$29.00

little black girl in a red dress
on a hot night with a broken shoe
little black girl you shoulda never left home
theres probly someone thats still waitin up for you
its cold back in chicago
but in los angeles its worse
when all you got is $29.00 and an alligator purse

i see already that vulture in the fleetwood
with the shartruse hood
can see you're trying to get your bearings
and you say hey which ways the main stem
and where ever you say you're from
he'll say he grew up there himself
and he'll comeon and make you feel
like you grew up right next door to him
and you say take a left on central
and he throws it in reverse
cause you only got $29.00 and an alligator purse

and he'll come on like a gentleman
and you'll be a little shy
you say your ex old man was a sax player
he'll say baby i used to play bass for sly
and you say you like his cadillac, say honey i got 2 or 3
he'll say sweetheart you're sure fortunate
that you ran into me
when you've done a dime in the joint
you figure nothin could be worse
and you got $29.00 in an alligator purse

well he got pharoh on the 8 track
you start smokin a little boo
you thinkin gettin out of chicago was the
best thing ever happened to you
but he ain't no good samaritan
he'll make sure he's reimbursed
lot more than $29.00 and an alligator purse

now the sirens just an epilog
the cops always get there to late
they always stop for coffee on the way to the scene of the
crime
they always try so hard to look like movie stars
they couldnt catch a cold
you only wasting your dime
and she's lucky to be alive
the doctor whispered to the nurse
she only lost a 1/2 pint of blood
$29.00 and an alligator purse

Albums

External comments

Anders Kristensen
Anders KristensenTom is Fantastic!!!
Anna L. Vajda
Anna L. VajdaThat's some dark subject matter Tom.
Comment
CommentA few lyrics missing . . . but that made them a treat.
Fred M
Fred MBad Lyracs
Hengfu Haze
Hengfu HazeI first got into Tom Waits pre-internet and it's been such an absolute joy to rediscover him again lately and find all the lyrics online etc. Plus find a whole bunch of great albums post Black Rider, which is pretty much where I stopped the first time round. Happy days!
Illavick
IllavickThose lyrics... boyo. 'couldn't catch a cold', God DAMN that's good stuff
Jack Winta
Jack WintaBest waits song
James C. Lockwood
James C. LockwoodHis music would make great movies
Joe Corneli
Joe CorneliGood music
Joe Kokasko
Joe KokaskoGreat lyrics.????
Luke Heywood
Luke HeywoodHey baby which ways the main stem.. 29 $ great tune ..aint no good samaritan gonna make sure hes reimbursed..
Mike Seward
Mike SewardBest tunes
Randy
RandyThat drummer's pocket and swing
Scott Kay
Scott KayThere's almost no 1 like him
Tempus Fugit
Tempus FugitMan! He blows me away!
zacatecanjack
zacatecanjackwish you came back to Australia..
View all YouTube comments

Comments