About The Song
(Watch the video below)
Tom Traubert’s Blues is a song by Rod Stewart, released as a single in 1992 and included in the compilation album Lead Vocalist (1993). The song is a cover of a 1976 song by American musician Tom Waits, who wrote it based on his experiences in London and Copenhagen. The song’s chorus is derived from the Australian folk song Waltzing Matilda, and its lyrics narrate alcohol abuse and loneliness.
The song begins with Stewart singing “Wasted and wounded, and it ain’t what the moon did, I got what I paid for now” over a piano accompaniment. He then introduces the character of Tom Traubert, a friend of a friend who died in prison, and says that he is “four sheets to the wind in Copenhagen”. The song then shifts to a more upbeat tempo, with a violin and accordion joining the piano. Stewart sings the chorus, which is a variation of Waltzing Matilda, with the words “And you can ask any sailor, and the keys from the jailer, and the old men in wheelchairs know, that Matilda’s the defendant, she killed about a hundred, and she follows wherever you may go”. The chorus implies that Matilda is a metaphor for alcohol, which has ruined the lives of many men.
The song then returns to the piano and violin, and Stewart sings the second verse, which describes how he met a girl named Matilda in Copenhagen, and how they waltzed and drank together. He says that he “lost my heart to a Galway girl” and that he “sang her the song that I heard up above”. He then repeats the chorus, and the song ends with a fade-out of the piano and violin.
The song is a poignant and powerful expression of Stewart’s vocal abilities, as well as his admiration for Waits’ songwriting. The song showcases Stewart’s ability to convey emotion and storytelling through his voice, as well as his versatility in adapting to different musical styles. The song also reflects Stewart’s own experiences with alcohol and relationships, as he has admitted to having a drinking problem in the past and has been married four times. The song is considered one of Stewart’s best covers, and one of his most popular songs in Europe, where it charted in several countries. The song is also a tribute to Waits, who is one of Stewart’s musical influences and friends.
Video
Lyrics
Let's sing along with the lyrics!
Wasted and wounded
And it ain't what the moon did
I got what I paid for now
See you tomorrow
Hey Frank can I borrow
A couple of bucks from you
To go waltzing Matilda waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me
I'm an innocent victim
Of a blinded alley
And I'm tired of all these soldiers here
No-one speaks English
And everything's broken
And my strength is soaking away
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Malitda with me
Now the dogs they are barking
And the taxi cab's parking
A lot they can do for me
I begged you to stab me
You tore my shirt open
And I'm down on my knees tonight
Old bushmills I staggered
You buried the dagger
Your silhouette window light
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me
Now I've lost my St. Christopher
Now that I kissed her
And the one-arm bandit knows
And the maverick Chinaman
With the cold-blooded sigh
And the girls down by the striptease shows go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me
No I don't want your sympathy
Fugitives say
That the streets aren't for dreaming now
Manslaughter dragnet
And the ghost that sells memories
Want a piece of the action anyhow
Go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me
And you can ask any sailor
And the keys from the jailor
And the old men in wheelchairs know
That Matilda's the defendant
She killed about a hundred
And she follows wherever you may go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go waltzing Matilda with me
And it's a battered old suitcase
In a hotel someplace
And a wound that would never heal
No prima donnas the perfume is on
And old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
And goodnight to the street-sweepers,
The night watchmen flame-keepers
And goodnight Matilda too
Goodnight Matilda too.