Get all 4 David Nagler releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Mortal Enemies, Songs of Advice and Adversity, The Appointees, Volumes 1 & 2, and Carl Sandburg's Chicago Poems.
1. |
Apology Writer
03:03
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I've written poems and plays
articles and essays
but I find on days like these
Most of the time
I'm a writer of apologies
In stacks and in binders
I've got requests and reminders:
that say "Do me a favor, if you please"
But none of it was done
and I'm a writer of apologies
Apologies for evenings of drunkenness
Apologies for the mean things I wrote
Apologies for ruining weddings & funerals
Apologies for missing the boat
I wrote invoices and checks
solicitations for sex
And often with additional fees
But there's no overhead
if you're a writer of apologies
My novel has met its fate
It's American but not great
And has received no inquiries
But you don't need an agent
to be a writer of apologies
Apologies for forgetting birthdays
Apologies for acting like a creep
Apologies for leading double lives
Apologies for secrets I couldn't keep
My writing goes on still
and when I draft my will
I know what your inheritance will be
for everyone I know
one giant apology
from me
'Cause I'm a writer of apologies
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2. |
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You haven’t been listening to me
You’re doomed to defeat
If you can bear the kick and the pricks, the trick is
Don’t get too comfortable
The land-mines are everywhere
covered in For Sale signs
If you can resist the assistance, the gist is
Don’t get too comfortable
If you’re down in the cellar
Where a joke is still a joke
All your beliefs
are now punchlines and smoke
Don’t get too comfortable
The smiles that are thrust upon you
May transport you to heaven
Though this slice is the nicest, my advice is
Don’t get too comfortable
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3. |
Do No Harm
04:19
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Do no harm
Not while you're in pain
in the heat of the sun or the cold rain
Do no harm
Not with your skill
a tendency to spill out
your ill will
Do no harm to your family
though your happy memories are few
Do no more harm
than they did to you
Do no harm
not in your shape
wearing self-deception
like a superhero's cape
Do no harm
without knowing why
Though pleading ignorance
is such an easy alibi
Do no harm to your lover
though they may ask, "Is that the best you can do?"
Do no more harm
than they’ve done to you
Do no harm to anyone
though it seems like no one hears a word you say
Do no more harm
When you’re in harm's way
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4. |
Boys
03:23
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Boys will be boys
Each and every one
Who get wild for a while and
forget what they've done
They won't leave the sandbox
or let go of mommy's hand
'til all that's left is the love
they buried in the sand
Boys will be boys
They won't look you in the eye
They'll take back an ex or two
but they won't take back a lie
And they slouch towards manhood
as the years are taken away
'til all that's left are the good times
they wear like a toupee
Boys will be boys
Always playing the field
with an eye toward the dugout
and the bases they used to steal
They’ll threaten you with guns
And tell you that they’re toys
Then shoot themselves in the foot
so they can remain boys
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5. |
See the Devil
05:51
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If they want to see the devil
Let them see the devil
I’ll be your mirror or your
movie screen
If you want someone to blame
I am surely game
because the devil isn’t
the worst you’ve seen
If you want sympathy
travel back in time
before you could break the bank on
someone else’s dime
If you want peace of mind
try letting go
before some naysayer says they
told you so
Let them see the devil’s eyes
Let them see the devil’s horns
Let the devil make them smile
Let the devil keep them warm
If you want bad news
you know I can deliver
straight to the mouths of babes from
the jaws of hell
Making victims out of
the selfish ones
who’ll claim their only crime is
living well
Let them taste the devil’s kiss
Let them hear the devil’s laugh
Let them speak the devil’s name
Get the devil’s autograph
Let them have a guided tour
of the devil’s universe
let their expectations go
from bad to worse
If they want to see the devil
Let them see the devil
I’ll be your mirror or your
movie screen
If you want someone to blame
I am surely game
because the devil isn’t
the worst you’ve seen
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David Nagler New York
David Nagler is a Brooklyn-based musician and songwriter. His groups include As For the Future, Tape Hiss, and Nova Social, and he is the musical director for Wesley Stace’s Cabinet of Wonders.
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