Rain Dogs was released in 1985, becoming the eighth in Tom Waits' expanding discography. He had reverted back to his old self a little, in songs like
Blind Love and Time. His voice had
smoothed over a bit, but he still grasped his dark side, presenting evil little gems like
Clap Hands and Jockey Full Of Bourbon. The title track is about being a person of the street, forgoing umbrellas and taxis for the rain and freedom.
An excerpt from Rain Dogs'
Diamonds & Gold
Some men will do it for diamonds
Some men will do it for gold
Wounded but they just keep on climbing
Sleep by the side of the road
There's a hole in
the ladder, a fence we can climb
Mad as a hatter, you're thin as a dime
Go out to the
meadow, the hills are a-green
Sing me a rainbow, steal me a dream