Tom Waits is a bit of a strange cat. An oddball, even. You only need to observe one Tom Waits talk show appearance to suss that one out. He can come out with some strange quips, such as his assertion that 'the only people qualified to run the country are cutting hair and driving cabs' (said on Jimmy Fallon). But there is a definite philosophy to Tom Waits. He is a thinker, somebody ready and willing to impart his own brand of wisdom to the world. His fans will be keenly aware of his philosophical nature, whereas to others he will just be 'that guy who sounds like he's had one too many bourbons and can't carry a tune'. Here are a few examples of Waits' wisdom:
We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness€We are monkeys with money and guns. Writing songs is like capturing birds without killing them. Sometimes you end up with nothing but a mouthful of feathers. Their memory's like a train: you can see it getting smaller as it pulls away and the things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget that history puts a saint in every dream. Most people don't care if you're telling them the truth or if you're telling them a lie, as long as they're entertained by it. You find that out really fast.
There aren't too many 'pop stars' capable of imparting such depth and knowledge. It's something that comes naturally to Waits, something that his fans adore him for.
