Jen Adamthwaite and Dave Pickering join Song by Song for this fifth track from Blue Valentine, to discuss the adequate musical choices of Tom Waits and the need for clarity of storytelling. There's some differences of opinion, as well as debates over Waits's judgement of the song's protagonist (and our judgement of him for that), and the nature and associations of "white blues' in general.
Nb: the Tracy Chapman track we discuss is "Behind The Wall" from the album Tracy Chapman.
Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include:
$29.00, Blue Valentine, Tom Waits (1978)
Shot Gun Blues, Briefcase Full Of Blues, The Blues Brothers/Donnie Walsh (1978)
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