Tom Waits - The Black Rider
NME.COM feature on Tom Waits - The Black Rider album including album review, artwork, tracks, listen now, tour dates, discography and more.
Release date: 28 June 2010
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Tom Waits - The Black Rider: Wikipedia Album Entry
Tom Waits' The Black Rider is an operetta that was written with William S. Burroughs and Robert Wilson.
This is the 15th album of Tom Waits, from 1993. It's based on a German folktale, which is most assosiated by it's opera "Der Freischütz" by Carl Maria von Weber.
A book is also made based on the tale, which is called "The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets", and written by William S. Burroughs . The book was made into a play, by theatre director Robert Wilson, and music was made by Tom Waits.
So the album of "The Black Rider" is the soundtrack of the play.
The tale is about a clerk, Wilhelm, who falls in love with the daughter of a huntsman. But to hold his beloved, he needs to prove himself worthy for her father, by winning a hunting competition. But Wilhelm, who is a man of words and ink, has no skills with bearing the rifle, and is sinking down in dark melancholy of the thought of loosing the marriage of his love. In his wanders trough the woods, he approaches the devil Pegleg, who offers him magic bullets, which is said to hit whatever the shooter is aiming at. But the devil stipulates that one of the bullets, is under Peglegs control.
Without thinking of consequences, he naively accept the bullets.
On the day of the competition, where most people of the city is present, Wilhelm aims at a crow on a branch, and the devils bullets hits his beloved one, and kills her.
From the guilt and damnation that followed him, he goes mad.
He then wanders with the company of the other victims of the cunning of the devils carneval.
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Tom Waits - The Black Rider Lyrics
Tom Waits - Lucky Day Overture Lyrics
Ladies and gentlemen
Harry's Harbour Bizarre is proud to present
Under the Big Top tonight
Human Oddities
Tom Waits - The Last Rose Of Summer Lyrics
I love the way
The tattered clouds
Go wind across the sky
Tom Waits - Lucky Day Lyrics
The prettiest girl
In all the world
Is in a little Spanish town
But I left her for a Bonnie lass
Tom Waits - Gospel Train Lyrics
Come on people
Got to get on board
Train is leavin'
And there's room for one more
Tom Waits - Crossroads Lyrics
Now, George was a good straight boy to begin with, but there was bad blood
In him; someway he got into the magic bullets and that leads straight to
Devil's work, just like marijuana leads to heroin; you think yo ucan take
Them bullets or leave 'em, do you?
Tom Waits - Flash Pan Hunter Lyrics
The flash pan hunter sways with the wind
His rifle is the sound of the morning
Each sulfurous bullet way have it's own wit
Each cartridge comes with a warning
Tom Waits - I'll Shoot The Moon Lyrics
I'll shoot the moon
Right out of the sky
For you baby
I'll be the pennies
Tom Waits - The Briar And The Rose Lyrics
We are not in a position to display these lyrics due to licensing restrictions. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Tom Waits - That's The Way Lyrics
That's the way the stomach rumbles
That's the way the bee bumbles
That's the way the needle pricks
That's the way the glue sticks
Tom Waits - T'ain't No Sin Lyrics
When you hear sweet syncopation
And the music softly moans
It ain't no sin to take off your skin
And dance around in your bones
Tom Waits - Just The Right Bullets Lyrics
There is a light in the forest
There is a face in the tree
I'll pull you out of the chorus
And the first one's always free
Tom Waits - The Black Rider Lyrics
Come on along with the Black Rider
We'll have a gay old time
Lay down in the web of the black spider
I'll drink your blood like wine
