Tuesday 23 September 2014

Tom Waits for No-One: 3: Diamond in Your Mind: From 'Healing the Divide' (2007)

"She's like a wrecking ball that's no longer attached to the chain"

I know this song from the fine Joe Henry produced Solomon Burke album 'Don't Give Up on Me' (2002). It's not really a ballad, although strangely moving. 'Diamond in Your Mind' was written in 2000 by Waits and wife Breenan. I don't believe it was recorded by Waits until this live version, which is taken from Healing the Divide: A 'Concert for Peace and Reconciliation' given by Dalai Lama, Tom Waits, Kronos Quartet, Philip Glass, Foday Musa Suso and Anoushka S in 2007.
It popped up on Spotify yesterday and has been ear worming me ever since. Populated by the usual bawdy menagerie, it's as universal as it is singular; Wait's particular genius.
It's also funny as hell...

I shook the hand of the President and the Pope in Rome
I've been to parties where I've had to be flown
They said everything was sacred, nothing was profane
And money was something that you throw off the back of trains

Oh always keep a diamond in your mind
You gotta always keep a diamond in your mind
Wherever you may wander
Wherever you may roam
You gotta always keep a diamond in your mind

Steam of the gravy with little fried pearls
Floating like a necklace on a beautiful girl
Johan says thanks to the food and land
And oh so ever grateful for God's on my hands

Oh always keep a diamond in your mind
Always keep a diamond in your mind
Wherever you may wander
Wherever you may roam
You gotta always keep a diamond in your mind

She's got the milk of human kindness and the fat of the lamb
Scared like a baby, well she drives like a man
She lives outside of Natchez where she operates a crane
She's like a wrecking ball no longer connected to the chain

Oh Zerelda Samuel said she almost never prayed
Said she lost her right arm, blown off in a Pinkerton raid
Then they lashed her to a windmill with old 3-fingered Dave
Now she's 102 drinking mint juleps in the shade

Everybody, always keep a diamond in your mind
You gotta always keep a diamond in your mind
Wherever you may wander
Wherever you may roam
Your gotta always keep a diamond in your mind



1 comment:

  1. Studio version of "Diamond" appeared as a bonus track on the limited vinyl edition of "ORPHANS: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards." Nice version with slightly altered lyrics, and Tom tones the growl down to a purr. Currently available for an arm & a leg (or $450) on Amazon.com. Otherwise you can hear it here:
    Diamond In Your Mind (studio version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcnIWtv61tk

    Also came across an ancient & very smoky interview with Tom on the Mike Douglas Show. I actually remember watching this back in 1976, aghast at his bizarre behavior. No way I'd buy that nutter's records! Funny to watch Glenda Jackson cooly puffing away too, while an agitated Marvin Hamlish freaks out about all the smoke...
    Tom Waits interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5gs2yzaIM

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