This YouTube mashup of Tom Waits's creepy polka "God's Away on Business" with Cookie Monster clips is just great -- Cookie Monster dances exactly the same way I do when Tom Waits is playing. Plus they have the same voice!

Tom Waits/Cookie Monster mashup - God's Away On Business (Thanks, Matt!)

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I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: Copyfight • Happy Mutants • mashup • music • sesame street • video • youtube

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DimeSpin

I never knew how badly I needed this in my life.
irksome

This beats unicorns any day of the week.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=695903977 John Neumann

So Tom has been voicing Sesame Street for years! The universe is making sense to me now!
- scifijazznik
  
  Of course it’s been Tom all along. If it wasn’t him, he would have sued Cookie Monster missappropriation of his voice.
  
  I usually hate these mashup things, but whoever mashed this one up did a most excellent job. It is perfect.
  - Mister44
    
    It would be hard for Waits to sue Henson, as both Rolf and Cookie Monster predate his ‘singing’ career.
    - scifijazznik
      
      Obviously, you missed my point. TOM WAITS IS COOKIE MONSTER.
      - Mister44
        
        No – YODA is cookie Monster. Don’t let his reserved Jedi demeanor fool you. It and the backwards talking are all an act.
http://twitter.com/Ailsa_L Ailsa Lindop

How to make my jaw drop and grin at the same time – thanks!
B A

I agree with John, are we absolutely sure Tom Waits hasn’t been doing Cookie Monster’s voice all along? And let’s face it, I think there is only one dance you can do to Tom Waits, nothing else fits.
Speaking of dance, I found a nice little dance mashup here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkbweCV1_GY
- dragonfrog
  
  Or has Cookie Monster been doing Tom Waits’ voice?
  
  One thing is certain – you never see them together…
http://twitter.com/RogerBremen Roger Bremen

Bravo! This is absolutely brilliant. I vote Cemetery Polka for the next mash-up.
sfeeney

Tom Waits once said, “Sometimes my kids will listen to something I did and say, “Were you going for a Cookie Monster-in-love thing on that, dad?” (Source: “Magnet Interview With Tom Waits” Magnet Magazine (UK), by Jonathan Valania. October, 2004)
http://twitter.com/perizade Perizade

That was simply wonderful. LOVE.
tangle

Ditto on the Cookie Monster Dance when Tom Waits plays.
http://twitter.com/petdance Andy Lester

Plenty of these around. Here’s Rowlf doing “Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis.” http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3718833/rowlf_christmas_card_from_a_hooker_in_minneapolis/

I’d recalled that Tom Waits sued Henson at some point for Rowlf the Dog being too similar, but I can’t find documentation.

And, just to keep the Waits going, I live about a mile south of Johnsburg, IL.
e smith

yeah.. I don’t think Waits has ever sued, or threatened to sue Henson, the Frito Lay and GM suits at least had some merit to them as both instances where pretty blatant rip-off. CM and Rolf(especially) have been around for quite a long time.

I hate mash-ups and lazy cultural appropriation, but this was fun.
John Delaney

Its amazing how the absence of lips make lip syncing much more effective.
Brainspore

Cookie does appear to be wearing Tom Waits’ hat at 00:13.
- Mister44
  
  I think that hat is from RUN DMC.
MrMarieBlanc

When I first read the headline and then thought of the lyrics, I was like “How did they get to play this song on Sesame Street?!” ha ha
solstone

Thank you, Cory. This video totally made my day. As a fan of both Tom Waits and CM, well… this is just fantastic.
http://illustratorhints.com/ Jesseham

When I look away, I hear Tom Waits. When I look at the screen, I hear cookie monster.

I don’t know who to believe.
catgrin

Bliss! One day & TWO random musical cookie monster clips!

Earlier a friend posted this bit of German Rammstein wackiness on FB:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZeciX-3wfs&sns=fb

Gotta say though, Waits just kills it. Couldn’t be better.

Cookie Monster performs Tom Waits's "God's Away on Business"

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