Heartattack and Vine

Bones Howe produced the title track at Filmways/Heider in Hollywood for the album released in September 1980. The title plays on Hollywood and Vine, and the lyric refers to Los Angeles places including Cahuenga and the RTD bus.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins covered it, and his version appeared in Levi's Procession advert for 501 jeans, directed by Michael Haussman. Waits sued in a European court and won, and Levi's apologised in Billboard in 1993.

Waits called the title track a breakthrough because of its fuzz guitar and a drummer who played with sticks instead of brushes. Larry Taylor played bass, John Thomassie on drums, Plas Johnson on tenor and baritone saxophone, and Waits on vocals and electric rhythm guitar.