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The Guardrail

by Neil Nathan

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about

I lost a lifelong friend on 9/11. I wrote this tribute song for the 20th anniversary. Please consider making a donation to The Fred Gabler Helping Hand Camp Fund, which sends financially disadvantaged youth to summer camp. www.fredgabler.org/donate/

The Guardrail is a place across from our friend's home, where we used to hang out and party in high school.

I use the guardrail as a metaphor for protecting the bubble of our privileged innocence and how 9/11 and the loss of our friend burst that bubble.

The song explores the reverberations of that grief throughout our lives and the album cover has been a fun exercise in group healing as all of our friends shared photos from high school, college, and camp to make a collage over a photo of The Guardrail.

lyrics

Lyrics

Isn't it interesting how it all went down?
Couldn't have made it up if we tried
Down on the dead end street
At the guardrail, across from her house
Where all our friends hung out
Smoking joints into the wee hours
Just blissfully hanging about
Talking shit and fooling around
Never knew it could all come down
That morning, it all fell down

You can try but you'll never know the reason why
The fates take a man 'fore his time
How can the hurt disappear
How can the the grief reside
If ya never know the reason why?

On that fateful day in a flash of pain
When the towers came down on fire
I lost a friend, was a damn good man
And it echoes through my time
And it echoes through our time

Isn't it interesting, how you never know?
When freedom will sting, what karma can bring, no no
When men devout are determined to die out loud and bring pain
When leaders devout only ask ya to spend more money in vain
Just blissfully shop head down
Never question what really went down
Ain't no way to figure it out
That morning, it all fell down

You can try but you'll never know the reason why
The fates take a man 'fore his time
How can the hurt disappear
How can the the grief reside
If ya never know the reason why?

On that fateful day in a flash of pain
When the towers came down on fire
I lost a friend, was a damn good man
And it echoes through my time
And it echoes through our time

I miss the innocent delights, down at the guardrail
Those sacred nights
I miss my childhood friend, his sardonic wit
His hilarious bent
I raise a toast to you all
You lost your loved ones, you paid the cost
I wish you all my best
May they rest In peace, without end

You can try but you'll never know the reason why
The fates take a man 'fore his time
How can the hurt disappear
How can the the grief reside
If ya never know the reason why?

On that fateful day in a flash of pain
When the towers came down on fire
I lost a friend, was a damn good man
And it echoes through my time
And it echoes through our time

And it echoes through my time
And it echoes through our time

credits

released September 11, 2021
Written by Neil Nathan
Produced by Thales Posella & Neil Nathan
Mixed by Thales Posella
Stereophonic Mastering by Timothy Stollenwerk
Vocals - Neil Nathan
Guitars, Piano, Organ - Thales Posella
Harmonica - Pete Rydberg

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Neil Nathan New York, New York

"Impressive." Vinyl District

"A warm, soulful voice, full of longing." Magnet Magazine

"A good time." Huffington Post

"A talent that cuts to & through the heart." Philadelphia Daily News

"A profound steward of great American folk-rock music." - Indie Band Guru

"There are few out there with this combo of energy & soulful songwriting, Matthew Sweet & Jeff Tweedy qualify." Powerpopaholic ... more

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