Produced and written by Tom Waits
1985 Did not enter pop charts
The highest charting single by one of the greatest late twentieth-century U.S. songwriters--except it wasn't his recording of the song that charted.
Four years after Tom Waits' original recording of "Downtown Train" (released on the Burkeanly sublime album Rain Dogs), Rod Stewart's version made it to # 5 on the Billboard charts. The video for the song shows Rod in front of a number of trains, so he has apparently been in a subway station at least once, but seriously can you imagine Blondey Boy pining away after a woman he sees repeatedly on the G train? I'd buy into the dewy-eyed innocence of "Maggie May" before I'd believe that.
It's a shame really, because if Waits ever had a shot at the big time, it was with this song. It's probably his most conventional ballad, sweet but still gritty. Certainly, "Downtown Train" is not as weird as "Cemetery Polka" or as hopelessly pathetic as "Train Song." "Jersey Girl" is sweeter still, but even Bruce Springsteen didn't try to release his cover of that as a single. But the longing of this song is so beautiful, so perfect. It's almost medieval. And it's really not the same if anyone less shattered than the author himself sings it.
So, to answer your question: no, I don't like all covers. Some tracks are hard to improve on.
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