A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half his life in prison
The other half on the run
I'll tell you all the story of Arnold Nash
I got a call from the warden
When they found the empty cell
I said, I'm retired, but I'll tell you what I know
Most men do their time
Wishing they were back at home
But Arnold, well, he's got no place to go
We were buddies back in grade school
He'd come to the house and play
No one knows what set him on his path
Some would say a broken home
Can turn a good kid bad
Some insist he was never more than trash
In '81 my dad was sheriff
And I aimed to fill his shoes
As Arnold was starting up his own career
He'd work twice as hard at stealing
Than he would at an honest job
He'd take anything from dope to fishing gear
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half a life in prison
The other half on the run
This here is the story of Arnold Nash
Well, I chased him through the woods of Maine
A good many times
Once through a driving snow in his stocking feet
He'd be locked up for a while
A year or two at most
And then he'd be right back out on the street
He was a burglar and a thief
With two escapes to boot
In '91 he crossed over the line
He beat to death his neighbor
For a VA check to cash
And so Arnold went up state for the big time
With a 45-year sentence
He thought he was in for good
He spent a quarter century inside
And for his good behavior
They shaved off 18 years
They said, Arnold, you'll soon pack your bags and ride
So I reassured the warden
No need to worry, son
This old prisoner, he won't be going far
Sure enough, when he got hungry
He come out of the shady woods
Walked right up to the blue state trooper's car
These days I'm in retirement
And I guess old Nash is too
And I know what he saw on the Bangor Road
He saw comfort in that cruiser
Saw three squares and a bed
Relieved to come to the end of this episode
He was a good prisoner, a bad citizen
A terrible family man
Living a life of crime, just do the math
Half a life in prison
The other half on the run
Now you all know the story of Arnold Nash
Now I've told the true story of Arnold Nash
Slaid Cleaves is an American singer-songwriter born in Washington, D.C., and raised in South Berwick, Maine and Round Pond, Maine, United States. An alumnus of Tufts University, where he majored in English and philosophy, Cleaves lives in Austin, Texas.
His full name is Richard Slaid Cleaves, but Slaid is the name that he has used his entire life.
Cleaves is a full-time touring musician, but like most musicians has held many day jobs: janitor, warehouse worker, ice cream truck driver, rope-tow operator, film developer, groundskeeper, meter reader, test subject, and pizza delivery driver.
Cleaves's musical roots extend back prior to his days playing in a high school "garage band" with his childhood friend Rod Picott. The two shared a love of music, especially Bruce Springsteen and named their band The Magic Rats, after a character in Springsteen's song "Jungleland."
He brought his love of American artists such as Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and more with him to Cork, Ireland, where he spent his junior year of college. To help pass the time he learned how to play the songs on guitar and on November 18, 1985, he made his debut as a busker in Cork City, Ireland.
After several false starts he started to gain notice around Portland, Maine and in 1990 released his debut cassette, The Promise. Only a few songs off this album, "Sweet Summertime", "Lonesome Highway" and "Wrecking Ball" still occasionally get played in concert. The original tape has unfortunately been lost, and only copies remain.
That was followed a year later by Looks Good from the Road, recorded with his rock band, The Moxie Men, which featured Cleaves on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, his brother J. on bass, Mark Cousins on drums and Pip Walter on electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and vocals. By the end of the year they were the darlings of the Portland press and touted as one of the bands "most likely to succeed."
However, Cleaves's solo acoustic side took over and in 1991 he moved with his wife, Karen, to Austin, Texas. In 1992, he was a winner of the prestigious New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, an award previously given to such artists as Nanci Griffith, Robert Earl Keen and Steve Earle.
Cleaves continued to work hard in Austin, playing various clubs around the city, touring, and continuing to hone his craft as a songwriter. In 1997, he recorded and released his first national album, No Angel Knows for the Rounder-Philo label, which has been his home ever since.
In 2000, Cleaves had an Americana charts hit with his album Broke Down and song of the same name. The title track was co-written with his childhood friend Picott, whom he grew up with in Maine.
Cleaves continued to gain notice with his follow-up album, 2004's Wishbones, appearing on the ESPN2 show Cold Pizza, and his music is praised by Nicholson Baker in his 2009 novel, The Anthologist.
In 2006 Cleaves released Unsung, a collection of songs written by other singer-songwriters including Graham Weber, J. J. Baron, Michael O'Connor (who often tours with Cleaves), Adam Carroll, and Nicole St. Pierre.
Dreamer: A Tribute to Kent Finlay, released in early 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Cleaves' version of "Lost," his co-write with Finlay.
Highway Prayer: A Tribute to Adam Carroll, released in late 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Cleaves' version of "South of Town."
Cleaves tours nationally performing solo and with a band in many configurations.
