"Hang On St. Christopher" is a song by Tom Waits appearing on his 1987 album Franks Wild Years. It was released as a single in 1987 by Island Records. The song centers around Frank O'Brien, a character who Waits concocted during the making of Swordfishtrombones in 1983. A series of road oriented imagery is evoked in the lyrics, which are sung from the perspective of O'Brien, a downtrodden individual who leaves behind his family and hometown in hopes of attaining a more prosperous future. During his journey, the protagonist carries a medallion dedicated to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travel.[1]
| "Hang On St. Christopher" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tom Waits | ||||
| from the album Franks Wild Years | ||||
| B-side | "Hang On St. Christopher (Instrumental)" | |||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Recorded | Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles Los Angeles, Universal Recording Corp., Chicago | |||
| Genre | Experimental rock | |||
| Length | 2:46 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tom Waits | |||
| Producer(s) | Tom Waits | |||
| Tom Waits singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Greg Cohen developed the North-African influenced horn arrangement in the recording studio and also played an alto horn on the song. A set of Leslie bass pedals were placed on a kitchen table and operated by William Schimmel using his fists. These musicians were augmented by Ralph Carney on tenor saxophone, Marc Ribot on guitar, and Michael Blair on drums.[1][2]
Accolades
edit| Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Elvis Costello | United Kingdom | The Best Songs from the 500 Best Albums Ever[3] | * |
| 2004 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | United States | The Songs That Shaped Rock[4] | * |
| 2005 | Bruce Pollock | United States | The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000[5] | * |
(*) designates unordered lists.
Formats and track listing
editAll songs written by Tom Waits.
- US 12" single (0-96750)
- "Hang On St. Christopher" (Extended Remixed version) – 5:02
- "Hang On St. Christopher" (Instrumental version) – 2:50
Personnel
editAdapted from the liner notes.[6]
|
|
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1987 | Island | LP | 0-96750 |
Cover versions
editThe song was covered by BulletBoys on their second album, 1991's Freakshow, and a video was made to promote the release. The song was also covered by Rod Stewart on his 1995 album A Spanner in the Works.
References
edit- ^ a b Janovitz, Bill. "Hang on St. Christopher - Tom Waits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ Birch, Ian (October 1987). "Tom Waits Is Flying Upside Down (On Purpose)". Musician – via Tom Waits Library.
- ^ "Costello's 500". Vanity Fair. November 1, 2000. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ "The Songs That Shaped Rock". rockhall.com. 2011. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ The All-Time Top 100 Singles (2000). Routledge. 2005. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ^ Hang On St. Christopher (sleeve). Tom Waits. London, United Kingdom: Island Records. 1987.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
edit- "Hang On St. Christopher" at Discogs (list of releases)