Sam and Martin reach the iconic, eulogic apex of Closing Time, as Tom Waits makes a long-distance call to an old flame. Narrative structure and resolution, Sam’s hatred of oboes and the Meatloaf reading of Gilliam’s Brazil all come up. Honestly.

Song by Song is Martin Zaltz Austwick and Sam Pay; two musicians listening to and discussing every single Tom Waits track in chronological order.

website: songbysongpodcast.com twitter: @songbysongpod e-mail: [email protected]

Music extracts used for illustrative/review purposes include: Martha, Closing Time, Tom Waits (1973) Martha, Sefronia, Tim Buckley (1973)

We think your Song by Song experience will be enhanced by hearing, in full, the songs featured in the show, which you can get hold of from your favourite record shop or online platform. Please support artists by buying their music, or using services which guarantee artists a revenue - listen responsibly. You will sleep forever, you will never sleep again.