I love California Dreamin. It is those sexy sax sounds that put it at the top of my list. So many great ones to choose from. Some of them, like Martha, I didn't even know were covers. Meat's is the only version of Martha I have heard. Love that song. I think it is awesome.

Martha is a great Tom Waits song. I love it, one of the best on WTTN but it doesn't fit on that. Who was Martha in Meat's life?

:twisted: In Meat's life, or the characters life?

Both!

:twisted: I wouldn't make any guesses who "Martha" is in Meat's life (I really don't know him and everyone in his life that well :lol: ) but i'm of the opinion that it's just a song to him :shrug:
It was done in 1995, he was married and settled at that time, so I don't believe that using the song was a sign of any pining for anyone.
I think it just fitted right for the piece.

As for the Marth in the story, I read it like this.............

Where The Rubber Meets The Road.
I'd Lie For You.
Original Sin.
45 Seconds Of Extacy.

Martha & Tom Frost meet, fall in love, and get it on (what was the original sin, and why did it only last 45 seconds? :lol: ).



Runnin' for the Red Light
Fiesta de las Almas Perdidas

Tom and his pals run down to Mexico to "have a good time" but it appears that he has too much of a good time.
I think it's referenced in "Martha" that he did what he did in Mexico because he felt a certain peer pressure. "All that mattered then was I was a man".
So when a hot seniorita landed in his lap, he couldn't say no in front of his friends in case they thought he was whipped.


Left in the Dark

Meat has said that the character in this song is a woman.
It's Martha singing to Tom after he's come back from Mexico doing stuff that he shouldn't really have been doing :bleh:


Not A Dry Eye

They have a big and dramatic end of the world argument.

Amnesty is Granted

They decide to give it another go.

If This Is the Last Kiss

Martha decided that it's just not working, and that they can't go on together.
There's no overblown show of emotion like in Not A Dry Eye. Nothing is said out of sudden anger or upset, it's much more considered which makes it much more final.
It appears that they have come to a realistic agreement that it's just not working, but they have one more night of passion before leaving each others lives forever.

Martha

Many years go past, and now Tom is an old man.
Tom and Martha agreed never to see each other again, but she's been on his mind and he feels he needs closure by seeing her and telling her he's sorry things turned out the way they did, and how he really felt about her.


Where Angels Sing


I think Tom and Martha arrange to meet so they can both finally move on, but (my interpritation) as he's getting ready to leave the house he falls down and dies.
As he lies on the floor in his last moments, these are the things that pass through his mind.
The song takes place in the past and the present, in this world and the next.

So, short answer, Martha is the woman in the couple the whole album is about :mrgreen: :lol:

There are so many great ones (Forever Young, Come Together, Let It Be, Whore) but my favorite is California Dreamin'.

D'oh I heard somewhere it was; Opps my bad!

i really really like martha, and if this is the last kiss... some of my faves on that album :-)

(not a dry eye i could skip though lol)

:twisted: It's handy having all those links in the standing thread :mrgreen:

For instance, I can very easily find the Martha thread and as you will see, quite a few people have good things to say about that song 8)

California Dreamin' IMO is the best with Martha right behind it, love both of these songs and I don't get why anyone would hate Martha.

Stand By Me

Nor do I. Martha was Meat Loaf's Sinatra moment. Puts me in mind of his Angel Eyes.

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Martha is a great song...

I enjoy California Dreamin' a lot as well as Forever Young that being said, the BEK cover is phenomenal. The others rank great with Martha on the bottom. The singing is there, but I don't care for the lyrics as much as others before and after.

After 20 years, you have solved the puzzle for me. The album makes sense now :-)
P.S I also really like Martha.
P.P.S What was the comment Meat once made about Martha and the fitting of white gloves ( or something) ?

So if we agree with your interpretation of the album (which I do), does this mean that the woman on the cover of the album is meant to be Martha? Because that's actually really cool :D See, this is how you do a concept album. You use a Martha, not a Patrick :lol:

:twisted: It would be nice, but for me it's not her.
Nowhere in the story is she indicated to be in any danger, and she certainly looks threatened on the cover (and even more so on the inside where it looks like a dude in cuffs is using her as a human shield :lol: ).

But it's all about personal perspective. You may be able to weave the story in your mind so that there is a subplot where the cover ties into the story.

For me, it's just art work that happens to go rather well with the flavour of the album, but isn't about the album.

:lmao: