They've only played the Nixon tape six times
since 1974, the last in 92 to record it.
Now they want to fill in the gaps, pull his voice
From a brittle tape and make him speak.

Billy Joel sings, "Richard Nixon's back again"
in a world where there is no fire,
yet everything burns and we've given Nixon waxwings,
Made him a Phoenix so he could rise.

I had a conversation today about how it feels to suffocate
to be so dry your skin starts to shrivel
you forget who you are and what you stand for
and your voice cracks, skin against skin

It makes me wonder why I talk
when no one's there to listen.

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