Cemetery Polka, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits [109]

For our third week at the London Podcast Festival, John and Helen help us pick apart some of the exaggerated family narratives at play in this third track from Rain Dogs. Waits's preoccupation with the exoticisation of deformity, the vocal effect of gauze scissors, and Helen's Aunty Susan all help wrap up our first set of live shows - thanks to everyone who came along! 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: Cemetery Polka, Rain Dogs, Tom Waits (1985) Lah-Di-Dah, Jake In The Box, Jake Thackray (2006/1967) 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 - Cemetery Polka Uncle Vernon Uncle Vernon Independent as a Hog on ice He's a big shot down there At the slaughterhouse He plays accordion For Mr. Weiss Uncle Biltmore and Uncle William Made a Million during World War II But they're tightwads And they're Cheap skates And they'll never Give a dime to you Auntie Mame Has gone Insane She lives in The doorway of an old hotel And the Radio's playing opera and All she ever says Is go to Hell Uncle Violet Flew as a pilot He said there Ain't no pretty Girls in France Now he runs a Tidy little Bookie joint they say He never Keeps it in his pants Uncle Bill Will never leave a will And the tumour is as Big as an egg He has a mistress She's Puerto Rican And I heard she has A wooden leg Uncle Phil Can't live without his pills He has emphysema and He's almost blind And we must find out Where the money is Get it now Before he loses his mind Uncle Vernon Uncle Vernon Independent as a Hog on ice He's a big shot down there At the slaughterhouse He plays accordion For Mr. Weiss