Diplomat’s Son

Music by Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson and Chris Baio / Lyrics by Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij / Produced by Rostam Batmanglij

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  • Diplomat’s Son
  • Diplomat’s/Jessica
  • Lyrics

    It’s not right but it’s now or never

    And if I wait could I ever forgive myself?

    On a night when the moon glows yellow in the riptide

    With the light from the TV’s buzzing in the house

    Cuz I’m gonna cut it where I can

    And then I’m gonna duck out behind them

    If I ever had a chance it’s now then

    But I never had the feeling I could offer that to you

    To offer it to you would be cruel

    When all I want to do is use, use you

    He was a diplomat’s son

    It was ’81

    Dressed in white with my car keys hidden in the kitchen

    I could sleep wherever I lay my head

    And the sight of your two shoes sitting in the bathtub

    Let me know that I shouldn’t give up just yet

    Cuz I’m gonna take it from Simon

    And then I’m gonna duck out behind them

    If I ever had a chance it’s now then

    But I never had the feeling I could offer that to you

    To offer it to you would be cruel

    When all I want to do is use, use you

    He was a diplomat’s son

    It was ’81

            I know, you’ll say

            I’m not doing it right

            But this is how I want it

            I can’t go back

            To how I felt before

            There’s—

    That night I smoked a joint

    With my best friend

    We found ourselves in bed

    When I woke up

    He was gone

    He was the diplomat’s son

    It was ’81

    Looking out at the ice-cold water all around me

    I can’t feel any traces of that other place

    In the dark when the wind comes racing off the river

    There’s a car all black with diplomatic plates

    24 live recordings

    Aug

    1

    2024

    BMO Harris Pavilion

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

    Dec

    4

    2019

    Radio 104.5 Movember Gala

    Bensalem, Pennsylvania, USA

    Nov

    18

    2019

    Ancienne Belgique

    Brussels, Belgium

    Sep

    28

    2019

    McMenamins Edgefield

    Portland, Oregon, USA

    Sep

    6

    2019

    Madison Square Garden

    New York, New York, USA

    Sep

    3

    2019

    Agganis Arena

    Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Aug

    29

    2019

    Merriweather Post Pavilion

    Columbia, Maryland, USA

    Aug

    24

    2019

    James L. Knight Center

    Miami, Florida, USA

    Jun

    21

    2019

    Red Hat Amphitheater

    Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

    Jun

    16

    2019

    Huntingon Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island

    Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Jun

    11

    2019

    The Sylvee

    Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Jun

    7

    2019

    Lawn at White River State Park

    Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    May

    5

    2019

    Webster Hall

    New York, New York, USA

    May

    2

    2019

    Ulster Performing Arts Center

    Kingston, New York, USA

    Mar

    22

    2019

    Islington Assembly Hall

    London, England, UK

    Jun

    8

    2014

    Governor’s Ball

    New York, New York, USA

    Sep

    15

    2013

    iTunes Festival

    London, England, UK

    Jul

    12

    2013

    Optimus Alive

    Oeiras, Portugal

    May

    1

    2013

    BBC Radio 1

    London, England, UK

    Apr

    28

    2013

    Roseland Ballroom

    New York, New York, USA

    Apr

    20

    2013

    KCRW’s Berkeley Street Sessions

    Santa Monica, California, USA

    Jul

    15

    2012

    Pitchfork Music Festival

    Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Sep

    2

    2010

    In the Venue

    Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Feb

    25

    2010

    L’Olympia Bruno Coquatrix

    Paris, France