All the angels sing about Jesus’ mighty sword
And they’ll shield you with their wings
And keep you close to the Lord
Don’t pay heed to temptation
For his hands are so cold
You gotta help me keep the devil
Way down in the hole
“The Wire” doesn’t do much of anything the traditional TV way, and its unorthodoxy extends to its opening theme. It’s the same old song each season — “Way Down in the Hole,” a scary gospel-blues that Tom Waits composed about 20 years ago — but interpreted by a different group or artist.
Initially, a revered African-American gospel group, the Blind Boys of Alabama, sang the song. Waits himself got a turn the second season. The Neville Brothers, out of New Orleans, did the honors in Season 3. For Season 4, when the series’ focus widened yet again, this time to take in man-children in the Baltimore projects trying to say no to drugs and crime, the series’ creators turned to five Baltimore teenagers — Ivan Ashford, Markel Steele, Avery Bargasse, Cameron Brown and Tariq Al-Sabir — collectively known as DoMaJe. For the final season, Waits’ 23rd Psalm sentiments are sung by alt-country star (and former heroin addict) Steve Earle, who is also reprising his recurring role in the series as a recovering junkie who works with a 12-step program.
