
“Let’s put a new coat of paint on this lonesome old town. Set ‘em up, we’ll be knockin’ ‘em down.” – Tom Waits
“Let’s put a new coat of paint on this lonesome old town. Set ‘em up, I’ll be knockin’ ‘em right on down.” – Southside Johnny.
When Southside Johnny sings these lines from Tom Waits’ classic “New Coat of Paint,” it’s with the weathered, street-smart, houserockin’ swagger that made him and his band the Asbury Jukes legendary. He also injects something new: the noir-ish, indigo mood of a city at night. And though the Jukes are the official house band of the wee hours, only a big—nay, bigger—band can really soundtrack the night. And while scores of songwriters nail the nuances of nocturne, nobody does it quite like Waits.
“The first time I heard a Tom Waits song,” says Southside, “was probably the Eagles doin’ “Old ’55.” I loved the lyrics. They were so evocative. I went to the record store and got one of [Waits’] early albums and it just knocked me out. His approach, his voice, the romanticism, and yet there’s that gritty realism that he captures, too.”
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