This December marks cult icon Tom Waits’ 70th birthday. Tom Waits is an artist that has spent his career turning out works of poetic brilliance in the margins of celebrity. Critics and fans have described him as a beatnik smoke-voiced artist of the “down-and-outs.” However, in his youth the musician stated, “I’m a very pedestrian musician. I get by. I like to think that my main instrument is vocabulary.” Through his years of studying Americana culture and music, Waits has since expanded his musical vocabulary and become the iconoclast we know today. Prolific exploration and reinvention mark his expansive career.

Waits’ perpetual creativity has influenced artists from every background. Because of this, we have seen his influence spill into the world of film. In his career, Waits has worked with directors ranging from Hollywood elite Francis Ford Coppola to Indie elite Jim Jarmusch. He has acted next to Jack Nicolson and recently starred in the Cohen Brothers film, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2019).

His work has drawn the attention of filmmakers for decades, and because of that, the TV and Film that we love today have their fair share of Tom Waits treasures. Here’s a list of some Tom Waits songs that are hidden among pop culture films and television shows.

1. “Little Drop Of Poison” in Shrek 2 (2004)

While some people prefer the first Shrek (2001), the sequel has this hidden gem. At the bar, the king tries to find a contract killer to eliminate Shrek from his life. From the piano at the back, that is unmistakably Waits’ voice coming from the Pirate performer. This deep rasp of Waits’ voice sets the tone of scene.

The song “Little Drop Of Poison” comes from his collection Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards (2006), in the second installment, Bawlers (2006). The album centers on slow-tempo, melancholic ballads. The collection was critically acclaimed for its experimentation and composition. Furthermore, it was listed as the highest-scoring album of 2006 and nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

2. “Clap Hands” in Castle Rock (S1E2)

The Hulu Original series co-created by J.J. Abrams and Steven King is an American psychological horror anthology. In season one, dark and impending danger haunts the mysterious town of Castle Rock. The second episode, “Habeas Corpus,” begins with a main character entering Shawshank prison to the clattering rhythm of “Clap Hands.”

This song appears on Rain Dogs (1985), the second album of a trilogy, after Swordfishtrombones (1983) and before Frank Wild Years (1987). The album, thematically centered on the urban dispossessed, was noted for having varying music styles and textures, cementing Waits’ with a legacy of a deeply exploratory technique.

3. “Underground” in Robots (2005)

A bit of an obscure film, Robots (2005) is off the beaten path of your traditionally popularized animated films. Robots comes from the creators of Ice Age and iconically stars Robin Williams as one of the main robots. The mechanic clanking music coupled with Waits’ barked staccato vocals is the musical equivalent of the “Underground” robot recycling realm.

“Underground” is the first track on Swordfishtrombones, a pivotal moment marking Waits’ transition from his early work to his more “Waitsian” songs. This can be attributed to both the influence of his wife, Kathleen Brennan, and the fact that it is the first album Waits’ produced himself. Although the album was stylistically different than all his other ones, critics applauded Waits for including innovative instrumentation and abstract songwriting.

4. “Come On Up To The House” in Orange Is The New Black (S2E9)

After the release of the Netflix Original Orange Is The New Black, the show quickly gained popularity. In season two, the prison grants the main character Piper furlough in order to attend her brothers wedding. During the wedding, when the bride and groom are about the dance, you can hear the gospel of “Come On Up To The House.” The “bleeding heart ballad” of surrender is perfect for the forlorn mood that emulates from Piper.

Considered a landmark of his later works, you can find the song on Mule Variations (1999). The LP won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album for its backstreet and backwoods sound. After its release, critics described Waits as “the last of the classic American tunesmiths.”

5. “Goin’ Out West” in Fight Club (1999)

The cult classic Fight Club features Tom Waits in their most pivotal bar scene. The scene depicts the first assemblage of Fight Club. Members file through a bar that is blaring the bone-crunching anthem “Goin’ Out West.” The rugged psychological thriller was based on Chuck Pallahniuk’s novel, also titled Fight Club.



As Fight Club levies its complicated and ironic critiques of toxic masculinity, so too does Waits’ song. Centered on a character drowning in braggadocio and obsession with masculinity, “Goin’ Out West” matches Fight Club in both celebrating the sought ego-ideal and unmasking the deep inherent flaws.

The song is featured on Bone Machine (1992), an album noted for its percussion-heavy alternative style and dark violent lyrics. Both Primus’ Les Claypool and The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards make appearances on the album.

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He has delivered songs that clatter with the stream-piped underworld mystery of a New York sewer society, such as “Clap Hands” or “Underground.” And he has taken us to the opposite end of the spectrum with aching and heart throbbing arrangements, like on “Come On Up To The House.” His sense of culture, history, language, music, and character all work together in a single unified front to create a world with a unique story in every song. While Tom Waits has not taken center stage in our pop culture, he has been in the shadows moving the media for decades.