Performed by The Niceties
Produced, mixed, and engineered by Carl Dávila for The Ace of Hearts Productions
©2025 Carl Dávila and The Ace of Hearts Productions, all rights reserved. 

"The past is dead, and the future is not here. Mankind were created to live in the Moment. When you go to the past or the future, you are transgressing the boundaries of God."  - Adnan Sarhan

Emily Dickinson Discovers The Niceties

And when the sun goes down,
When your heart is empty,
And you feel the birds singing,
Singing for you and you alone,

Just remember this:
Love is much more than a kiss.
Shining from an eye,
Wider than the sky,
Just remember this.

And when there's no more to be said,
When the wind sweeps clouds away,
When your sighs become a dream,
Dream yourself another day.

Just remember this:
I am a world you cannot miss.
I will be there with you.
Yes, you know it is true:
Just remember this.

Just remember this:
I am a world you cannot miss.
I will be there with you.
Yes, you know it is true:
Just remember this.
I am always with you
For all time it is true,
Just remember this,
Just remember this.


As performed by the Niceties, featuring Tarika Blessings recorded by the Ace of Hearts Productions mobile studio at the Sufi Foundation of America, engineered by Carl Davila, Manny Ackerman and Danny Stern, 2019; remastered 2023.
©2016, 2019, 2023 Carl Davila and The Ace of Hearts Productions, all rights reserved.

Just Remember This (featuring Tarika Blessings)

Woke up to the smell of lilacs and old lace.
Got up to the sound of the razor on my face.
Tried to find the morning
But the sun was still in mourning
And there were sun dogs dancing 'round the waning moon.

Woke up to the smell of lilacs and old lace.
Got up to the sound of the razor on my face.
Listened to the radio
But it was just insane and so
I ground my coffee staring at the moon.

I thought the job was boring.
It's the thing I was ignoring.
And the daily news was like a dancing clown.
The lilac memories 
Always brought me to my knees
And the church bells ringing at the edge of town.

Woke up to the smell of lilacs and old lace.
Got up to the sound of the razor on my face.
Found it was a dream
That I could never quite believe
And so I left my coffee underneath the moon.

As performed by The Niceties on the album, IdioPop.
Music and lyrics ©2016 by Carl Davila and The Ace of Hearts Productions. All rights reserved.

Lilacs And Old Lace

Who knows where your feet are gonna land?
On the street or in the grass or somewhere in the sand?
And you haven't got a clue.

A path runs through the mountains of your mind.
The table's set, now turn around and leave it all behind,
As you search for something new.
But the world is inside of you, yeah yeah yeah.

Take a stroll down the back streets of your life.
Walk a road less traveled in disguise.
Check some windows, look in some open doors.
You best believe, you've seen it all before.

Come on! Your dreams are calling out to you.
Turn off the news, you know that it just gives you the blues,
Cause the dance is inside of you, yeah yeah yeah.

Take a ride on the back roads of your life.
Take a chance on the people you will find.
No one's home, except the Only One.
It's only Love. It's everything you've done.

Anyway, in the end there's only you,
It's you and me and me and he and he and she and she and you.
Cause the sky is inside of you...
Now.

As performed by The Niceties on their hit album, "IdioPop" (AoH8).
©2016 by Carl Davila and The Ace of Hearts Productions, all rights reserved. So there.

The Back Streets Of Your Life

What will you do when the ice is all gone,
And the sun cream won't protect you from the mob on the lawn?

(It's all online)
Who lives on Planet B?
(It's in your mind)
Who lives on Planet B?

What will you do when the cable goes off,
And the WiFi is broken and the plastic's gone soft?

(It's in your mind)
Who lives on Planet B?
(It's all online)
Who lives on Planet B?

How would you feel with your feet in the air,
And your head on a mountain and the wind in your hair?

(It's in your mind)
Who lives on Planet B?
(It's all online)
Who lives on Planet B?

As performed by The Niceties on their 2017 smash-hit single b/w "Who Are the Brain Police?"

©2017 Carl Dávila and The Ace of Hearts Productions; all rights reserved.

Planet B

Have a bit o' these and a slice o' those.
Then have a bit of everything else.

I drive one o' these, you wear one o' those.
And there's no room for anything else.

One an' one is two, one an' one is two
One an' one is two, whacha gonna do
Whacha gonna do? Whacha gonna do gonna do gonna do?

You wanna piece o' me, don't wanna piece o' you.
Maybe you betta find some peace in y'self?

We're all on the same bus, so don't fuss 'n' cuss.
There's a good chance that you could help.

I jump into the sky and I don't know why,
And I find I don't need anything else.

I go where I dare lookin' fo' clean air
An' I don't keep it to myself.

Find a piece o' y'self, find some peace in y'self....
One an' one is two – Whacha gonna do?
One is two – one is two.


Written, produced, and recorded by Carl Dávila. As performed by The Niceties on their soon-to-be-an-album Emily Dickinson Discovers Post Punk. ©2025 by Carl Davila and The Ace of Hearts Productions, all rights reserved y'all.
Release date:
20 March 2025

Emily Dickinson Discovers Post Punk

1 + 1 = 2

You cannot avoid Reality – eventually, she wins. Every time.

I make you into a likeness.
I would trade the world for this.
But twisted love might be delightful.
(This is how we know it is.)

Up the street I drag my features.
Each of me a twisted creature.
I find it hard to feed my keeper.

Consensus Reality – make no mistake!

Let's attend a private screening.
All of us, without the guilt.
But just because some doctor is dreaming,
Someone else gonna fix th quilt.

Let's go see a foreign movie.
Let's see them all, let's not be choosie.

Consensus Reality – make no mistake.

I think you and you might be a murmur
Of the Big Bang in my head.
The sky fall in around the corner.
(At least that's what I thought she said.)

I was married to a method.

Consensus Reality – make no mistake.
Consensus Reality – make no mistake.


As performed by The Niceties (2016)
Lyrics ©1984 Carl Davila and The Ace of Hearts Productions; music and arrangement ©1984 Carl Davila and Alyson Steinman.

Consensus Reality

You think you could be flyin' but you're just standing  still.
The Heart may break, but the Love never will.

You swim against the tide, runnin' up that hill.
The Heart may break, but the Love never will.

You think you could be dyin' but you're breathin' still.
The Heart may break, but the Love never will.

Yeah dancin' in the shadows showin' all your skill.
The Heart may break, but the Love never will.

The Heart may break, but the Love never will.
The Heart may break, but the Love never will.
The Heart may break, but the Love never will.
The Heart may break, but the Love never will.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.


Words and music by Carl Dávila
From the coolhot new album by the Niceties, Emily Dickinson Discovers Post-Punk!
©2025 Carl Dávila and the Ace of Hearts Productions, all rights reserved, y'all.

The Heart May Break

I been lookin' fo' da man, broke me in da mirra
I been lookin' fo' da man, who da friend o' da Friend.
I been lookin' fo' da man, took me to da cleana.
I been lookin' fo' da man, don' gotta pretend.

a-hip-hop hurray!

doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop shawadda
doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop shawadda
doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop shawadda
doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop
doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop shawadda
oh - bop bop bop

You been lookin' fo' dat man, wouldja know 'im if ya seen 'im?
You been lookin' fo' dat man, 'oo up an' gone away.
You been lookin' fo' dat man, can y' find 'im in da mirra?
You been lookin' fo' dat man, 'oo knew how ta play.

Lookin' fo' dat man...lookin' fo' dat man.

doo-wop doo-wop doo-wop shawadda...


As performed by The Niceties on their funkay new album, Emily Dickenson Discovers Post Punk (AoH20)...Written, arranged, and (mostly) performed by Carl Dávila; ©2025 Carl Dávila and The Ace of Hearts Productions, all rights reserved.

"The punishment from God is simply the working out of consequences." - Al-Ghazzali.


Lookin' fo da Man

Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna thank the One for another day.
Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna laugh out loud for another day.

A carnival of thoughts has pulled up stakes
And now it can't be found.
Moments flowing past, an endless stream
That never makes a sound.

The silent half of talking me has danced
Upon an unseen sea.
The tide arises underneath and then becomes
A part of me.

Wait a moment, and you'll see
My soul arising from the sea.
Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna thank the One for another day.
Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna laugh out loud for another day.

Limitless undying love, which lights
A summer meadow day,
Calls me on and on until my heart
It drifts away away.

The birds announce the end of night but
Nothing much is left of me.
The sky emerges in the light, the sun
Unveils eternity.

I jump into the sky – I don't know  why 
I have to go find me.
Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna thank the One for another day.
Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna laugh out loud for another day.

Give it up, turn it down, turn it all around....
Round round round round round round round.

Underneath the ground's a heart of clay
With nothing more to say.
Way up in the sky's another day, a day
I say, "Today..."

This road's just dust, but that's why I sing:
I sing to sing to sing.
You have to trust this song – it's everything –
It's in the heart of things...

This moment has been lost and found in 
Me and thee and she and he.
Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna thank the One for another day.
Gonna sing along, gonna dance away
Gonna laugh out loud for another day.



As performed by The Niceties, the second hit single from their album, Emily Dickinson Discovers New Wave.
©2025 by Carl Dávila and The Ace of Hearts Productions. Words and music, arrangement, production, and engineered by Carl Dávila. All rights reserved, y'all.

Looking back over my notes (I’m taking notes)
Not often, once in a while (Once in a while)
I don't get worked up, I keep my cool
Doesn't mean much, as a rule.

Locked up inside here
Twisted up, turning near
All gone crazy in here
Get myself back into gear
Get myself back into gear

Here is the only home
Here is a photograph
Here comes a neighbor
This makes me want to laugh
This makes me want to laugh

Catch my breath in a paper cup
A crescent moon behind a cloud
I don't get lazy, I don't play the fool
The house is burning – just keep it cool (Look out!)

A paper tiger on an island of glass
Well I'm up against the wall
Got no time for this at all
Got no time for this at all

Here is the only home
Here is a polygraph
Here comes an ice cream truck
This is where you do the math
This is where I do the math

Well it's time to do and a time to don't
The other shoe? No thanks, I won't
If I can dance, then maybe I'll walk
But first I gotta reset the clock

(Take me back to where I once belonged.
Gonna bide my time until I've lost my mind.)

There's too much television (It’s the Beverly Hillbillies!)
Gotta make a decision (Now, there’s an idea!)
Maybe I'll redo the drapes
Watch out now I'm taking shape
Watch out now I'm changing shape

Here is the only life
Makes me want to shout
This is the fog of time
This here's what it's all about

Here is the only home
Here is a seismograph
Look! There's a pincushion!
This is where you do the math
And where I make a gaffe
This is where you do the math
This is where I took a bath
Now you see the aftermath
I'm not a psychopath
This is where you do the math...


As performed by the Band Formerly Known as the Niceties on their rockin' and rollin' album, Emily Dickinson Discovers New Wave. Words. music, production by Carl Dávila.
©2025 Carl Dávila and The Ace of Hearts Productions. All rights reserved, y'all.

Talking Heads meet fIREHOSE...40 years on.

Carlisticeday

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