While most of Rain Dogs features avant-garde instrumentation and "whiskey-fumed" grit, "Downtown Train" is a straightforward, melodic ballad. There is even speculation that Waits intentionally wrote it as a "radio-ready" track to attract covers and secure royalties during a precarious financial period.
Released on the 1985 album , "Downtown Train" stands out as one of Tom Waits' most enduring and accessible tracks, famously described by the artist himself as "kind of a pop song". Song Meaning and Themes Tom Waits - "Downtown Train"
Although Waits' original didn't reach the charts, "Downtown Train" became a massive hit for other artists: Downtown Train - Song of the Day for Today While most of Rain Dogs features avant-garde instrumentation