A track off Tom Waits´1978 album Blue Valentine. A piano ballad completely from the point of view that the title suggests, addressed to an old lover, Charley. Absolutely beautiful, it´s lack of rhymes lets Tom tell this heartbreaking tale with his baritone sorrow and crackling voice. As far as xmas cards goes, it´s pretty heavy-handed on the plot.
It starts off how you may expect, she´s pregnant. She fills in Charley on the details of her life these days, which are actually pretty good. She´s quit dope and whiskey. Her new man plays the trombone, has a job, and treats her well. But she still misses Charley, is reminded of him in passing. Despite what she´s been robbed of, the memories are still good. Before the song can stagnate, the story sinks deeper into her past. She tried going home to her folks, but there was nothing left for her. So she came back to Minneapolis, full of regret. She can still dream, and she might even be happy. Just when it looks like she has settled in, everything comes crashing down like a snowstorm. It was all a lie. Everything up to the trombone. She´s not writing to catch up or make blame or even reconcile with the father of her child, she needs to borrow money. Her voice cracks before she makes a final promise to Charley. It´s not a love song anymore, it´s a matter of need, of freedom or prison. She musters up all the love and affection that she knows how to give. She offers either her body or her love or her word (depending on how much you trust her) with the final line...
I´ll be eligible for parole come Valentine´s Day