Today’s video of the day is the Tom Waits – "Goin’ Out West" released in 1992.
Tom Waitsreleased “Goin’ Out West” in 1992 at a creative peak. The song appears on Bone Machine, his eleventh studio album. By then, Waits had already reinvented himself several times. He began in the 1970s with beatnik jazz and piano ballads. Later, he shifted toward junkyard blues and experimental sounds. As a result, his music grew darker and more theatrical. “Goin’ Out West” captures that raw energy with pounding rhythms and snarling vocals.
The video matches the song’s unhinged spirit. Jim Jarmusch and Jesse Dylan co-directed the clip. They present Waits as a wild, delusional drifter chasing fame. He wears a horned skullcap and goggles. That image later became iconic. In fact, a freeze-frame appears on the cover of Bone Machine. The visuals feel grimy and surreal. Therefore, they mirror the album’s obsession with death, myth, and American decay.
Bone Machine stands apart in Tom Waits’ catalog. It leans harder than earlier records like Rain Dogs. It also feels more aggressive than later albums such as Mule Variations. “Goin’ Out West” acts as a mission statement for this era. The song blends blues, noise, and performance art. Years later, its use in Fight Club introduced Waits to a new audience. Consequently, the track became one of his most recognized works. The video remains a perfect entry point into his feral 1990s output.
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