7 months ago

Beaver plays "Competence Is Kindness" from Beaver's 2023 album, A Friend from out of Town.

Video by Stephen Henderson: https://www.thehabitofseeing.com/

Website: https://www.beavernelson.com/
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Twitter: / beaver_nelson
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Lyrics
Competence Is Kindness

This might be where it all breaks down
This might be where it turns around
I know you kinda like to be informed in style
But I don’t give a damn if the pilot smiles
As long as I’m walking off the plane
This might be where we all make nice
This might be where we all think twice
This might be where you touch your toes
With the shapers getting vapors looking down their noses
Aghast, floating over pain
With a hull pierced by flame
I’m sorry but, your highness
Competence is kindness

This might be where it all breaks down
This might be where it turns around
And does a pirouette on the head of a pin
Pointing politely at the door kicked in
Under warrants that misspelled your name
This might be where it falls apart
This might be a work of art
Hanging front and center in an old museum
Or back behind the bleachers in a sweaty gym
Tattered and unframed
Drowning in the sounds of the game
Is there some way to decide which?
Competence is kindness

Kindness, competence is kindness
Silliness is blindness to need
Kindness, competence is kindness
Unwillingness is spineless, indeed
Kindness, sorry, but it’s timeless
You gotta work in silence to succeed
Kindness, competence is kindness
Go put on your finest with speed

Some things work and some things don’t
Some folks will and some folks won’t
Get their hands dirty feeding other mouths
Spreading power when the lights go out
Touching many torches with a flame
This might be where the curtain falls
This might be where we fix it all
Straddling the distance between now and then
Stripping off the layers to your truest skin
So perfect that none dare complain
Picking up the pieces in the rain
Putting them together once again
Is there someone to remind us
That competence is kindness?
I’m sorry, but, your highness
Competence is kindness