Look, if you know me, or you’ve read this blog for any length of time, it should come as no surprise that I am a huge Tom Waits fan.
I dig Tom’s music of course–hell Hold On is probably my all time favourite song, and he’s probably got a dozen at least in the top hundred, but I also like his facility for crafting a public persona.
To see what I mean, check out the recent promotional press release that Tom’s record company sent out: an interview of Tom, by Tom, entirely written by Tom.
Here’s a quote from the intro:
I must admit, before meeting Tom, I had heard so many rumors and so much gossip that I was afraid. Frankly, his gambling debts, his animal magnetism, coupled with his disregard for the feelings of others… His elaborate gun collection, his mad shopping sprees, the face lifts, the ski trips, the drug busts and the hundreds of rooms in his home. The tax shelters, the public urination…I was nervous to meet the real man himself. Baggage and all. But I found him to be gentle, intelligent, open, bright, helpful, humorous, brave, audacious, loquacious, clean, and reverent. A Boy Scout, really (and a giant of a man). Join me now for a rare glimpse into the heart of Tom Waits. Remove your shoes and no smoking, please.
and one random bit from later on (read the whole interview–do it now!):
Q: What’s scary to you?
A:
- A dead man in the backseat of a car with a fly crawling on his eyeball.
- Turbulence on any airline.
- Sirens and search lights combined.
- Gunfire at night in bad neighborhoods.
- Car motor turning over but not starting, its getting dark and starting to rain.
- Jail door closing.
- Going around a sharp curve on the Pacific Coast Highway and the driver of your car has had a heart attack and died, and you’re in the back seat.
- You are delivering mail and you are confronted with a Doberman with rabies growling low and showing teeth…you have no dog bones and he wants to bite your ass off.
- In a movie…which wire do you cut to stop the time bomb, the green or the blue.
- McCain will win.
- Germans with submachine guns.
- Officers, in offices, being official.
- You fell through the ice in the creek and it carried you down stream, and now as you surface you realize there’s a roof of ice.
The best part of the press release: I’ve read it all, and I have no idea what it was meant to promote, other than making me like Tom more and adding touch of the surreal to my day.
