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

Cory Doctorow at 4:31 am Wed, Aug 17, 2011

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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.