would say it's the wind can't carry.
As in their leaving with nothing, going by the wind.
I would say it's the wind can't carry.
As in their leaving with nothing, going by the wind.
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