"Who are the ones that we kept in charge? Killers, thieves,
lawyers!"
- Covered Up: Happens to him all the time. "Downtown Train" seems to be the most popular cover choice.
- Crazy Awesome: Sums up just about anything he's ever produced since the eighties.
- Crowning Music of Awesome: A few examples, but Hoist That Rag stands out.
- High Octane Nightmare Fuel: Poor Edward. "Some still believe he was freed from her, but I knew her too well; I say she drove him to suicide, and took Poor Edward... to hell..." *shudder*
- Misaimed Fandom: The interpretations of "Poor Edward." The song is actually about exactly what it sounds like.
- Older Than They Think: The gravelly voice used by Rowlf the Dog has been described as a Tom Waits impression — although Waits was only 13 when Rowlf debuted.
- Paranoia Fuel: "What's He Building In There?", "Buzz Fledderjohn", "Don't Go Into that Barn", and at least two thirds of both Bone Machine and Blood Money.