Ol' 55 - Tom Waits/Eagles - Guitar Lessonby Tom Waits

A very early song from Tom Waits, Ol’ 55 was released on his first album, Closing Time (1973), although by then he was doing most of his songs on piano.

In the 1990s, a couple albums were issued titled “The Early Years” and they included many guitar versions of his songs.

This lesson is based on the version heard on Volume 2 (1993). It is done in a slightly free-form fingerpicking style in the key of A, using a few barre chords from the “A” family, although some easier options are addressed.

As of March 2025 we have added segments looking at the was The Eagles covered it on their 1974 album On The Border.