Tom Waits Dog Quotations

I'm interested in things when I don't know what they are. Like "Hey, Ray, what the hell is this?" Oh, that's lipstick from the 1700s, that's dog food from the turn of the century, that's a hat from World War II. I'm interested in the minutiae of things. Oddities.

The dog won't bite if you beat Him with a bone

Your hands are like dogs, going to the same places they've been. You have to be careful when playing is no longer in the mind but in the fingers, going to happy places. You have to break them of their habits or you don't explore; you only play what is confident and pleasing. I'm learning to break those habits by playing instruments I know absolutely nothing about, like a bassoon or a waterphone.

The trick is to have a career and have a family. It's like having two dogs that hate each other and you have to take them for a walk every night.

It's the same with men as with horses and dogs, nothing wants to die.

You have to keep busy. After all, no dog's ever pissed on a moving car.