Tom Waits -The Piano Has Been Drinking.avi

[FlashGumby]

The show was "Fernwood Tonight". It was a Norman Lear ("All in the Family') comedy TV Show that aired during the summer for two seasons (one as "America Tonight") back in the mid-seventies. You can't really fault the host or the audience any more than you could if the clip was from "Married With Children" or "Big Bang Theory". It's all scripted. There were a lot of REALLY classic bits on the show and a lot of first-time sightings of future stars. I wish that it was available on DVD.

[NoEffortMoney]

What an amazing song. Thank you again, failblog.

[qbain]

You can't find your waitress with a Geiger counter

[jeremybbaxter]

Fun fact: Mr. Waits played Renfield in Francis Ford Coppola's version of Dracula.

[JulianFernandez]

WTF is wrong with those guys?

[DjembeDjam]

That host should have been shot. This a beautiful song

[CrunchBogus]

@DjembeDjam What did the host do but introduce the act?

[DjembeDjam]

@CrunchBogus The whole reason the audience is laughing throughout the song is because of all the facial expressions the host is making, essentially making a mockery of a song that isn't supposed to be funny.

[CrunchBogus]

@DjembeDjam Ah, yeah I guess I can see it now. It is kind of a funny song, but I see where it has a serious underlying meaning.

[jettison27]

@CrunchBogus I've created my own meaning for the song, but what's yours? Or do you know what it's actually about? I'd love to know :)

[CrunchBogus]

@jettison27 No idea, I can barely listen over the laughter. Ba-dum TISH!

[Sandylee2870]

Wish I would be there!

[Antisthenes1]

This period of Tom Waits marks the metamorphosis of a normal person to a beast.

[TheDashingRor]

I think the crowd is mostly laughing at the inane mockery of the one show host throughout Tom's song. Very rude on his part.

[jackal59]

You'd think that even if people had never seen Martin Mull, they would recognize Fred Willard from Christopher Guest's movies. (Especially _Best in Show_, where Willard's aggressively clueless dog show "color commentary" is hysterical.)

[JeffK1980]

His singing voice heard here sounds a little bit like Louis Armstrong. I find this song to be funny. MrConeman... why do you find this song not funny?

[kstml]

I know few of you were even alive when this was on television, so let me break it down for you. This was from a TV show that was doing a parody of a small town talk show. Martin Mull and Fred Willard are brilliant comedic actors, and did this show true justice. The parts where you see Martin Mull "wincing" at the performance, are purely for comedic sake. As with Tom's performance of a brilliant song. It was Mock, Faux, Folly......get over it!! There a longer version where you see the interview.

[MrTrwiseiii]

Who was Martin Mull, again?

[newtonlkh]

the producer have been drinking?????!?!?!?!?!

fuck this stupid stupid stupid tv show!!!!!!!!!!!!

[braininahat]

Can we edit out the audience and the host who thinks he's more talented than Tom Waits?

[TheNellamaria]

He's really difficult appreciate in the right way this great genius.....

[diriven]

Basically, get over it. If you hate the laughs that much, go buy the CD or download the song or whatever and listen to the studio version. And if this is your favourite version, then recognize that the atmosphere (including the audience, which he plays off of) all plays a part. It wouldn't be the same without them in this case.

[diriven]

I wish people would stop commenting on how much they wish the audience would stop laughing. Yes he's an absolutely incredible songwriter, and yes the song is brilliant in many ways, and every element of it works together perfectly. But it is funny, and he means for the audience to laugh. Just because you're laughing doesn't mean you don't appreciate the music as well. He does this with many songs (Christmas Card... being another). Notice how he wipes fake drool as he mentions it, its for a laugh

[adamcaus]

@diriven The thing is, as much as the audience thinks its funny, none of them are in on Waits' joke... he writes it because its funny to him solely for reasons we don't know or get. He's on a whole nother level.

[diriven]

@adamcaus First off, "a whole nother"...really? It's either "another level", or, "a whole other level".

Sure, this audience is most likely more oblivious to his motives, but most of Tom's audiences were and are able to understand. There are, of course, always parts of songs that are personal and can only be fully understood by the artist. But, this song is a lot more simple than you seem to think it is. Also Waits never meant to be on another level, he wanted to take the audience with him.

[cahillgreg]

@diriven Petty pedant.

[littlewillow85]

I wish someone would repost this exact version, minus the audience cackling. This is my favorite version of the song, and would love to be able to hear just him.

[AbovePerfect]

These laughs make that amazing songwriter look like a clown. 

[anton1990]

@AbovePerfect

Waits himself knows this song is meant to be funny.

[catchrick]

I remember Martin Mull(?) when I was a kid. I must have had wonderful perception. I thought he was an asshole then as well.

[SmittyBaGitty]

Awesome!

[LadyeXo]

I wish that dumb ass host knew what it's like to have a hard time and not being able to confront yourself about it. Tom Waits is a fox

[LadyeXo]

He is absolutely gorgeous here. He was having a hard time, and he helps me through mine

[srsomario]

It's funny that those cacking idiots in the audience are precisely like the drunken idiots that fill the dingy and depressing bar scene that the song so beautifully describes. I've played for thousands of drunks in dingy bars and can relate to every word in this great song. It perfectly captures the essence of the old bar scene... HEY..YOU KNOW ANY STONES?!?

[jhistling]

"Fernwood Tonight!" --talk show parody from the late 70's.

[el3KT0R]

Way to totally fuck up an awesome song with those fake laughs, assholes.

[MrConeman]

Wish the audience would shut the fuck up.

[georgeplante49]

@MrConeman Exactly, they were morons back in those days, had no clue of the talent in front of them.

[markmarktarmann]

@MrConeman laff track . blame the producer or martin mull.

[SweeTdeviL889]

wow, first video ive seen him in without the hat..

AWESOME SONG!

[Florasification]

I wish the crowd would keep their constant cackling to themselves. Love the song.

[markmarktarmann]

@Florasification it s a laff track.

[Bandaids4ever]

This is the most brilliant thing ever.

[notsimkin]

Anyone know whut year this waits?

[suchducks]

@notsimkin 1977