“Tom Traubert’s Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen),” which is sometimes known as “Waltzing Matilda,” was a blues song released by Tom Waits in 1976. It became one of his signature songs, which he performed frequently at his concerts. The song went on to be covered by Rod Stewart in 1992.
Over the years, Waits has told different stories about the inspiration behind the song. According to SongFacts, he said, “He was a friend of a friend of mine… who lived in Denver, and died in jail. He’s a real guy. So, that’s a song that is about a lot of things, but mostly I think the idea that a Matilda is a backpack, so it’s about going on the loose, being on the road, chasing your dream.”
According to PS Audio, record producer Bones Howe claimed he got a phone call from Waits once. “He said the most wonderful thing about writing that song. He called me up and said, ‘I went down to Skid Row, and I bought a pint of rye in a brown paper bag. Yeah, hunkered down, drank the pint of rye, went home, threw up and wrote Tom Traubert’s Blues.’ Then he said, ‘You know, every guy down there, everyone I spoke to, a woman put him there.’”
When asked about his old songs during an interview with New York Rock, Waits said, “Some songs became a part of me, and some just don’t fit anymore, like an old sweater or a pair of pants you’ve outgrown. You hardly ever know what’s going to happen with a song and how you’ll feel about it in ten years’ time.”
Related: 1984 Rock Song, Beloved by Prince, Led to Him Writing a Huge Hit for the Band
Waits continued, “There’s only one reason why you write new songs: You get sick of the old songs. It’s not that I didn’t do anything during the time when I wrote no songs. I was creative, but in another way. I had ideas for songs and collected the ideas.”
Waits had several big hits throughout his career, including “Downtown Train” and “Hold On.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 by Neil Young. He is currently 76 years old.
