The Decemberists
Lyric guide

The Bagman's Gambit

Read The Bagman's Gambit lyrics by The Decemberists on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: The Decemberists Canonical path: /the-decemberists/the-bagman-s-gambit Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

The Bagman's Gambit

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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

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Who performs "The Bagman's Gambit"?

The Decemberists performs "The Bagman's Gambit", and this lyric page sits inside the The Decemberists catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "The Bagman's Gambit"?

Yes. The related section below points to A Bower Scene and Like A Lion with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by The Decemberists?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through The Decemberists's lyric pages.

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