Lyrics for Martha as interpreted by archmastermind

Martha Lyrics
Operator, number, please: it's been so many years
Will she remember my old voice while I fight the tears?
Hello, hello there, is this Martha? this is old Tom Frost,
And I am calling long distance, don't worry 'bout the cost.
'Cause it's been forty years or more, now Martha please recall,
Meet me out for coffee, where we'll talk about it all.

And those were the days of roses, poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me.
There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day.

And I feel so much older now, and you're much older too,
How's your husband? and how's the kids? you know that I got married too?
Luck that you found someone to make you feel secure,
'Cause we were all so young and foolish, now we are mature.

And those were the days of roses, poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me.
There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day.

And I was always so impulsive, I guess that I still am,
And all that really mattered then was that I was a man.
I guess that our being together was never meant to be.
And Martha, Martha, I love you can't you see?

And those were the days of roses, poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me.
There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day.

And I remember quiet evenings trembling close to you...

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  • 22 Comments
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hang on to a dream
05-28-2002

Rated 0 
Amazing. I love it

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evilspazz
09-15-2002

Rated +1 
Is it just me or is this song one of the best songs ever written?? It truley is Amazing!

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superchango
06-24-2003

Rated 0 
I know someday I will be doing this, if I ever get to that age.

Now it's just about finding out who will I be calling.

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Lightning
04-17-2004

Rated 0 
when i listen to this, i always think, "this realy has to be your fave song!" the best sad lovesong, ever!

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yew
04-19-2004

Rated 0 
this is great.
amazing, yeah, like you said.

tom waits' voice inspires me to fight all the problems we have in this bastard life.
martha is a beautiful song.

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driggsy
06-05-2004

Rated 0 
Possibly the saddest song ever written. Difficult to even hear it without crying...

Takes me back to the guy I fell for because (back then) he also loved Tom Waits. We listened to this song a lot, and I always suspected that we would somehow NOT end up together, and that someday I would hear "Martha" and think of calling him.

I was right.

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Carlos deJackal
10-19-2004

Rated 0 
Truly magnificent !!!!!!!!!!

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MardyAss
01-26-2005

Rated 0 
And those were the days of roses, poetry and prose
And Martha all I had was you and all you had was me.
There was no tomorrows, we'd packed away our sorrows
And we saved them for a rainy day.


I want to write & compose as geniously as this man

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badge
04-10-2005

Rated 0 
isn't it remarkable that Tom Waits wrote this when he was only 21 years old? What a bloody genius!

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emiliee
09-20-2005

Rated 0 
truely amazing. sends shivers down my spine each time i hear it.one of the the most beautiful, saddest lovesongs ive ever heard.and his voice!

this song nevr fails to make me cry.

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llain
01-24-2006

Rated 0 
"Guess that our being together was never meant to be, but Martha, Martha, I love you can't you see" - That's the moment you feel that lump in the back of your throat

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jackhare
05-11-2007

Rated 0 
Most of the time I have to turn it off before it's over, this song means the world to me. Written very carefully and beautifully, I tend to cry most times I listen to it. The last line's definitely one of the most perfect and sad you'll ever hear. Amazing, amazing song. llain's right about the lump in your throat.

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homanl
12-31-2007

Rated +1 
My favourite part of this song is when he sings "you know that I got married too". I dont know why I like it so much. It just shows how far apart he and this girl ended up, yet he always felt something special for her. You know, there is an Irish singer called Duke Special who does a beautiful version of this, you can see it on you tube. I think his version is even better cos he sings it with more emotion than Tom Waits.

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Prouders
04-12-2008

Rated 0 
Amazing song.
Quite possibly one of the saddest songs I've ever heard.
I can't believe they say Tom Waits never had a hit single. This is the most deserving single i may have ever heard.

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Prouders
04-12-2008

Rated 0 
Amazing song.
Quite possibly one of the saddest songs I've ever heard.
I can't believe they say Tom Waits never had a hit single. This is the most deserving single i may have ever heard.

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1 Reply
noodles79
05-02-2008

Rated 0 
A simply beautiful song about a long lost love. Nobody writes 'em like Tom Waits! Sigh..."those were days of roses, poetry and prose....*tear*

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noodles79
05-02-2008

Rated 0 
A simply beautiful song about a long lost love. Nobody writes 'em like Tom Waits! Sigh..."those were days of roses, poetry and prose....*tear*

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Tarciryan
09-08-2008

Rated 0 
I can't ever listen to this song near other people, I tear up each time. It's so endlessly sad and truly one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful songs ever written.

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underture
12-31-2008

Rated 0 
The futility of this song is heartwrenching! Throughout the song you're led to believe that their love was so strong, though you know from the start some flaw compromised it all ("and I was always so impulsive...").

Imagine being able to reminisce of such a powerful love, after half a lifetime. You've both forked out and formed your own worlds, yet your still so overwhelmed by that love to call the woman up!

Yet, the final phrase is what brings me to tears. To me, it suggests that the singer held much faith in this girl. So much that he, unlike many men, was not ashamed to break down and tremble in her presence.

Gorgeous.

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jimnuaeabhrac
01-28-2009

Rated 0 
I love this song but have a different take.

I think the protagonist is meant to appear feckless. He is unable to honestly commit "you know that I got married too?" Wow, your wife would be thrilled to know you are calling an old, idealized flame. He knows nothing about the old girlfriend really.

It seems to me he is in love with his youth, not any real person.

Excellent art almost always enables multiple interpretations.


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dukespecial
07-13-2009

Rated 0 
After reading an above comment from ''Homanl'', i had to second his opinion about Duke Special's version! truly epic song no matter who sings it! Duke's version is my favourite song ever though!

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SongMeanings2009
10-14-2009

Rated +1 
Duke Special did a great job! But I cannot agree that it's better and has more feeling than Tom's. I give them credit, it was well done and true to the original! But there is a feeling on Tom's original (and the whole "Closing Time" album) that no one can duplicate. Not even Tom, because he sings so different now. There is something so profound in his first album that is totally unique next to everything else. It's one of the most beautiful albums ever...words can't do it justice. Oddly enough, Tom (according to quotes I've read) seems to think he sounded like everyone else then, and later found his own style...he all but puts down the first album. However, while his later stuff is great, when I heard Captain Beefheart, I was kinda bummed to notice that Tom didn't exactly make up his own style after all. (But kudos to Beefheart, and I still love Tom's new music too, and think he's excellent! And when he does ballads these days, they can be just as tender as Martha.)

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