A song about a man I read about in the Bangor Daily News. All I added was rhyme and melody.
lyrics
written by Slaid Cleaves
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half his life in prison
The other half on the run
I'll tell you all the story of Arnold Nash
I got a call from the warden
When they found the empty cell
I said, I'm retired, but I'll tell you what I know
Most men do their time
Wishing they were back at home
But Arnold, well, he's got no place to go
We were buddies back in grade school
He'd come to the house and play
No one knows what set him on his path
Some would say a broken home
Can turn a good kid bad
Some insist he was never more than trash
In '81 my dad was sheriff
And I aimed to fill his shoes
As Arnold was starting up his own career
He'd work twice as hard at stealing
Than he would at an honest job
He'd take anything from dope to fishing gear
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half a life in prison
The other half on the run
This here is the story of Arnold Nash
Well, I chased him through the woods of Maine
A good many times
Once through a driving snow in his stocking feet
He'd be locked up for a while
A year or two at most
And then he'd be right back out on the street
He was a burglar and a thief
With two escapes to boot
In '91 he crossed over the line
He beat to death his neighbor
For a VA check to cash
And so Arnold went up state for the big time
[instrumental]
With a 45-year sentence
He thought he was in for good
He spent a quarter century inside
And for his good behavior
They shaved off 18 years
They said, Arnold, you'll soon pack your bags and ride
So I reassured the warden
No need to worry, son
This old prisoner, he won't be going far
Sure enough, when he got hungry
He come out of the shady woods
Walked right up to the blue state trooper's car
These days I'm in retirement
And I guess old Nash is too
And I know what he saw on the Bangor Road
He saw comfort in that cruiser
Saw three squares and a bed
Relieved to come to the end of this episode
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half a life in prison
The other half on the run
Now you all know the story of Arnold Nash
Now I've told the true story of Arnold Nash
credits
from Together Through the Dark,
released March 3, 2023
performed by Slaid Cleaves and Scrappy Jud Newcomb
produced by Scrappy Jud Newcomb
recorded by Pat Manske at The Zone, Dripping Springs, Texas
mixed by Chaos Theory with Slaid Cleaves
mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering, Nashville, Tennessee
1st time i heard DeathWish, i turned it off.
felt rushed, not the Isbell i've come to admire. really grab'd me when i took time to listen on the 2nd try. the writing on these songs stopped me in my tracks more than once. raw talent with just enough polish in the delivery.
thankyou Jason + 400 for another keeper swirlingmadness
The best I've heard from Steve Earle in a while. The songs have a subtler, earthier tone, tastefully rendered in authentic sounding country/blues/bluegrass stylings. 'J.T' reminds of earlier records like 'Feel Alright' or 'Train a Comin'.
Deep grief, love and compassion is felt on the final track, the only composition from Steve, seemingly written for his son. The rest, composed by JT, do confirm what a great songwriter he really was. tideracer
Collaborating remotely with 12 songwriters from all over the world, Kim Edgar emerged with a work of striking art pop. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 11, 2023
This collection of '90s work from folkie Patrick Regan and friends will appeal to fans of Fairport Convention and Pentangle. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 17, 2023