The most commercial song Tom Waits ever wrote after his 1983 career transformation into the man we know and love, “Downtown Train” was actually a Top 3 hit for Rod Stewart in 1989. Patty Smyth and Bob Seger also had minor hits with it, in 1987 and 2011 respectively. Safe to say it’s not exactly Waitsian.

So I guess the question for those covering “Downtown Train” is whether to follow a famous cover version or Waits’ obviously rougher original. Singer Eddie Skuller, who has been active for decades but has released relatively little music under his own name, opts for a middle course. In 2025 he released an EP of Waits covers but “Downtown Train” was not on it. Instead, he’s put it out now. Continue reading »