Barber Shop, Foreign Affairs, Tom Waits [054]

The four-part harmony-group of Martin, Simon and two Sams wanders in for a quick short back and sides as Tom Waits visits Mr Snip-Snip-Snip for this penultimate track of Foreign Affairs. The variety of this album, the beauty/technicality of barber-shop quartet singing, and the need for emotional commitment in musical performance are all debated, as well as some…mild diversions. Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order. website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: [email protected] Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Barber Shop, Foreign Affairs, Tom Waits (1977) That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day), That Lucky Old Sun, Crossroads/Beasley Smith & Haven Gillespie (2010/1949) We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly. Lyrics - Barber Shop Good morning mister snip snip snip With your hair cut just as short as mine Good morning mister snip snip snip With your hair cut just as short as mine Bay rum lucky tiger butch wax cracker jacks Shoe shine jaw breaker magazine racks Hanging round the barber shop a side-burning close crop Morning Mr. Furgeson what's the good word with you Staying out of trouble like a good boy should I see you're still cutting hair I'm still cutting classes I got a couple passes to the ringle bros barn bail circus afternoon You lost a little round the middle and you're looking real good Sitting on the wagon instead of under the hood What's the low-down Mr. Brown I heard your boy's leaving town I bought myself a struggle buggy sucker's powder blue Throw me over the sports page Cincinnati looking good I always been for Pittsburgh and I lay you 10 to 1 The Pirates get the pennant and the series before their done The hair's getting longer you know the skirts are getting shorter And don't you know that you can get a cheaper haircut If you wanna cross the border If your mama saw you smoking well she'd kick your ass Now you put it out you juvenile and put it out fast Well if I had a million dollars what would I do I'd probably be a barber not a bum like you Still got your paper route now that's just fine And you can pay me double because you gypped me last time And don't you know that you can keep a little circus money And spend it on a girl And just remember that I give the best haircuts In the whole wide world I give the best haircuts in the whole wide world Good morning mister snip snip snip With your hair cut just as short as mine Good morning mister snip snip snip With your hair cut just as short as mine