FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2026
Contact: kelly@epitaph.com

TOM WAITS SHARES NEW COMICALLY WRY SPOKEN WORD TRACK “THE FLY”, LISTEN HERE

Artwork by Casey Waits

“The Fly”, a new spoken-word track by Tom Waits, is out today on all streaming platforms. Waits wields his whipsaw humor in this satirical ode to the common housefly. The track expresses a begrudging admiration for the brief unsung life of the insect: "You have no house, well you have mine / You have no real friends, stay away from the wine / House fly go to sleep say goodbye, no one will weep when you die."

The new track arrives alongside an accompanying lyric video illustrated by Casey Waits, which features the fly and his guy.

Watch Lyric Video + listen to “The Fly”: https://tomwaits.ffm.to/thefly

"The Fly" is the B-side to "Boots On The Ground," Waits’ collaboration with Massive Attack released earlier this year—his first new original music since the 2011 album Bad As Me. Both tracks will be available on 12” vinyl.

When asked about the song, Waits said: Today, as in all of mankind's yesterdays, guarantees this type of song will never go out of style. Man's folly of fiascos is a feast for the flies. Hence, the B side of Massive Attack’s upcoming 12 inch "The Fly" features my appreciation for the winged nuisance."

Slated for release on September 4, the track is only available for streaming but available for purchase on the vinyl 12”. Massive Attack is embracing an eco-conscious vinyl pressing and packaging process for this record to leave a smaller carbon footprint. This ‘EcoSonic’ edition will be 180g vinyl in colors, red, white and blue and are packed at random. Pre-order it HERE.

This 12" vinyl is priced as a fundraiser, with proceeds donated by Massive Attack and Waits/Brennan to support civil rights and community advocacy organizations.

Photo Credit: Anton Corbijn

http://www.tomwaits.com/
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For More Info on Tom Waits, Contact:
Kelly Kettering | ANTI- Records Publicity | kelly@epitaph.com