Susan Nagle

DISTRACTION

Lyrics By: Susan Nagle

Verse 1
In this world today, who can we trust?
One says it's gold, the next says it's rust
They’ve got us clashing, toe to toe
While spinning up a brand-new show

Chorus
Look this way—no, don't look
Change the course, detour, swerve
Turn around, keep pressing on
Think it through, now let it go

Hurry up then slow it down
Signals clash from every town
What's the sound? Just static ground
Distraction… distraction…

Verse 2
Where are the heroes we used to praise?
Back when hard work earned the raise
Now it’s followships, not fellowship
Kissing rings while morals slip

(Repeat Chorus)
Look this way—no, don't look
Change the course, detour, swerve
Turn around, keep pressing on
Think it through, now let it go

Hurry up then slow it down
Signals clash from every town
What's the sound? Just static ground
Distraction… distraction…

Verse 3
They forget what life’s mirror shows
You reap exactly what you sow
I await the day that Karma lays
These noisy fools in their own maze

(Final Chorus – tweaked for impact)

Look this way—then take a stand
Choose the truth, not sleight of hand
Break the loop, rewrite the plan
Distraction… no more distraction…


© 2025 Susan Nagle. All rights reserved

Dear Self
Lyrics By: Susan Nagle

Verse 1:
Dear Self, remember growing up, when life felt simple?
Neighbors were kind, and the world felt wide.
No screens to keep us inside—just scraped knees and laughter.
Bullies weren’t lurking in the halls—just kids finding their way.

Chorus:
Time won’t wait—it moves like the wind,
One day you're young, the next you’re looking back again.
I thought I had forever, thought I had control,
Now I wonder—was I chasing life, or watching it unfold?

Verse 2:
Dear Self, turning 21, feeling grown and free,
Raising glasses high, chasing luck at the casino.
No one warned you that darkness lingers,
Yet you whispered to yourself, I got this.

Verse 3:
Dear Self, suddenly, you have a spouse, then a family—
Oh man, could life get any better?
But shadows creep in, through drink or through escape,
You need help, yet still, you whisper I got this.

Chorus:
Time won’t wait—it moves like the wind,
One day you're young, the next you’re looking back again.
I thought I had forever, thought I had control,
Now I wonder—was I chasing life, or watching it unfold?

Verse 4:
Dear Self, time speeds up—your child walks that stage.
How much did you miss, lost in the grind?
Your spouse is gone, with someone else—
Life became work...when did that happen?

Verse 5:
Dear Self, losing a parent—what is this heartbreak?
You wanted to grow old, never knowing sorrow came with it.
Bills pile up, time slips away—where did the good days go?
Tell me, how do others carry the weight of growing old?

Chorus:
Time won’t wait—it moves like the wind,
One day you're young, the next you’re looking back again.
I thought I had forever, thought I had control,
Now I wonder—was I chasing life, or watching it unfold?

Verse 6:
Dear Self, now they say I’ve worked enough—time to slow down.
A lifetime traded for a check that barely stretches.
They say my memory fades, but I remember—
It feels like yesterday when life was perfect.

Final Chorus:
Time won’t wait—it moves like the wind,
One day you're young, the next you’re looking back again.
I thought I had forever, thought I had control,
Now I wonder—was I chasing life, or watching it unfold?

© 2025 Susan Nagle. All rights reserved.

Mama Said
Lyrics By: Susan Nagle

Verse 1:
We ran wild from sunrise ‘til the streetlights glowed,
Playing tag and kickball down every road.
Thought we had secrets, but Mama knew it all,
She caught every whisper, every close call.

One time, I snuck her Winstons, thinking I was sly,
Me and my friend smoked ‘em, watched the world fly.
Sicker than a dog, couldn’t keep it down,
She just shook her head and gave us that unforgettable frown.

Chorus:
Mama said, "Keep crying, I’ll give you something to cry about,
I brought you in, I can take you out!
Just wait ‘til you’ve got kids of your own,
Then you’ll see how much I’ve known.

"If you don’t have something nice to say,
Then don’t say nothing at all today.
You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’, you’ll see,
And money don’t grow on no damn tree!"

Verse 2:
Thought I was smart, had the perfect plan,
Sent Mom and Dad to Vegas, bags in hand.
A weekend alone, the house all mine,
Called up my friends—this party would shine.

Music was loud, we were feeling free,
Laughing, dancing, just meant to be.
But that neighbor? Oh, she had a say,
Mom came back—caught us the very next day!

Chorus:
Mama said, "Keep crying, I’ll give you something to cry about,
I brought you in, I can take you out!
Just wait ‘til you’ve got kids of your own,
Then you’ll see how much I’ve known.

"If you don’t have something nice to say,
Then don’t say nothing at all today.
You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’, you’ll see,
And money don’t grow on no damn tree!"

Verse 3:
Every time I got caught, I swore she had spies,
Always one step ahead, with that knowing eye.
Now I hear her words when I talk to my son,
Laughing ‘cause I’ve become the mom I’d outrun.

I wouldn’t trade her for anyone, not for a day,
Her wisdom still guides me in its own way.
If only I could hear her voice once more,
Sharing the truths that I’d long ignored.

Chorus (Final Repeat):
Mama said, "Keep crying, I’ll give you something to cry about,
I brought you in, I can take you out!
Just wait ‘til you’ve got kids of your own,
Then you’ll see how much I’ve known.

"If you don’t have something nice to say,
Then don’t say nothing at all today.
You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’, you’ll see,
And money don’t grow on no damn tree!"
© 2025 Susan Nagle. All rights reserved