Tom Waits "Back In The Crowd"

Normally, if I was on the fence about adding a song, I might post it here to solicit opinions.

But when you're talking about Tom Waits, nothing qualifies as "Normally."

Because the problem with decided to add or pass on a Tom Waits song, has to do with the specific listener's opinion of Tom Waits.

Oscar Wilde had an awesome quote:

"If you don't like someone, the way he holds his spoon will make you furious. If you do like him, he can turn his plate over into your lap and you won't mind."

If you are a person predisposed to liking Tom Waits, it's because you've come to appreciate the charm of his oddball approach.

Anything new he does, just reaffirms his quirky status, even if it's just a slight twist on a very straightforward troubadour-thing he's been doing for 40 years.

"Waits is doing a song like he's in a Spanish cafe? Fantastic!!!"

But if you've never been won over by his charm, stumbling onto a Tom Waits song is a guaranteed, "What the hell is mvy playing?" moment.

"That guy can't sing. And since when did this station start putting Mexican folk songs on the air?!?"

There's not really a middle ground here. People don't really say, "Tom Waits? Yeah, I could take him or leave him."

And there's my problem.

I can add a song that part of the listenership is thrilled about, and part is completely unmoved by.

It's harder to justify adding a song that part of the listenership is thrilled about, and part of the listnership can't change the channel fast enough.

And again, I could ask you what you think, but either you're going to say, "Tom Waits is a genius and anyone who doesn't like him is an idiot," or "This song is an awful mess and I couldn't listen to it all the way through, once."

What to do, what to do . . .


Hear the song on Youtube.