When I completed going through all the Tom Waits songs that began with “A,” I ranked them all. I just included it at the end of the final song, “Army Ants.” But there were only 13 “A” songs — and there are 33 “B” songs! “Buzz Fledderjohn” last week was the last one. So I’m giving the ranking its own post.
Here’s the objective, definitive, authoritative, not-to-be-disputed countdown ranking Tom Waits’ “B” songs (just kidding — dispute away in the comments!)
Ranking “B” Songs
33. “Big Joe and Phantom 309”
32. “Bone Chain”
31. “Barcarolle”
30. “Bride Of Rain Dogs”
29. “Baby Gonna Leave Me”
28. “Book of Moses”
27. “Baby I'm Not a Baby Anymore (Beatrice Theme)”
26. “Burma-Shave”
25. “Black Box Theme”
24. “Brother Can You Spare A Dime?”
23. Bad Liver and a Broken Heart (In Lowell)”
22. “Blue Valentines”
21. “Blind Love”
20. “Babbachichuija”
19. “Blow Wind Blow”
18. “Black Market Baby”
17. “Back in the Good Old World”
16. “Big Face Money”
15. “Broken Bicycles”
14. “The Black Rider”
13. “Barber Shop”
12. “The Briar and the Rose”
11. “Buzz Fledderjohn”
10. “Better Off without a Wife”
9. “Bad As Me”
8. “Big Black Mariah”
7. “Bella Ciao (Goodbye Beautiful”
6. “Back in the Crowd”
5. “Bottom of the World”
4. “Blue Skies”
3. “Big in Japan”
2. “Bend Down the Branches”
1. “Black Wings”
There you have it! If you want to read any of those entries, head here for easy links to all.
PS. As I mentioned last week, this will be the last dispatch for a bit as I build up a backlog again. To paraphrase the post-credits line that ends each James Bond movie, “Every Tom Waits Song will return…”
Of course it's all completely subjective but you got number 1 B song completely correct and I'll fight any man here who says otherwise! Well c'mon! Yeah... I didnt think so.
It’s astounding to me that two big Tom Waits fans can see the “B’s” so differently. For me, Blind Love is lengths they best, followed by Better Off Without a Wife and Big Black Mariah. Fascinating.