Goin’ Out West by Tom Waits Lyrics Meaning – Unearthing the Maverick Spirit
Lyrics
‘Cause Tony Franciosa used to date my ma
They got some money out there, they’re givin’ it away
I’m gonna do what I want and I’m gonna get paid
Do what I want and I’m gonna get paid
Little brown sausages lying in the sand
I ain’t no extra baby, I’m a leading man
Well, my parole officer will be proud of me
With my Olds ’88 and the devil on a leash
My Olds ’88 and the devil on a leash
I know karate, Voodoo too
I’m gonna make myself available to you
I don’t need no make up, I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
Well, I don’t lose my composure in a high-speed chase
Well, my friends think I’m ugly, I got a masculine face
I got some drag-strip courage, I can really drive a bed
I’m gonna change my name to Hannibal or maybe just Rex
Change my name to Hannibal or maybe just Rex
I know karate, Voodoo too
I’m gonna make myself available to you
I don’t need no make up, I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt
I’m gonna drive all night, get some speed
I’m gonna wait for the sun to shine down on me
I cut a hole in my roof, the shape of a heart
And I’m goin’ out west where they’ll appreciate me
I’m goin’ out west where they’ll appreciate me
Goin’ out west where they’ll appreciate me
Goin’ out west where they’ll appreciate me
Goin’ out west, goin’ out west
Goin’ out west, goin’ out west
Goin’ out west, goin’ out west
Goin’ out west, goin’ out west
Tom Waits, the gravel-voiced bard of the downtrodden and overlooked, crafts songs that are far more than mere compositions—they are encapsulations of raw, untamed spirit. ‘Goin’ Out West,’ a track from his 1992 album ‘Bone Machine,’ serves as a volcanic eruption of individualism and self-reinvention. It trumpets the hopes and dreams of those who stare at the western horizon, seeing not a sunset, but the promise of a new day.
This song isn’t just a roadmap across the rough terrains of America; it’s a navigation through the rugged landscape of the soul. The promises of the West are dissected, revealing not just a sense of place, but a state of mind, one that Waits masterfully explores and explodes in his signature cacophony of sounds and words.
Setting Out to Reinvent: The Quest for Identity
Waits doesn’t just physically venture ‘Out West’—he dives headfirst into the psychological frontier. The lyric ‘I’m gonna do what I want and I’m gonna get paid’ isn’t a mere boast; it’s a declaration of autonomy. In a society that increasingly values conformity, Waits’s protagonist chooses the path less traveled, a pursuit of something raw and untamed in the landscapes within and beyond.
‘Cause Tony Franciosa used to date my ma’ is not just a nod to an obscure Hollywood figure but a metaphor for touching greatness, albeit through vicarious means. Each word here amplifies a narrative soaked in personal history and a push for a future where the protagonist is the scriptwriter of his own destiny.
The Dreamscape of the West – Illusion Versus Reality
The West represents the ultimate symbolic frontier, a tableau on which scores of dreamers have projected their deepest desires. ‘They got some money out there, they’re giving it away’ encapsulates the allure of the American Dream—the myth of the land of plenty. Yet, is this prospective paradise an elixir or an opiate? Waits’s West is as much a mirage as it is a real destination, a place of both golden opportunity and treacherous deception.
This is a sardonic triumph, wrestling with the hyper-commercialized version of ‘success’ that society shills. The lyric ‘I’m gonna wait for the sun to shine down on me’ is steeped in irony—a narrative of empowerment entangled with the realization that sometimes, fortune is simply bestowed rather than earned.
A Raw Cut of Masculinity – Debunking Stereotypes
In his gravel-toned verses, Waits concocts a potion of testosterone and sweat-laden imagery. It’s an overt and gritty embodiment of masculinity—scars, hair on the chest, not needing makeup. But it’s no homage to male bravado. Instead, Waits uses these symbols to turn a critical eye on the monolithic standards of machismo, ultimately puncturing them with his character’s unique brand of self-assurance.
The memorable assertion, ‘I look good without a shirt’ is less about vanity and more about the comfort in one’s skin—the antithesis of Hollywood’s polished and preened notions of beauty. It is here that Waits both mocks and elevates the raw form, transforming it into its own standard of allure.
High-Speed Chase Through Life – The Hidden Meaning
‘Well, I don’t lose my composure in a high-speed chase’ conveys more than visceral imagery; it’s a metaphor for maintaining one’s cool in the rat race of life. Waits’ protagonist isn’t just fleeing towards something tangible but escaping the trappings of a society where he’s deemed an ‘ugly’ outcast—an existential fugitive on the run from prescribed identities.
The pivot towards renaming oneself ‘Hannibal or maybe just Rex’ is a critical turn in this odyssey. It’s an act of self-liberation and rebranding. Behind the arcane references are deeper layers of transformation, equating change with power and control over one’s self-scripted legend.
The Heart-Shaped Hole – Poetry in the Pursuit of Appreciation
The climax comes with a powerful visual: ‘I cut a hole in my roof, the shape of a heart.’ This poignant image stretches beyond the physical—signifying vulnerability and a willingness to let the elements in. It’s a metaphor for love, openness, and the relentless human need for acceptance and appreciation.
To ‘go out west where they’ll appreciate me’ is to seek a realm where one’s worth is acknowledged. The repeating finale of ‘Goin’ out west’ resonates like a mantra, a meditative promise of finding one’s place in the world. It’s a universal longing that Waits, with his cult-like poise, turns into an anthem of self-discovery and defiant hope.
