Seeds on Hard Ground
Tom Waits recites an abridged version of his poem "Seeds on Hard Ground". The full poem is below.
Video sourced from YouTube here.
I am a seed that fell
Upon the hard ground
The hard ground
The hard ground
I am a seed that fell
Upon the ground
I am a seed that fell
Upon the ground
I am a leaf that fell
From an oak tree
An oak tree
From an old oak tree
I am a leaf that fell
From an oak tree
I am a leaf that fell
From a tree
I am a stone that is rolling
On a rough road
On a rough road
On a rough road
I am a stone that is rolling
On a rough road
I am a stone that is rolling
On the road
Can I get up off the mat
Like a wrestler that has
Been beaten, beaten
Can I get up and come
Roaring back?
I guess some of us just
Get the old maid.
Did I do it all backwards
Did I do it all wrong
Can I pull myself up by the
Boot straps of this song
Was I cursed and
Is it over
Then how long
How long
Nothing is fair in this world
Nothing is fair
When I was born
My folks wept at my beauty
I was the package that all
Their good luck came in
I was bright and shining, magnetic
And flaming
Am I just something that got eaten
By the gods
Am I only just the bag
That it came in
My parents were good people
Shirley and Raymond
They prayed for a child
Just like me
They prayed for a child
Just like me
Sometimes I wonder if there is
Another life inside of this one
I was supposed to live
I’ve got to go now
See the train is pulling
Out of the yard
The train is pulling
Out of the yard
Did I have it once and
Lose it lose it
Or did I look it in the eye
And choose it
Choose it
Down here oh Lord
Beneath the stairs
Down here oh Lord
There is a prayer
Way down underneath
All of these layers boys
Ally ally oxen free
Come find me Lord
Come find me
Trip
Foul up
Fall short
Blunder
Disappoint
Get it wrong
Stumble
Miss
Mess up
Wrong tree
Sinning
Blooper
Boner
Botch
Blunder
Winning
I held her little cheeks
And then I kissed ’em
I kissed ’em
Now I am scared and alone
And I miss ’em
I miss ’em
Maybe things will be
Different in Chicago
Home is a place
To get a letter
If they can find you
I have heard
Because you can’t
Send a letter
To a bird
You can’t send a letter
To a bird
Roof
Porch
Siding
Eaves
Yard
Window
Doors
Ceiling
Floor
Kitchen broom
Living room
Counter
Screen
Sweet
Dream
I prayed when I was thirsty
And god sent the rain
I found berries by the
Side of the road
Tell me who does
God pray to anyway
It must be a lonely job
It must be a lonely job
Maybe we are all members
Of an orchestra that is merely
Tuning up
And our curious trails
Are random scales
For a music that has
Yet to begin
God, may we all
Amidst a storm
Safe by a fire
Bright and warm
Send to those
Left exposed
Good will and a
Much wider brim
To keep the pelting rain
From hammering them
Homeless
Toothless
Spineless
Ruthless
Down for the count
And the ref is on 9.
When am I going to
Get mine boys
When am I going to
Get mine?
See I remind them all
That there is a bottom
A bottom
I remind them all
That there is a bottom, Lord
Oh yes, there is a bottom indeed
Yes there is a bottom
And it looks just like me
Where the wind makes
Steam from the coffee
And the stirring of the cup
The spoon going round
Says giddyup
Giddyup
Every now and then
The world just makes sense
Every now and then
The world makes sense
A melody is formed
By eight random tones
A monkey at a typewriter
Composes a poem
And a homeless man
Walks into a 7-11
Plays his mother’s birthday
On the Lotto and wins a million
Every now and then
The world just makes sense
The cars thunder past
As I stick out my thumb
I am just waiting for
My good luck to come
I am homeless
But I am moving
I am homeless
But I am moving
Maybe I'll take the hound down
Maybe I'll take the hound
Where the grass is green
And the barn is red
Where the wind makes
The trees look like hula girls
Maybe I'll take the hound down
Maybe I'll take the hound
My dog stayed with me
Even on the streets of Manhattan
See, Fido it means faithful
In Latin
I'm the king of something
Yes indeed
I'm the king of the road
I'm the king of the weeds
King of the alley
King of the dirt
King of the doorway
King of the sidewalk
King of the hurt
I'm the bursting bubble
My crown is my hat
When it comes to trouble
I'm the king of all that
Everything is numbered
Everything
There is only a certain amount
Of everything
Laughs
Shaves
Skinned knees
Babies
Tears
Steaks
Smokes
Songs
Everything
And maybe at the
Top of the sky
You will find the bottom
Of a boat
And in it is an
Unshaven God
Holding a pole
A line
And a float
And dangling from
A golden hook
Is a blue jewel
The one you dreamed about
And the blue jewel
Is just your blue eye
Blinking beneath your
Sleepy eyelids
And then way down the rabbit hole
You slide
And splash into the sea
And the sun comes up
And you are only seven
Then he pulls you into the boat
And that is heaven
Penniless
Derelict
Rolling stone
Drifter
Vagabond
Rambler
Nomad
Pilgrim
Waif
Beggar
Vagrant
Wanderer
Me
The mayfly lives for
Only one day
Only one day
Only one day
I have only one life
Here amidst all this time
That was here before me
And all of the time that
Will follow
After I am gone
When I consider the mayfly
And how long I will stay
Don’t we all really only
Live for a day
Don’t we all really only
Live for a day?
Daddy why are all those men
Sleeping outside in the rain?
Why don’t they go home
Where it is warm and dry?
Why don’t they all go home
Where it is dry?
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