Synopsis

Tom Waits leads a strange, street-bound procession through a Los Angeles neighborhood, dressed like a battered parade master and surrounded by musicians, hulking figures, and circus-like characters. Moving down an alley and along the street, the group turns an ordinary residential setting into a surreal marching pageant. The video's sepia-toned, softly textured imagery gives the performance the feeling of an old community parade remembered through faded photographs, matching the song's mixture of affection, frustration, and urban decay.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was made in October 1983 to promote *Swordfishtrombones*, the album that introduced "In the Neighborhood."

• It was filmed in a Los Angeles alley near Waits' home, using the slope of the street to create a strong downhill perspective and make the procession appear to move through a strange, horizonless world.

• The production was shot on 16mm film with slow Kodak ASA 100 stock. The soft image was later given its unusual hand-tinted appearance through frame-by-frame matte work, producing the faded sepia effect.

• The video extends the imagery of the *Swordfishtrombones* cover. Lee Kolima, the strongman, and Angelo Rossitto, known for appearing in the 1932 film *Freaks*, are among the distinctive figures associated with both projects.

• Waits was not enthusiastic about the growing importance of music videos, but "In the Neighborhood" became one of his most memorable early promotional films.

• The song was later issued as a single in 1986. It became Waits' only song to appear on the UK singles chart, reaching No. 80.