Just over a week ago, a quartet of scruffy Game of Thrones actors charmed fans with an on-set, impromptu cover of Tom Waits’ classic “I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You.” Almost as if summoned by the pleasant performance, Waits himself stood on stage for the first time in two years alongside Mavis Staples for a rendition of “Respect Yourself.”
Previously, Waits had gone on the David Letterman show in May 2015 (just before the presenter retired), to perform his new song “Take One Last Look.” After over two years of radio silence, Waits’ recent performance took place at the Lagunitas Brewer in California.
The beloved singer performed the Staples Sisters’ classic “Respect yourself,” just after the 25th year anniversary of Waits’ iconic record Bone Machine. Staples’ set also featured a guest appearance from the Rolling Stones Keith Richards.
The last time fans had heard anything from everybody’s favorite husky singer-songwriter was just last year, when Waits penned a poetic tribute to the country legend Merle Haggard.
Waits, who grew up in San Diego, California, not far from where Haggard was born, said that the musician had an impact on him during his formative years in a tribute published in Rolling Stone.
He writes: “When I was a teenager I was listening to songs like they were books and studied them to learn how to write songs of my own. Who ever thought that something great could come out of Bakersfield? It made me feel a whole lot better about living in a place called National City.”
Staples this week announced the upcoming release of her new Jeff Tweedy written and produced LP If All I Was Was Black, which is due on November 17 through ANTI- Records.
Check out the collaborative performance below.
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