Music video of Tom Waits’ “Downtown Train”. It is a song by Tom Waits released on his album Rain Dogs in 1985. The promo video for the song was directed by the French fashion photographer and music video director Jean-Baptiste Mondino and features the boxer Jake LaMotta (July 10, 1922 – September 19, 2017) as the old guy speaking to his wife at the beginning of the video.
Downtown Train Lyrics
Outside another yellow moon
Punched a hole in the nighttime, yes
I climb through the window and down the street
Shining like a new dime
The downtown trains are full
With all those Brooklyn girls
They try so hard to break out of their little worlds
You wave your hand and they scatter like crows
They have nothing that will ever capture your heart
They’re just thorns without the rose
Be careful of them in the dark
Oh if I was the one
You chose to be your only one
Oh baby can’t you hear me now
[Chorus:]
Will I see you tonight
On a downtown train
Every night it’s just the same
You leave me lonely, now
I know your window and I know it’s late
I know your stairs and your doorway
I walk down your street and past your gate
I stand by the light at the four-way
You watch them as they fall
They stay at the carnival
But they’ll never win you back
Will I see you tonight
On a downtown train
Where every night it’s just the same
You leave me lonely
Will I see you tonight
On a downtown train
All of my dreams just fall like rain
All upon a downtown train
Rod Stewart version of Downtown Train
Rod Stewart recorded a cover version of the song that became a number-three hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart after being released as a single in late 1989 and was also a number-one single on the album rock and adult contemporary charts. The song went to number one in Canada and made the top ten on the UK Singles Chart in 1990.
Stewart received a Grammy nomination for the song in the category Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Stewart’s cover featured the slide guitar playing of Jeff Beck.
Jake LaMotta
Giacobbe “Jake” LaMotta (July 10, 1922 – September 19, 2017) was a middleweight American professional boxer, world middleweight champion, and stand-up comedian. He was nicknamed “The Bronx Bull” or “Raging Bull” because of his hard style of fighting.
Sources
- Jake LaMotta on Wikipedia
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- Tom Waits: Downtown Train - December 14, 2021