Tom Waits shambles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and your ears twitch at the sandpapered quote he lays on the Old Gray Lady as he accepts the honor:
“They say that I have no hits and I’m difficult to work with, and they say that like it’s a bad thing. Songs are really just interesting things to be doing with the air.”
I wish I had something to give him other than praise and respect, but maybe that’s enough.
Mad Blog Media 
Bit o’ good news: http://www.thenation.com/article/159190/walkers-big-bank-donors-take-hit
What a great quote!
Libby, Tom is a walkin’, talkin’ quote factory. I love listening to interviews with him, because you never know what the hell is going to pop out of his mouth.
One of my favorite TW quotes:
“You know there ain’t no devil, that’s just God when he’s drunk.”
One of mine, from “Step Right Up,” goes like this: “That’s right, buddy, the large print giveth and the small print taketh away.” I saw Waits perform this one live in Denver, when he was just starting to ease into his “anything is a musical instrument” phases, and he was using an old-fashioned cash register as a percussion instrument. I’m convinced that the song inspired George Carlin’s “Advertising” bit.
P.S. I’m an admirer of Edward Hopper, too. Also, Joe Henry’s CDs, ‘Tiny Voices’ and ‘Civilians’ may interest fans of Tom Waits.