Ol' '55

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For other uses, see Ol 55 (disambiguation).
"Ol' '55"
Ol 55 single.jpg
Single by Tom Waits
from the album Closing Time
Released1973 (1973)
RecordedSpring 1972 at Sunset Sound Recorders and United Western Recorders in Hollywood, California
GenreFolk
Length3:58
LabelAsylum
Songwriter(s)Tom Waits
Producer(s)Jerry Yester
Tom Waits singles chronology
"Ol' '55"
(1973) 		"Blues Skies"
(1974)

"Ol' '55" is a song by American musician Tom Waits. It is the opening track and lead single from Waits' debut studio album, Closing Time, released in March 1973 on Asylum Records. Written by Waits and produced by Jerry Yester, "Ol' '55" was a minor hit. It has been described as more conventional than Waits' later songs.[1] The title, "Ol' '55", refers to the singer's vehicle, almost certainly the legendary 1955 Cadillac Waits owned. Although it could refer to other 1955 model year American cars.

The song has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by the Eagles for their 1974 album On The Border. In a 1975 interview, Waits was critical of the Eagles' cover version of his song, admitting that he was "not that particularly crazy about (their) rendition of it ... I thought their version was a little antiseptic."[2] About one year later, while interviewed for NME, he went as far as stating that "I don’t like the Eagles. They’re about as exciting as watching paint dry. Their albums are good for keeping the dust off your turntable and that’s about all.”[3]

The song was used for All Elite Wrestling's Brodie Lee tribute video during his Celebration of Life.[4] AEW President and CEO Tony Khan purchased the rights to the song in perpetuity, saying "so the tribute will last forever".[5]

Cover versions[]

References[]

  1. ^ Barton, Matthew (July 18, 2018). "Looking Back at Tom Waits' Asylum Years: 'Closing Time,' 'The Heart of Saturday Night', 'Nighthawks at the Diner,' 'Small Change,' 'Foreign Affairs,' 'Blue Valentine, 'Heart Attack & Vine'". Glide.
  2. ^ Hoskyns, Barney (2011). Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits. p. 120. ISBN 978-0571261246.
  3. ^ Maher, Paul Jr (2011). Tom Waits on Tom Waits: Interviews and Encounters. p. 50. ISBN 978-1569769270.
  4. ^ AEW Pays Tribute to Jon Huber aka Brodie Lee | AEW Brodie Lee Celebration of Life, 12/30/20. YouTube. All Elite Wrestling. December 30, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  5. ^ Khan, Tony [@TonyKhan] (December 30, 2020). "Thank you everyone who joined us tonight on #AEWDynamite to celebrate the life of Jon Huber, known to fans as Mr. Brodie Lee. It was a great honor to host his family Amanda, Brodie & Nolan. I bought the rights to Ol' 55 by Tom Waits in perpetuity so that tribute will last forever" (Tweet). Retrieved December 30, 2020 – via Twitter.


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