The Decemberists - The Bagman's Gambit (from Picaresque)

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"The Bagman's Gambit" from the Picaresque album. Out now on Kill Rock Stars.
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[@zoggey]

this songs story literally makes me go so insane I could spend hours just analyzing allllll these lyrics. these little guys... I'm like rattling them around in my brain ugh

[@KidCorporate]

The fragility, then the strength, then the fragility, and so on...
This must be what spying truly feels like.

[@hawthornleaf5909]

One of my favourite Decemberists songs, a real beauty.

[@sleepymongoose6663]

"The Bagman's Gambit"
On the lam from the law
On the steps of the capitol
You shot a plainclothes cop on the ten o'clock
And I saw momentarily
They flashed a photograph, it couldn't be you
You'd been abused so horribly
But you were there in some anonymous room
And I recall that fall
I was working for the government
And in a bathroom stall off the National Mall
How we kissed so sweetly
How could I refuse a favor or two
For a trist in the greenery
I gave you documents and microfilm, too
And from my ten floor tenement
Where once our bodies lay
How I long to hear you say
No, they'll never catch me now
No, they'll never catch me
No, they cannot catch me now
We will escape somehow
Somehow
It was late one night
I was awoken by the telephone
I heard a strangled cry on the end of the line
Purloined in Petrograd
They were suspicious of where your loyalties lay
So I paid off a bureaucrat
To convince your captors they're to secret you away
And at the gate of the embassy
Our hands met through the bars
As your whisper stilled my heart
No, they'll never catch me now
No, they'll never catch me
No, they cannot catch me now
We will escape somehow
Somehow
And I dreamt one night
You were there in fours
Head held high
In uniform
It was ten years on
When you resurfaced in a motorcar
With the wave of an arm
You were there and gone

[@danielcropp8553]

thanks!

[@johnnycakes8673]

That last line gets me

[@mynameisfinity240]

me too.

[@jesuscardona4432]

And in the wave of an arm, you were dead and gone

[@genequist3859]

Being in love with someone who is in an unwinnable situation and being willing to risk all just to be with them. We will escape, somehow.. Yeah, right..

[@inoshikachokonoyarobakayar2493]

Yet we always root for them anyway 🙂

[@genequist3859]

And I dreamt that night, you were there in court, hands held high, in unifoooorm --- coolest part

[@davidfriend6462]

I've always wondered who's arm was doing the waving. It's either her waving briefly to man she rolled as an intelligence asset. Or its his arm, because he's still an operative and he's giving the order to have a spy eliminated.
"With a wave of an arm, you were there and gone..."

[@kimayagrace6065]

i want this played at my funeral

[@pureo_nikku]

"with a wave of an arm you were there and gone" thinking about her...

[@ajhalkeright7043]

I love these songs so much.

[@thurstonismysoul3036]

amazing song

[@Bye-son]

this really reminds me of season 5 ep 3 of x files. almost everything they describe in this song, happens in that episode

[@donihee137]

I always think the lyrics should be “you resurfaced in a motorcade” cause I picture them President now.

[@lyrqk5829]

thanks foone

[@thiskid990]

wait, is there no music video for this?? thats weird, i remember there being one haha

[@KidCorporate]

We all made one in our heads

[@agiles5196]

God! You guys were fucking great!

[@lunafrankenstein2566]

How I long to hear you say...

[@firehawk7934]

No they'll never catch me now

[@fadeskywards1245]

EL AMIGO DEL CARTEL
EL AMIGO DEL CARTEL
NOOO

[@christopherloguelogue8885]

Reminds me of the americans

[@agiles5196]

I've always imagined it took pace during the Cold War. A bureaucrat seduced by a spy.

[@ivyj.9489]

what if we were spies and we kissed in a bathroom stall off the national mall and we were both boys

[@gametime8303]

Jk

[@gametime8303]

Unless.........

[@rungler]

i thought u were me and i got so confused because that's definitely a comment i would write

[@ivyj.9489]

@@rungler dhdhfhhf, we’re matching lol

[@ryanrenn4815]

😳👉👈

[@ingwarmagn3393]

What a wonderful group! What unconventional music! Is this a new version of R.A.M.?

[@jargalo0098]

This song is about two dudes, change my mind

[@shineonsunfish]

I've ALWAYS thought this.

[@andrewcassidy4799]

ALL the Decemberists love songs are about two dudes (or two women) 🤔

[@rcr257]

i always found the idea of a female spy cooler

[@witnessme4352]

I kinda thought that was common knowledge.

[@witnessme4352]

@gbmpyzochwfdisurjklvanetxq Seriously?

[@silasoconnell6413]

spy

[@loveljelacic]

The Americans...

[@therealteal620]

They never caught her...

[@iv5949]

I love my girlfriend.

[@blue20000]

fallout 3

[@Goodroosters]

+blue20000 yeah?

[@captainphasma9323]

really? never played that, only new vegas

[@hahafunnyhaha4216]

Because of the Washington mall reference? I thought of FO3 too, but only because the undergrounds layout is seared into my brain.

[@duravis0065]

Anyone here from There and Gone? No? Okay...

[@rainbowatsummit]

HELLO

[@SuperMinecrafter200]

isn't that a book?

[@caralineg6568]

i wanna know what they were talking abt :(

[@patelbi]

Why is there no additional context about this comment? Lol give us more, what r u guys talking about

[@connor2658]

Nice way to rip off Elliott Smith's album cover

[@DoctorGarkle]

ChatGPT writes better music. By far.

[@furiousmagician5912]

ai more like poopy and gay

[@secretsfullofsaucers]

Here comes the edgelord