History Music / RainDogs

''Rain Dogs'' is the ninth album by Music/TomWaits, released in 1985. Very much a continuation of the experimental 'junkyard band' style debuted on ''Music/{{Swordfishtrombones}}'', it's notable for its very organic sound, especially since a lot of artists at the time relied on synthesizers and drum machines. Waits makes use of a lot of exotic or old-fashioned instruments and street sounds. The album is best remembered for the fan favorites "Singapore", "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" and the CoveredUp "Downtown Train".

-->''And I've been drinking from a broken cup''\\
''Two pairs of pants and a mother vest''\\
''I'm full of bourbon: I can't stand up''

* IntercourseWithYou: How else can one describe 'making feet for children's shoes' on "Singapore"?

* SpecialGuest: Music/KeithRichards provided guitar and backing vocals to the songs "Big Black Mariah", "Union Square", and "Blind Love". A year later Waits would return the favor by singing background vocals on Music/TheRollingStones album ''Music/DirtyWork'' (1986).

It was listed at #399 in ''Magazine/RollingStone'''s [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]].

''Rain Dogs'' is the ninth album by Music/TomWaits, released in 1985. A continuation of the experimental 'junkyard' style Waits debuted on ''Music/{{Swordfishtrombones}}'', it's notable for its very organic sound, especially since a lot of artists at the time relied on synthesizers and drum machines. Waits makes use of a lot of exotic or old-fashioned instruments and street sounds. The album is best remembered for the fan favorites "Singapore", "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" and the CoveredUp "Downtown Train".

''Rain Dogs'' is a 1985 album by Music/TomWaits.

Very much a continuation of the experimental style that Waits debuted on ''Music/{{Swordfishtrombones}}'', it's notable for its very organic sound, especially since a lot of artists at the time relied on synthesizers and drum machines. Waits makes use of a lot of exotic or old-fashioned instruments and street sounds. The album is best remembered for the fan favorites "Singapore", "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" and the CoveredUp "Downtown Train".

Very much a continuation of the experimental style that Waits debuted on ''Music/Swordfishtrombones'', it's notable for its very organic sound, especially since a lot of artists at the time relied on synthesizers and drum machines. Waits makes use of a lot of exotic or old-fashioned instruments and street sounds. The album is best remembered for the fan favorites "Singapore", "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" and the CoveredUp "Downtown Train".

It's notable for its very organic sound, especially since a lot of artists at the time relied on synthesizers and drum machines. Waits makes use of a lot of exotic or old-fashioned instruments and street sounds. The album is best remembered for the fan favorites "Singapore", "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" and the CoveredUp "Downtown Train".

* TheAlcoholic: "Jockey Full of Bourbon"
--> ''And I've been drinking from a broken cup''
--> ''Two pairs of pants and a mother vest''
--> ''I'm full of bourbon: I can't stand up''

* BreakUpSong: "Hang Down Your Head"
--> ''You have found another, oh baby, I must go away''
* CarefulWithThatAxe: Waits' closing scream during the title track.
* CloudCuckooLander: "Singapore"
--> ''We're all mad as hatters here''
* ContinuityNod: "Rain Dogs" is the second part of a trilogy about Frank O' Brien, which started with ''Music/{{Swordfishtrombones}}'' (1983) and concluded with ''Music/FranksWildYears'' (1987). There are also two tracks on this album referring to the album title, one being "Rain Dogs" and the other "Bride Of Rain Dog". "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" also mentions the "downtown train" that will reappear in "Downtown Train".
* CradleOfLoneliness: "Anywhere I Lay My Head"
--> ''I don't need anybody''
--> ''Because I learned to be alone''

* DirtyOldMan: "Cemetery Polka"
--> ''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''
* FaceOnTheCover: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] although you'd be forgiven for thinking it's Tom, it's not.
* GeniusBonus: To understand a reference in "Diamonds & Gold", you need to know about Napoleon Bonaparte's first wife Joséphine who had the nickname of Rose.
--> ''Small time Napoleons''
--> ''Shattered his knees''
--> ''But he stays in the saddle for Rose''
* HandicappedBadass: "Singapore"
--> ''The captain is an one-armed dwarf''
--> ''He's throwing dice along the wharf''
--> ''In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king''

* ListSong: "Cemetery Polka" lists the bizarre activities of all his 'uncles'.

* OneWordTitle: "Singapore", "Time" and "Midtown".

--> ''The only way to find you is if I close my eyes''
--> ''I'll find you with my blind love, the only kind of love is stone blind love''
* RoyaltiesHeir: "Cemetery Polka"
--> ''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!''
* TheScrooge: "Cemetery Polka"
--> ''Uncle Biltmore and Uncle William made a million during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII''
--> ''But they're tightwads and they're cheapskates''
--> ''And they'll never give a dime to you''

** "Clap Hands" contains the lyric "They all went to Heaven in a little rowboat," which previously appeared in Shirley Ellis' "The Clapping Song".
*** Thom Yorke, a huge Waits fan, would again recycle the lyric for "Pyramid Song" on Music/{{Radiohead}}'s ''Music/{{Amnesiac}}''.
** The film ''Film/DownByLaw'' (1986), which stars Waits by the way, features two songs from this album "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" and "Tango Till They're Sore".
** "Downtown Train" has been covered by Music/ToriAmos, Music/RodStewart (whose version reached to #3) and Music/EverythingButTheGirl.
* SpecialGuest: Music/KeithRichards provided guitar and backing vocals to the songs "Big Black Mariah", "Union Square" and "Blind Love". A year later Waits would return the favor by singing background vocals on Music/TheRollingStones album ''Music/DirtyWork'' (1986).

* TalkLikeAPirate: "Singapore", where Waits describes who "they'll sail to Singapore", while using a lot of imagery right from a pirate story.
* TalkyBookends: The music video for "Downtown Train" starts with two old people discussing how "Everytime there's a full moon he comes out and sings. It drives me crazy!"
* TitleTrack: "Rain Dogs".
* TrainSong:

--> ''The downtown trains are full''
--> ''With all those Brooklyn girls''
--> ''They try so hard to break out of their little worlds''
** "Blind Love"
--> ''Well, I'm at the station, and i can't get on the train''

--> ''And I've seen it all through the yellow windows of the evening train''
* WholesomeCrossDresser: "Union Square"
--> ''The guy in the dress is a beauty''
--> ''Go all the way and I swear you never can tell''

* GeniusBonus: To understand a reference in "Diamonds and Gold", you need to know about Napoleon Bonaparte's first wife Joséphine who had the nickname of Rose.

--> ''Uncle Biltmore and Uncle William made a million during WorldWarTwo''

'''''Rain Dogs''''' is a 1985 album by Music/TomWaits.

'''Rain Dogs''' is a 1985 album by Music/TomWaits.

It was listed at nr. #399 in Magazine/RollingStone's [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time]].

'''Tracklist'''

# "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" (2:45)

# "Bride Of Rain Dog" (1:07)

* TheAlcoholic: "Jockey Full Of Bourbon"

"Rain Dogs" also marked the debut of Marc Ribot, an American composer and guitarist who would work together with Waits again on ''Music/FranksWildYears'' (1987), ''Music/BigTime'' (1988), ''Music/MuleVariations'' (1999), ''Music/RealGone'' (2004), ''Orphans, Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards'' (2006) and ''Music/BadAsMe'' (2011).

'''Side 1'''

'''Side 2'''

* SpecialGuest: Music/KeithRichards provided guitar and backing vocals to the songs "Big Black Mariah", "Union Square" and "Blind Love"

* RefrainFromAssuming: Waits is not pictured on the cover. The man held by the woman just happens to resemble him a bit.