Tom Waits performed on Late Show With David Letterman as part of Letterman’s final weeks hosting the show. Waits played a new song called “Take One Last Look” on the show Thursday night.
According to Pitchfork, Letterman’s last night hosting the show will be Wednesday, May 20, after which Stephen Colbert will take over. Waits’ appearance on the show included not just his musical performance, but also an interview in which he talked about how much he has been on Late Show With David Letterman in the past, among other things. Just before playing his new song, Waits said, “This one’s for you, Dave.”
The singer-songwriter has been on the show 10 times since 1983, and typically performed as a musical guest as well as doing an interview, which isn’t something many musical guests do. On his website, Waits wrote “I don’t know when I will see Dave again. I guess from now on we’ll have to settle for bumping into each other at Pilates.”
“Take One Last Look” is a slow and melancholic tune with Waits’ signature vocals. Waits strummed a beat-up old guitar as he sang the bittersweet ode to Letterman. Watch video of the performance below.
Tom Waits has had a successful career as both an artist and an actor. In 2013, he was featured on Anti-Records’ Sons of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys along with Keith Richards, Patti Smith and other legendary artists. That same year he appeared as a character on long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons.