"Way Down in the Hole" is a song written by the singer-songwriter Tom Waits. It was included on his 1987 album Franks Wild Years, which was later made into a stage production. The song was used as the theme for HBO's The Wire. Tom Waits' version of the song was used in season two of the five-season show. You can listen to Waits' version below.
A different recording was used each season. Versions, in series order, were recorded by The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tom Waits, The Neville Brothers, DoMaJe, and Steve Earle. The version for season four was performed by Baltimore teenagers Ivan Ashford, Markel Steele, Cameron Brown, Tariq Al-Sabir and Avery Bargasse.
Here's Steve Earle singing his version live. By the way Earle appeared in the series as a very sympathetic drug counselor who strove mightily to get Bub off drugs.
Big Frank is currently in the process of watching all five seasons (on season five now). The interweaving of separate plots lines, characters, and themes over the five seasons in masterfully done. The characters are well rounded and go through growth and disintegration as befitting the lines in any real person's life. Baltimore is the backdrop to the series that focusses primarily on the police departments and a wide cast of cops running from those on the beat up to higher ranking officers and commissions as well. Interwoven throughout are stories of the dock workers, the political landscape, the educational system, and the newspaper.
Here is an excellent review of the series from its fifth season. Surprisingly the program garnered few awards while it was still running. Some attribute that to its dense plot line and the fact that it was set in Baltimore rather than LA. However, now, looking back, it is solidly listed among the best television series ever and often in the top two or three.
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