I thought this song deserved at least a weekend post due to the lyrics alone, but apparently there was also a lawsuit involved due to a sound-alike performance in a commercial, after Tom Waits was asked by Frito-Lay to perform and he refused. Reminds me the OpenAI ChatGPT ScarJo controversy, to be honest:
Here's the album version with the lyrics in the description (the album art is probably NSFW due to a nearly topless callgirl, but if you look closely, she has pasties/tassels, so I'm calling it artistic license, but fair warning all the same!):
The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away.
busyant•5mo ago
Always happy to see anything related to Tom Waits here.
Also, it's simply a great song.
aspenmayer•5mo ago
I honestly haven't seen much related to Tom Waits on HN, and when I heard this song, I simply had to share it with everyone who cares to hear it, irl and otherwise. He just gets it, no matter what it is. He's just a cool dude. I don't know how he does it. Years of honing his craft and it just looks so carefree and effortless. I'm so glad he exists, and I appreciate you too for enjoying his creations with me vicariously.
busyant•5mo ago
> He just gets it, no matter what it is. He's just a cool dude. I don't know how he does it.
I agree. His songs seem like unique and unusual gems.
aspenmayer•5mo ago
I thought this song deserved at least a weekend post due to the lyrics alone, but apparently there was also a lawsuit involved due to a sound-alike performance in a commercial, after Tom Waits was asked by Frito-Lay to perform and he refused. Reminds me the OpenAI ChatGPT ScarJo controversy, to be honest:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-4o#Scarlett_Johansson_cont...
https://www.georgetown.edu/news/ask-a-professor-openai-v-sca...
And it finds you a job. It is a job!
Here's the album version with the lyrics in the description (the album art is probably NSFW due to a nearly topless callgirl, but if you look closely, she has pasties/tassels, so I'm calling it artistic license, but fair warning all the same!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTdScE3Rqh8
Send before midnight, tomorrow terms available.
A SFW re-issue album art version for those who can't click the above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYyCitIDzvI
And it strips the phone company free!
Here's an amazing live session from 1977, with Step Right Up being first on the setlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4er0QVPABo&t=84s
It delivers a pizza.
A somewhat deeper examination of the lyrics:
https://genius.com/Tom-waits-step-right-up-lyrics
'cause it forges your signature!
The prices keep going up if you listen closely.
The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away.
busyant•5mo ago
Also, it's simply a great song.
aspenmayer•5mo ago
busyant•5mo ago
I agree. His songs seem like unique and unusual gems.