Jockey Full Of Bourbon

Tom Waits' 'Jockey Full Of Bourbon' is a vivid, surreal journey through a seedy, noirish landscape. The song's lyrics paint a picture of a world filled with broken dreams, shady characters, and a sense of impending doom. Waits' gravelly voice and the song's haunting melody add to the atmosphere, making it feel like a scene from a dark, twisted film noir.

The song opens with the line 'Edna Million in a drop dead suit,' immediately setting the tone with a character who seems both glamorous and tragic. The imagery of 'Dutch Pink on a downtown train' and a 'two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot' suggests a world where things are not as they seem, and danger lurks around every corner. The recurring line 'Hey little bird, fly away home, your house is on fire, children are alone' serves as a haunting refrain, adding a sense of urgency and desperation to the song.

Throughout the song, Waits uses a series of vivid, often surreal images to convey a sense of chaos and disarray. Lines like 'Schiffer broke a bottle on Morgan's head' and 'I'm stepping on the devil's tail' create a sense of violence and danger, while 'Bloody fingers on a purple knife' and 'Flamingo drinking from a cocktail glass' add a surreal, almost dreamlike quality. The song's final verse, with its references to 'Yellow sheets on a Hong Kong bed' and a 'Stazybo horn and a Slingerland ride,' adds to the sense of disorientation and confusion.

'Jockey Full Of Bourbon' is a masterful example of Tom Waits' ability to create a vivid, atmospheric world through his lyrics. The song's blend of gritty realism and surreal imagery creates a sense of unease and tension, drawing the listener into its dark, twisted world.