Sometimes if we’re paying attention, we see how much pain some people are in—people we might otherwise find unpleasant or unfriendly, if we weren’t paying attention. Their faces are as grim and haunted as an abandoned house. This elegiac song gently reminds us what we already know: we get caught up sometimes chasing the hollow trappings of grandeur, but however fine and good life’s treasures may be, they are worthless without love. Tom Waits offers relief, and a road map: it may be the work of a lifetime to get good at giving and receiving love. But it’s everything.

“House Where Nobody Lives,” written and performed by Tom Waits, 1999.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to 4th of July, 2025.

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