In 2006 Tom Waits and his wife (Kathleen Brennan) were identified as #4 on Paste Magazine's top 100 best living songwriters. This acolade only scratches the surface of the couples talent not to mention Waits' delivery. I have always been a sucker for those skilled in the art of construeing words so as to twist the heart, mind and soul of listener/reader. Dillan has a nack for it (he was #1 on the list) and there are others but none have moved me the quite the way that Waits has. Which is why, I suppose, I am making the trip from CT to Jacksonville Fl next week to experience the art of Waits. And so I have made a list of some of the lines in Waits (and Brennan) songs that have really moved me for better or for worse. I would love to hear from you: What Wait's words have really had an effect on you, or any Waits experience you would like to share:

"Don't you know there aint no devil, there's just God when he's drunk"

HEARTATTACK AND VINE

"The only things that you can see is all that you lack"

"and you been whipped by the forces that are inside you"

"well you know you should surrender but you can't let go"

COME ON UP TO THE HOUSE

"tornado watches issued shortly

before noon Sunday, for the areas

including, the western region

of my mental health

and the northern portions of my

ability to deal rationally with my

disconcerted precarious emotional

situation, it's cold out there..."

EMOTIONAL WEATHER REPORT

"I'm watchin tv in the window of a furniture store"

COLD WATER LYRICS

"Don't go to church on Sunday

Don't get on my knees to pray

Don't memorize the books of the Bible

I got my own special way

I know Jesus loves me

Maybe just a little bit more"

CHOCOLATE JESUS LYRICS

"I order my veal cutlet, Christ it left the plate and it walked down to the end of the counter. Waitress, ? she's wearing those rhinestone glasses with the little pearl thing clipped on the sweater. My veal cutlet come down, tried to beat the shit out of my cup of coffee. Coffee just wasn't strong enough to defend itself."

FROM NIGHTHAWKS AT THE DINER

"She's been married so many times, she's got rice marks all over her face"

FROM BETTER OFF WITHOUT A WIFE ON NIGHTHAWKS AT THE DINER