When most people think of Tom Waits (including me), they think of the gravelly voice and the experimental music he would make later in his career. I like that as well, but on his debut album, Closing Time, he sounded very different. He is such a great songwriter, and like the greats, he puts his soul into his performances. His voice in this is perfect to me.
This track caught my attention with its storytelling. The song was inspired by Waits’ driving home at dawn after spending the night with someone special. Rather than focusing on drama, he captured a simple moment that many people have experienced.
Musically, it’s built around a gentle piano and an arrangement that owes as much to folk and country music as it does to rock. Waits recorded the song during the sessions for Closing Time in Los Angeles. Producer Jerry Yester helped shape the album’s laid-back sound, allowing Waits’ songwriting to take center stage.
As most people who know me know, I’m not the biggest Eagles fan, to say the least, but I’m glad they covered this. Their version brought the song to a much wider audience and introduced many listeners to Waits’ songwriting. While Waits later joked about some of the band’s interpretations of his work, there is no question that their recording helped spread the song far beyond his usual fan base.
Today, it is a signature song from Tom Waits’ early years. It captures a side of him that is sometimes overlooked, the songwriter who could turn an ordinary drive home into something memorable. Long before he became one of music’s most unique voices, this song showed that he already knew how to tell a story and make listeners feel like they were right there beside him.
Ol’ 55
Well, my time went so quickly, I went lickety-splitly
Out to my ol’ fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy
God knows I was feeling alive
Now the sun’s coming up
I’m riding with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade
And I lead the parade
Just a-wishing I’d stayed a little longer
Oh Lord, let me tell you that the feeling getting stronger
And it’s six in the morning, gave me no warning
I had to be on my way
Well, there’s trucks all a-passing me and the lights all a-flashin’
I’m on my way home from your place
And now the sun’s coming up
I’m riding with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Stars beginning to fade
And I lead the parade
Just a-wishing I’d stayed a little longer
Oh Lord, let me tell you the feeling getting stronger
And my time went so quickly, I went lickety-splitly
Out to my ol’ fifty-five
As I pulled away slowly, feeling so holy
God knows I was feeling alive
And now the sun’s coming up
I’m riding with Lady Luck
Freeway cars and trucks
Freeway cars and trucks
Freeway cars and trucks
