Way Down in the Hole - Wikipedia Way Down in the Hole `` Way Down in the Hole '' Song by Tom Waits from the album Franks Wild Years Length 3 : 30 Songwriter ( s ) Tom Waits `` 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. 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. Season four 's version, performed by the Baltimore teenagers Ivan Ashford, Markel Steele, Cameron Brown, Tariq Al - Sabir and Avery Bargasse, was arranged and recorded specifically for the show. An extended version of the Blind Boys of Alabama recording was played over a montage in the series finale. References Jump up ^ Alvarez, Rafael ( 2009 ). The Wire : Truth Be Told - The Complete Official Series Guide. Canongate Books. pp. 246 -- 248. Jump up ^ `` '' The Wire '' on HBO : Play Or Get Played, Exclusive Q&A With David Simon ( p. 16 ) ``. 2006. Retrieved 17 October 2007. Tom Waits Studio albums Closing Time The Heart of Saturday Night Small Change Foreign Affairs Blue Valentine Heartattack and Vine Swordfishtrombones Rain Dogs Franks Wild Years Bone Machine The Black Rider Mule Variations Blood Money Alice Real Gone Bad as Me Live albums Nighthawks at the Diner Big Time Romeo Bleeding : Live from Austin Glitter and Doom Live Soundtracks One from the Heart Night on Earth Compilations Bounced Checks Anthology of Tom Waits Asylum Years The Early Years, Volume One The Early Years, Volume Two Beautiful Maladies Used Songs 1973 -- 1980 Orphans : Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards Notable songs `` Ol ' ' 55 '' `` Tom Traubert 's Blues '' `` The Piano Has Been Drinking ( Not Me ) ( An Evening with Pete King ) '' `` Somewhere '' `` Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis '' `` Romeo Is Bleeding '' `` Kentucky Avenue '' `` Heartattack and Vine '' `` Jersey Girl '' `` Jockey Full of Bourbon '' `` Downtown Train '' `` Way Down in the Hole '' `` Young at Heart '' `` Bad as Me '' `` Back in the Crowd '' Tours Real Gone Tour The Orphans Tour Glitter and Doom Tour Related articles Discography Kathleen Brennan Greg Cohen Bones Howe Rickie Lee Jones Marc Ribot Larry Taylor Chuck E. Weiss Step Right Up : The Songs of Tom Waits New Coat of Paint Tom Waits for No One Portal : Rock music Commons : Tom Waits The Wire Characters Police Jimmy McNulty Kima Greggs Bunk Moreland Lester Freamon Ellis Carver Herc Roland Pryzbylewski Leander Sydnor Beadie Russell Cedric Daniels William Rawls Ervin Burrell Bunny Colvin Jay Landsman Stan Valchek Lawyers Rhonda Pearlman Maurice Levy Street - level Omar Little Bubbles Cutty Wise Johnny Weeks Butchie Stringer Bell Avon Barksdale Marlo Stanfield Proposition Joe Spiros Vondas The Greek Chris Partlow Snoop Wee - Bey Brice Slim Charles Sergei Malatov Bodie Broadus D'Angelo Barksdale Poot Monk Metcalf Wallace Kenard Brother Mouzone Docks Frank Sobotka Nick Sobotka Ziggy Sobotka Politics Tommy Carcetti Clarence Royce Clay Davis Norman Wilson School Michael Lee Dukie Weems Namond Brice Randy Wagstaff Journalists Augustus Haynes Scott Templeton Alma Gutierrez Other Barksdale Organization Omar Little and associates Stanfield Organization New Day Co-Op The Greeks Related List of The Wire episodes And All the Pieces Matter Beyond Hamsterdam `` Way Down in the Hole '' Awards and nominations Ed Burns David Simon Book : The Wire Category : The Wire This music - related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Way_Down_in_the_Hole&oldid=793705501 '' Categories : 1987 songs Songs written by Tom Waits The Wire Tom Waits songs Television theme songs Music stubs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Español Français Edit links This page was last edited on 3 August 2017, at 12 : 27. About Wikipedia

Question: who sings the theme song on the wire
Answer: The Blind Boys of Alabama