Lyrics for On The Nickel as interpreted by archmastermind

On The Nickel Lyrics
On the Nickel

sticks and stones will break my bones, but i always will be true, and when
your mama is dead and gone, i'll sing this lullabye just for you, and what
becomes of all the little boys, who never comb their hair, well they're lined
up all around the block, on the nickel over there.

so you better bring a bucket, there is a hole in the pail, and if you don't
get my letter, then you'll know that i'm in jail, and what becomes of all the
little boys, who never say their prayers, well they're sleepin' like a baby,
on the nickel over there.

and if you chew tobacco, and wish upon a star, well you'll find out where
the scarecrows sit, just like punchlines between the cars, and i know a place
where a royal flush, can never beat a pair, and even thomas jefferson, is on
the nickel over there.

so ring around the rosie, you're sleepin' in the rain, and you're always
late for supper, and man you let me down again, i thought i heard a
mockingbird, roosevelt knows where, you can skip the light, with grady tuck,
on the nickel over there.

so what becomes of all the little boys, who run away from home, well the
world just keeps gettin' bigger, once you get out on your own, so here's to
all the little boys, the sandman takes you where, you'll be sleepin' with a
pillowman, on the nickel over there.

so let's climb up through that button hole, and we'll fall right up the
stairs, and i'll show you where the short dogs grow, on the nickel over there.

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 11 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
oldest first     Expand All
roger wilco
05-14-2002

Rated 0 
Tom Waits said this was a lullaby about the homeless on "the Nickel", or Fifth St, Los Angeles.

my thoughts are along that vein. it's basically saying naughty boys grow up to live on the street. i don't believe the songwriter thinks this, as many of Tom Waits' songs tend to center around being 'down & out'.

lullabies, taken for face value are atrocious (i.e. Rock-a-Bye Baby), and this is just the same. i picture a father singing this to his little boy just before bedtime, after the kid got into a fight at school and failed Math.

it's a nice way of saying "Square your ass away, or you'll end up in the gutter."

and what a better way to say it than this song?

Log in to reply
Ardnaxela
05-18-2002

Rated 0 
I think this song is lovely and sentimental. And I got the same message, kind of warning the little boys who never comb their hair.

Log in to reply
sierp
10-15-2002

Rated 0 
To hear this song live, is amazing. The lyrics, the piano, and the voice that you can never forget. This is what good music is.

Log in to reply
badge
08-22-2005

Rated 0 
class song alright, i only got heart attack and vine recently....and it's fuckin brilliant.
this is one of the highlights of the album though

Log in to reply
badge
08-22-2005

Rated 0 
class song alright, i only got heart attack and vine recently....and it's fuckin brilliant.
this is one of the highlights of the album though

Log in to reply
badge
08-22-2005

Rated 0 
class song alright, i only got heart attack and vine recently....and it's fuckin brilliant.
this is one of the highlights of the album though

Log in to reply
j.enslow
08-24-2005

Rated 0 
i always felt 'on the nickel' was a reference to bieng dead in the same vane as 'dead presidants' being a reference to dollars

Log in to reply
Mudflap
01-19-2006

Rated 0 
This song paints one hell of a picture. I think it shows the pure genius of Mr. Waits. Combining the hard streets with lines and verses written for children evoke stark images and a release of emotions. As with most geniuses, some of his stuff doesn't ring at all for me, then along comes a song like this that knocks me to my knees.

Log in to reply
memorybabe
02-05-2007

Rated 0 
that's so funny I've always thought about the Thomas Jefferson bit and hadn't related it to a coin. nice little irony of the face on a coin in the gutter. nice one enslow: it's amazing how so many comments on this site are just: wow yeah that's a cool song. I mean, c'mon, if you haven't got anything to say why bother?

Log in to reply
twain
05-07-2008

Rated 0 
I especially love the line "And i know a place where a royal flush can never beat a pair". To me, this means that The Nickel is a special sort of place where the normal rules don't apply - you may be a bum out in the real world, but on The Nickel, everyone's a champ.

Log in to reply
1 Reply
whathehellwhynot
07-14-2009

Rated 0 
this song always made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here