Tom Waits, "Mule Variations", 1999
--words and music by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan
from "The Farrago Sessions", 2006, LineLevel Music
Well Zenora Bariella and Coriander Pyle Had sixteen children in the usual style Had a curio museum and they had no guile All they ever wanted was a show biz child On the seventh of December 1949 they got what They'd been waiting for all of the time Grew up in a trailer, by the time he was nine Ran off to join the circus, telling fortunes on the side Hail, Hail, the Eyeball Kid Well the first time I saw him was in a Saigon jail Cost me 27 dollars just to go his bail I said your name will be in lights and that's no doubt But you got to have a manager that's what it's all about People gonna point, people gonna stare I'll always be there to protect you, cut down on the glare I know you can't speak, know you can't sign So cry right here on the dotted line Hail, Hail, the Eyeball Kid Well he was born without a body not even a brow I made the Kid a promise; I made the Kid a vow He's not conventionally handsome; he'll never be tall He said, "All you got to do is book me into Carnegie Hall" Hail, Hail, the Eyeball Kid Now, he's just a little bitty thing; he's just a little guy But the women go crazy for the big blue eye They say how does he dream? How does he think? When he can't even speak and he can't even blink? I said Hail, Hail, (Hail, Hail) the Eyeball Kid Hail, Hail, (Hail, Hail) the Eyeball Kid Give it up and throw me down A couple of quid Everybody wanna see The Eyeball Kid So give it up and throw it Down a couple of quid Everybody wanna see The Eyeball Kid How does he dream? How does he think? When he can't even see and he can't even blink We are lost in the wilderness; we're blind as can be And he came down to show us how to really see (Hallelujah) The Eyeball Kid (Hallelujah) Hallelujah Hail, Hail, the Eyeball Kid (Hallelujah) Hallelujah Give it up and throw it Down a couple of quid Everybody wanna see the Eyeball Kid
EYEBALL KID (WAITS/BRENNAN) THIS ONE IS FROM TOM WAITS 1999 ALBUM MULE VARIATIONS AND WAS WRITTEN BY TOM AND HIS WIFE, KATHLEEN BRENNAN. THE FIRST TIME I HEARD THIS TUNE ALL I COULD SAY WAS "WHAT THE $@&# WAS THAT?" BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE IT HAD BEEN RECORDED ON ONE OF ALAN LOMAX'S OLD FIELD RECORDING UNITS. THE SECOND TIME I HEARD IT I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT LYRIC. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FIND THE OPENING LINE COMPLETELY UNINTELLIGIBLE, ITS "WELL ZANORA BARIELLA & CORIANDER PYLE"... AND OFF WE GO! MR. WAITS, WHO CONTINUES TO WORK EVERY SIDE OF THE MUSICAL AISLE, IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF AN ARTIST WHOSE BODY OF WORK IS SEVERELY UNDERAPPRECIATED. START ANYWHERE AND PREPARE TO BE AMAZED OR JUST GO LISTEN TO "TOM TRAUBERT'S BLUES" AND TRY NOT TO GET CHOKED UP... I DARE YA!
MICHAEL STANLEY: LEAD & BACKING VOCALS, BASS RODNEY PSYKA: PERCUSSION JENNIFER LEE: VOCALS GARY JONES: PIANO TOMMY DOBECK: DRUMS, PERCUSSION PAUL CHRISTENSEN: TENOR & SOPRANO SAX DAVID SPERO: VOCALS