The Heart of Saturday Night

Tom Waits was just inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. I have followed his career from the 70's and remember the first time I saw him on TV on Peter Gzowski, in the early days of his CBC late night TV debut which was a real flop because Peter was not cut out for that at all. In truth, he was above the kind of late night TV slock being produced in Canada.

Nonetheless, Tom was the best guest Peter ever had on his short lived show and I was spell bound by Tom Waits and have been ever since. His ability to tell a story through his songs and music was pure genius. His demeanor was self-effacing, humble and full of wit. He had the most unusual fingers I'd ever seen.

In 1980 I went to school back to my childhood home of Toronto and was living in the downtown district on Young and Gerard, at the Women Christian Temperance Union. Fortunately my room mate was a drinker and a smoker, so we got on famously.

When I heard Tom Waits was coming to town, I immediately got a ticket for his show at the Roxy Theatre. When I arrived at the Roxy I took my front row seat next to some gals and the bouncer from the Le Strip, just up the street from the Temperance ladies. They offered me a drink from their brown bag but I declined, just because I didn't like the taste of hard liquor not because I was practicing temperance, I was far from being temperate. The girls made me think of Tom's great song Pasties and a G-String.

What I love about Tom Waits and his songs is that he sings about the underbelly of life and then can sing the most romantic tenderhearted ballads that touch me deeply. I think he sings for the everyman and those on the fringe of society; songs that everyone can relate to in some way if you can get past the gravel whiskey voice. He didn't always sing this way. I suppose hard living and the smokes has caught up with him.

I am grateful he's still among the living and sober. I especially glad he's finally been recognized for his achievement ability and the talented genius he is. And I am grateful I got to see him close up on the floor, close enough to see his tattoo, in the front of the Roxy so many years ago, when he was in his prime.

Well you gassed her up
Behind the wheel
With your arm around your sweet one
In your oldsmobile
Barrelin' down the boulevard
You're looking for the heart of saturday night

And you got paid on friday
And your pockets are jinglin'
And you see the lights
You get all tinglin' cause you're cruisin' with a 6
And you're looking for the heart of saturday night

Then you comb your hair
Shave your face
Tryin' to wipe out ev'ry trace
All the other days
In the week you know that this'll be the saturday
You're reachin' your peak

Stoppin' on the red
You're goin' on the green
'cause tonight'll be like nothin'
You've ever seen
And you're barrelin' down the boulevard
Lookin' for the heart of saturday night

Tell me is the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin?
Telephone's ringin'; it's your second cousin
Is it the barmaid that's smilin' from the corner of her eye?
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye.

Makes it kind of quiver down in the core
'cause you're dreamin' of them saturdays that came before
And now you're stumblin'
You're stumblin' onto the heart of saturday night

Well you gassed her up
And you're behind the wheel
With your arm around your sweet one
In your oldsmobile
Barrellin' down the boulevard,
You're lookin' for the heart of saturday night

Is the crack of the poolballs, neon buzzin?
Telephone's ringin'; it's your second cousin
And the barmaid is smilin' from the corner of her eye
Magic of the melancholy tear in your eye.

Makes it kind of special down in the core
And you're dreamin' of them saturdays that came before
It's found you stumblin'
Stumblin' onto the heart of saturday night
And you're stumblin'
Stumblin onto the heart of saturday night

- Tom Waits