TOM WAITS FOR NO "MARS"

TV Guide talked to the producers of 'Life On Mars' (the American version) about the music used on the show; wanted to know if they couldn't get the rights to use any particular song......

Appelbaum: We write every song into the script, not after the fact, because the music is so important. And only one person denied us.

Rosenberg: Because he thought the show sucked. [Laughs]

Appelbaum: It was Episode 6, and Sam describes when he met Maya (played by Lisa Bonet) for the first time. He flashes back to the scene and “Tom Traubert’s Blues” is playing. It was so good. Tom Waits approves all of his licensing, and he sent an email saying he thought the show was [bad]. It was pretty funny.

I love that song; always gets me choked up when I try to sing along - even though in the overall picture, it doesn't make much sense. But I'm kind of glad that it didn't get used on the series. Sam found himself back in 1973 and "Tom Traubert's Blues" is from 1976.

Sure, he's describing something that wouldn't take place for decades anyway, and so the song would then be considered a classic. But I'd rather that the soundtrack stuck to songs from 1973 or before.

Just in case you were interested, here are the lyrics:

Tom Traubert's Blues 1976

Wasted and wounded, it ain't what the moon did
Got what I paid for now
See ya tomorrow, hey Frank can I borrow
A couple of bucks from you?
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

I'm an innocent victim of a blinded alley
And tired of all these soldiers here
No one speaks English and everything's broken
And my Stacys are soaking wet
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

Now the dogs are barking and the taxi cab's parking
A lot they can do for me
I begged you to stab me, you tore my shirt open
And I'm down on my knees tonight
Old Bushmill's I staggered, you buried the dagger
Your silhouette window light
To go waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

Now I lost my Saint Christopher now that I've kissed her
And the one-armed bandit knows
And the maverick Chinaman and the cold-blooded signs
And the girls down by the strip-tease shows
Go, waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

No, I don't want your sympathy
The fugitives say that the streets aren't for dreaming now
Manslaughter dragnets and the ghosts that sell memories
They want a piece of the action anyhow
Go, waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

And you can ask any sailor and the keys from the jailor
And the old men in wheelchairs know
That Matilda's the defendant, she killed about a hundred
And she follows wherever you may go
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda
You'll go a waltzing Matilda with me

And it's a battered old suitcase to a hotel someplace
And a wound that will never heal
No prima donna, the perfume is on
An old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
And goodnight to the street sweepers
The night watchman flame keepers and goodnight to Matilda too

There is the mention of the St. Christopher's Medal, which did play a small role in the landscape of Sam's story, so that might have been a factor in Applebaum and Rosenberg's desire to use it.

Oh. And in case you haven't guessed, I wanted to comment on this story just so I could use that subject heading on the post.....

BCnU!
Toby O'B