I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal
lobotomy.
Famous quote by Tom Waits during an interview on the talk show
America2night (May 25, 1978). This show was a continuation of the
Fernwood2night talkshows starring Martin Mull and Fred Willard as
hosts.
Most likely, the quote is originally by the comedian W. C. Fields. The
America2night broadcast was a talkshow with scripted questions and
answers, and Tom Waits has never used the quote on any other registered
occasion.
http://users.castel.nl/~hartp01/Answers/A-Lobotomy.htm