"(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night" is a song by
Tom Waits on his 1974 album ''
The Heart of Saturday Night
''The Heart of Saturday Night'' is the second studio album by singer and songwriter Tom Waits, released on October 15, 1974, on Asylum Records. The title song was written as a tribute to Jack Kerouac. The album marks the start of a decade-long co ...
''.
Background
After completing the album ''
Closing Time'', Waits toured with
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
. At this period, Waits started to write and compose the album ''The Heart of Saturday Night'', basing it around the writing style and thematic elements of
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation.
Of French-Canadian a ...
. The song itself is a melancholy reflection of exploring the city streets at night.
Cover versions
"(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night" has been covered by such musicians as
Holly Cole,
Shawn Colvin, and
Madeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux (born April 18, 1974) is an American jazz singer and songwriter who began her career as a teenager on the streets of Paris. She sang vintage jazz and blues songs before finding mainstream success in 2004 when her album ''Carele ...
.
Personnel
Listed personnel cited from liner notes:
*
Tom Waits – vocals, guitar
*
Jim Hughart – double bass
*
Jim Gordon –
percussion
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night
1974 songs
Tom Waits songs