Tom Waits — The Part You Throw Away

You dance real slow, you wreck it down Then you walk away, you turn around What did that old blonde gal say? That is the part You throw away I want that beggar's eyes, a winning horse A tidy Mexican divorce St. Mary's prayers, Houdini's hands And a barman who always Understands Will you lose the flowers? Hold on to the vase Will you wipe all those teardrops away from your face? I can't help thinking as I close the door I have done all of this Many times before The bone must go, the wish can stay The kiss don't know what the lips will say Forget I've hurt you, put stones in our bed And remember to never Mind instead Well, all of your letters burned up in the fire Time is just memory mixed with desire That's not the road, this is only the map I said gone just like matches From a closed-down cabaret In a Portuguese saloon, a fly is circling around the room You'll soon forget the tune that you play 'Cause that is the part you throw away Oh that is the part You throw away