Outcasts, Rebels, Hobos and Bards: 57 Songs from the roads taken in my imagination

For decades, I’ve loved cover versions of songs, especially those that deviate from the originals in style and interpretation: jazz versions of hard rock songs, blues versions of alternative or pop songs, and literary works interpreted as lyrics. Along with the sheer laughter brought on by misheard lyrics, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed how we each perceive the music in our lives so differently. I admit to spending perhaps too much time reimagining my favourite songs and stories to fit the endless fantasies of my imagination, so I decided to try and write down some of those re-imaginings: from songs and stories I love. 

This collection may appear to show an obsession with the stylings of Tom Waits and accurately so. His art, and those of others I perceive to be similar (Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, etc…), guide my fascination. While I accept that I do not understand all the reasons I love their music, and much less understand the actually technical tools they use to create their art; they continue to push me to learn about songwriting , composition, and storytelling. 

At this point, I must apologize if my rudimentary understanding of musical terms has me talking out of my butt, as you will no doubt see in my artist statements after each song. My intention was to use the terms correctly in the hopes of approximating helpful production tools for whomever might wish to record these songs.

What follows is a listing of the song titles and what inspired them. Over the next two months, give or take, I’ll post my song lyrics and an artist statement for each that will hopefully give a clue to how it sounds in my head. I invite anyone to collaborate and add actual music to these lyrics.

1 – “This May be The End“: Inspired by The End by The Doors. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this song.

2 – “People Are Strange“: Inspired by People Are Strange by The Doors and the haunting sounds of a travelling carnival’s weathered calliope. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this song.

3 – “The Travails of Self-doubt“: Inspired by a fictional debate between Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon on what makes a good Hobo Blues song, then put to music.

4 – “Loneliness , Whiskey, and Fire“: Inspired by a fictional debate between Tom Waits and Leadbelly on what makes a good Hobo Blues song

5 – “That Ol’ Tom Balm“: Inspired by a fictional song about Tom Waits by Louis Armstrong, as if Waits were an inspiration for a Louis Armstrong born after Tom Waits.

6 – “Relaxin’ Moments“: Inspired by a fictional song about a Mark Twain character’s soliloquy. Imagining that Huckleberry Finn grew up to become Tom Waits like bar singer.

7 – “Streetlight Confessional“: Inspired by the female protagonist in Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche. Re-imagined in what I think Paul Simon might have done, had he wrote this song.

8 – “Moonlit Harvest“: Inspired by Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. Re-imagined in what I think Robert Johnson might have done, had he wrote this as a traditional blues song.

9 – “Mississippi Whispering“: Inspired by The Tragically Hip’s New Orleans is Sinking. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this song.

10 – “Juke Joint Serenade“: Inspired by Simon & Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this song.

11 – “The Dream“: Inspired by John Lennon’s Imagine. Reimagined as a road song written and performed by Arlo Guthrie.

12 – “Sharing a Whiskey with Poe’s raven at Ol’ Tom’s Piano“: Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Re-imagined in what I think Nick Cave might have done, had he wrote this song.

13 – “Smoky Room Psycho“: Inspired by Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this as one of his spoken word songs.

14 – “The Price“: Inspired by The Skydiggers’ A Penny More. Re-imagined in what I think Bob Dylan might have done, had he wrote this song.

15 – “The Sinking City“: Inspired by Spirit of the West’s Venice is Sinking. Re-imagined in what I think Woody Guthry might have done, had he wrote this as a folk song.

16 – “Feathered Souls Ascend“: Inspired by The Icicle Works’ Birds Fly. Reimagined what it might sound like as if being done by Tom Waits.

17 – “So It Goes“: Inspired by The Beatles’ Let it Be. Reimagined what is might sound like as if done by Keith Richards.

18 – “The Sentinel of Sorrows“: Inspired by The Police’s King of Pain. Reimagined what it might sound like  being done as a folk song by Tom Waits.

19 – “Wailin’ in Style“: Inspired by Wondering where the lions are by Bruce Cockburn. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this song.

20 – “Urban Safari“: Inspired by Bruce Cockburn’s Wondering where the Lions are. Reimagined it being written as a Beat Poet rant only Bob Dylan can deliver.

21 – “City of Voices“: Inspired by Paul Simon’s Graceland. Reimagined it being written as a folk song by Bob Dylan.

22 – “Train Track Walls“: Inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Reimagined it being written as by Tom Waits piano piece.

23 – “A Punker’s Rhapsody“: Inspired by Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Reimagined it being written as a punk song by The Ramones.

24 – “Psychotic Blues Maniac“: Inspired by The Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound like as a Chicago Blues song.

25 – “Midpoint Nowhere Song“: Inspired by Road to Nowhere by The Talking Heads. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound like done as a folk or Beat poet song.

26 – “Wren’s Blues“: Inspired by Hey Jude by The Beatles. Re-imagined in what I think BB King might have done, had he wrote this song.

27 – “Radar Love Blues“: Inspired by Radar Love by Golden Earring. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound as a Memphis Blues song.

28 – “Midnight Howler“: Inspired by Allan Ginsberg’s Howl . Re-imagined in what I think Eric Clapton might have done, had he done it as a blues song.

29 – “Kafka Blue Meanderings“: Inspired by Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound like as a Texas Blues song.

30 – “Undressed Fancies“: Inspired by William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound like as a folk song that paints Burroughs and his words as some heroic tale.

31 – “Hunter’s Pseudo-Rebellion“: Inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Re-imagined in what I think Nick Cave might have done, had he wrote this as a punk song.

32 – “Midnight in Montmartre“: Inspired by the art of Toulouse Lautrec and the Montmartre art scene of his time. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done as a jazz song.

33 – “Midnight Smoke in Gaza“: Inspired by the Gaza genocide. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this as a political song.

34 – “Midnight Reverie“: Inspired by Miles Davis’ Blue in Green. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound with jazz lyrics.

35 – “Punker’s Origin“: Inspired by William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Re-imagined in what I think Nick Cave might have done as a punk song.

36 – “Bittersweet Blues“: Inspired by Big Head Todd & The Monster’s Bittersweet. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this song.

37 – “The Dead Man’s Boots“: Inspired by Sting’s Dead Man’s Boots. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound like as a jazzy Beat Poet’s lullaby.

38 – “Synchronicities“: Inspired by The Police’s Synchronicity. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound as a folk song.

39 – “Texas Tweeter“: Inspired by The Travelling Wilburys’ Tweeter and the Monkey Man. Re-imagined in what I think ZZ Top might have done, had he wrote this song.

40 – “Jazz on the Range“: Inspired by ZZ Top’s La Grange. Re-imagined in what I think it might sound as a jazz song.

41 – “Walking Through My Theologies“: Inspired by REM’s Losing My Religion. Re-imagined in what I think Tom Waits might have done, had he wrote this as a blues song.

42 – “Shireen“: Inspired by Come on Eileen by Dexys. Midnight Runners. Re-imagined what it might sound like as if done by Bob Dylan.

43 – “Noir Melody“: Inspired by Short Skirt, Long Jacket by Cake. Re-imagined what it might sound like had Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds done the song. 

44 – “Serenade“: Inspired by Sorrow from Bad Religion. Reimagined what it might sound like as a road song done by John Hiatt.

45 – “The Spider“: Inspired by Paralyzer from Finger Eleven. Re-imagined as if done as a John Hiatt song.

46 – “Soul Unbound“: Inspired by Be Yourself from Audioslave. Reimagined as a gospel-like campfire song.. 

47 – “Bebop Dreams“: Inspired by Blackbird from The Beatles. Reimagined as a Tom Waits like Bebop song.. 

48 – “Swing Intrusion“: Inspired by Love Interruption from Jack White. Reimagined as a raunchy Django Reinhardt swing song.

49 – “Tom’s Borrowed Lament“: Inspired by Owner of a Lonely Heart from YES. Reimagined as a Tom Waits soliloquy.

50 – “The Solitude“: Inspired by The Loneliest from Maneskin. Reimagined as a folksy-bluesy road song by Bob Dylan.

51 – “Wanderlust Waltz“: Inspired by Day by Day from Doug and the Slugs. Reimagined as an equally upbeat folk song done by the supergroup known as The Travelling Wilburys. 

52 – “Shadow Boy“: Inspired by Wonder Boy from Tenacious D. Reimagined this campy rock anthem as a raunchy Tom Waits blues rant. 

53 – “Heavy Love“: Inspired by The Weight from Amigo the Devil. Reimagined what it might sound like had Tom Waits done it. 

54 – “The Crimson Grasp“: Inspired by Nick Cave’s “Right Red Hand”. Reimagined as a Tom Waits song. 

55 – “Freed to Love“: Inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s “Bleed to Love Her”. Reimagined as a Bob Dylan folk song.

56 – “The Burning“: Inspired by Midnight Oil’s “Beds are burning”. Reimagined as a punk anthem using Leonard Cohen word-style.

57 – “Singleminded“: Inspired by Only You by The Flying Pickets. Reimagined as a folk song song around a camp fire.

Stay tuned…