How I discovered Tom Waits

I had never heard of him before I saw this video on Much Music:



I bought the album soon after; I remember the exact date, March 21, 1984, because when I played it I was surprised to hear a song ("Town with no Cheer," to be exact) mention the date, "March 21st." I was sixteen, and his music was my own private possession. A few years later, in college, when everybody started talking about him and his latest album could be heard blasting out of dormroom windows, I felt dispossessed.