A song from Love songs (1984/1987), recorded as Songs in 1989. A song for one voice and piano, in English from the Israeli poet Ze'ev Dunei, an Israeli news cameraman whom Hagen met at Yaddo.

Text declamation in his songs is simple, but the underlying craftsmanship is complex. At the same time, the music is easy to listen to, often referring to the jazz of musical theater. The songs are deceptively laid-back; I suspect they are not easy to sing. Crowder’s sense of pitch is good, and she is aided by a clear voice and a controlled vibrato....
Stern (heard in Dear Youth) and Moore are excellent collaborators. Hagen’s sophisticated songs remind me somewhat of the AIDS Quilt Songbook and deserve to be heard just as often. Russell Platt’s extensive notes are affectionate, biographical, and analytical.

Hagen's works are somewhat less conservative and more adventurous than those of his mentor Ned Rorem. This does not mean that they are by any means inaccessible; justt he opposite is true. They merely present more interesting vocal and musical challenges at times. Throughout, listeners can pick up traces of jazz idioms and occasional hints of Broadway, leaving a distinct impression of Americana on the ear.