Much akin to his aforementioned affinity for crows, Tom Waits seems equally entranced by scarecrows, referring to them frequently within his early career. The omnipresent, stoic guardian of a scarecrow is perhaps unsurprising as a frequent muse for Waits, both he and it stoic and brooding, relics of a bygone age that still hold sway and influence.

‘Potter’s Field’ – Foreign Affairs (1977)

‘Cause he’d cut my bleedin’ heart out if he found out that I squealed/

Cause you see a scarecrow’s just a hoodlum’

‘Wrong Side of the Road’ – Blue Valentine (1978)

‘Poison all the water in the wishin’ well/

And hang all them scarecrows from the sycamore tree’

‘A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun’ – Blue Valentine (1978)

‘Now never trust a scarecrow wearin shades after dark/

Be careful of that old bow tie he wears’

‘On the Nickel’ – Heartattack and Vine (1980)

‘And if you chew tobacco and wish upon a star/

you’ll find out where the scarecrows sit just like punch lines between the cars’

‘I Beg Your Pardon’ – One from the Heart (1982)

‘I’m just a scarecrow without you/

baby please don’t disappear’

‘Back in the Good Old World’ – Night on Earth (1982)

‘On October’s last I’ll fly back home rolling down winding way/

Scarecrows are all dressed in rags out at the edge of the field I lay’

‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find’ – Blood Money (2002)

‘Go out to the meadow; scare off all the crows/

It does nothing but rain here, and nothing’

Have you heard our Tom Waits centric podcast yet? Hosted by long-time friends/fans Sam Whiles (@sidwidle1) and Tom Kwei (@tomkweipoet), ‘Down in the Hole’ explores the entire ouevre of the American singer songwriter, album by album every fortnight.

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