“All The World Is Green”

last week i heard the tom waits song “all the world is green” for the first time (or at least i noticed it for the first time) and on first listen, i knew i liked it… but it has literally been all i’ve listened to since.

it’s such an earnest, simple verse/chorus type of song that just swallows me up. i love that it’s simple structure encourages you to pay closer attention to it’s lyrics, which are absolutely brilliant. so much depth in each line. the lyric “pretend you owe me nothing, and all the world is green” is so sweet and beautiful… especially in the context of this song, which appears to be about a relationship hoping for healing. the word choices “owe” and “green” in that lyric has so much weight and meaning if you think about it.

this song just sounds so genuine, which is even more endearing beneath the gravel and roughness of tom’s voice and sound.

tom waits sound is definitely not for everyone. he has a very wide range in his music… he has a warm, gentle-giant kind of side, (which is my favorite; songs like “all the world is green,” “i’m still here,” etc.) and he has a very dark, unsettling and an often downright scary sounding side as well.

i love a lot of mr. wait’s work, and to me, this song is such a perfect example of sincerity being key to great music. it’s just such a beautifully, beautifully crafted song. i don’t enjoy listening to very many songs repeat, but every once in a while there’s a song that moves me enough to want to hear over and over. this song has been inspiring to spend time with this last week and it was a definite shoe-in on my “best music ever.” playlist!

here’s a video where you can listen… not sure what the video is for, but give ol’ tom a moment of your time.

love, ryan