Alice by Tom Waits Lyrics Meaning – Deciphering the Labyrinth of Love and Loss

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Tom Waits's Alice at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

It’s dreamy weather we’re on
You waved your crooked wand
Along an icy pond with a frozen moon
A murder of silhouette crows I saw
And the tears on my face
And the skates on the pond
They spell Alice

I disappear in your name
But you must wait for me
Somewhere across the sea
There’s a wreck of a ship
Your hair is like meadow grass on the tide
And the raindrops on my window
And the ice in my drink
Baby all I can think of is Alice

Arithmetic arithmetock
Turn the hands back on the clock
How does the ocean rock the boat?
How did the razor find my throat?
The only strings that hold me here
Are tangled up around the pier

And so a secret kiss
Brings madness with the bliss
And I will think of this
When I’m dead in my grave
Set me adrift and I’m lost over there
And I must be insane
To go skating on your name
And by tracing it twice
I fell through the ice
Of Alice

And so a secret kiss
Brings madness with the bliss
And I will think of this
When I’m dead in my grave
Set me adrift and I’m lost over there
And I must be insane
To go skating on your name
And by tracing it twice
I fell through the ice
Of Alice
There’s only Alice

Among the sprawling catalog of Tom Waits, a song emerges—ethereal and haunting. ‘Alice’ is more than a mere amalgamation of chords and lyrics; it’s a delicate tapestry woven with the threads of yearning, memory, and the ephemeral nature of existence.

As we delve into the misty reverie that Waits conjures in ‘Alice’, it’s essential to grasp the nuances lurking behind every verse. This piece isn’t just an analysis but an exploration of the soul of a song that defies time and resonates with the ache of what it means to love something just beyond reach.

Unraveling the Enigma: A Dive into the Mythic Ice Pond

The opening lines of ‘Alice’ transport listeners to a dreamlike scape, where nature itself seems to be under a mystical enchantment. The ‘crooked wand’ and ‘frozen moon’ aren’t mere elements of a cold landscape; they embody the distortion of reality when gripped by a powerful infatuation.

The ‘murder of silhouette crows’ and the echo of skates carving the name ‘Alice’ conjure images both beautiful and ominous—much like the duality of love and loss. In this chilly setting, the protagonist’s tears not only testify to his sorrow but also blur his vision, perhaps a metaphor for the blinding power of love.

The Pier as a Mooring of the Heart: Love’s Tangled Strings

Tom Waits often constructs elaborate metaphors, and ‘Alice’ is rife with them. The stanza referring to the strings around the pier presents a vivid picture of love’s complex bind. He’s both anchored and entwined—trapped in the loop of his own longing, unable to move on from the memory of Alice.

This imagery of being held ‘here’ against ‘pier,’ serves as a dual symbol: the protagonist is bound to his love, and simultaneously to his demise, foreshadowing the darker elements that Waits masterfully weaves into the latter parts of the song.

The Heart’s Perilous Voyage: ‘Set me Adrift and I’m Lost Over There’

There’s a profound sense of dislocation as the protagonist reflects on being ‘adrift’. Waits isn’t just painting a portrait of physical distance; he uses the sea as a metaphor for the vast emotional gulf between the singer and his object of affection. It’s an expanse fraught with danger—a shipwreck awaiting its inevitable happening.

This foreboding is intensified by the contrast between the beauty of ‘meadow grass’ and the prevalent images of coldness—a juxtaposition that Waits crafts to highlight the warmth of love amidst the isolation and icy indifference of the world.

Skating on Thin Ice: The Ephemeral Thrill of Forbidden Love

The repeated motif of skating on Alice’s name represents a treacherous thrill. It’s a desperate dance with destiny, symbolizing the risk inherent in pursuing this forbidden passion—one that can plunge the heart into the abyss at the slightest misstep.

By ‘tracing it twice,’ the protagonist tempts fate, knowing full well the potential for collapse. This act embodies the cyclical nature of obsession, where the same actions that offer immense pleasure also edge one closer to destruction.

Eternal Echoes of ‘Alice’: Uncovering the Song’s Hidden Despair and Desire

While ‘Alice’ can be interpreted as a tragic love letter, beneath its whimsical surface lies an undercurrent of existential dread and acknowledgement of life’s impermanence. Waits doesn’t just sing about a lost love; he confronts the ultimate loss—mortality.

The chilling verse ‘I will think of this when I’m dead in my grave’ casts the entire song in a spectral light, marrying the bliss of love with the madness of its pursuit. In contemplating his own end, the protagonist finds Alice to be both his muse and his siren—calling him to the rocky shores of love, where he may just break.