For want of a nail
"For want of a nail" is a proverb, having numerous variations over several centuries, reminding that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences through a domino effect. Poet George Herbert included it in a 1640 collection of aphorisms as "For want of a naile the shoe is lost, for want of a shoe the horse is lost, for want of a horse the rider is lost." Benjamin Franklin, in his 1758 Poor Richard's Almanack, recorded a longer version: "The Want of a Nail" is a Phildelphia soul-influenced pop song by Todd Rundgren featuring Bobby Womack, released on his 1989 album Nearly Human.