there's bound to be a ghost at the back of your closet
no matter where you live.
there'll always be a few things, maybe several things
that you're going to find really difficult to forgive.

there's going to come a day when you feel better.
you'll rise up free and easy on that day.
and float from branch to branch,
lighter than the air.
just when that day is coming, who can say? who can say?

our mother has been absent ever since we founded rome.
but there's going to be a party when the wolf comes home.

were going to commandeer the local airwaves
to tell the neighbours whats been going on.
and they will shake their heads and wag their bony fingers
in all the wrong directions,
and by daybreak we'll be gone.

I'm going to get myself in fighting trim,
scope out every angle of unfair advantage.
I'm going to bribe the officials.
I'm going to kill all the judges.
it's going to take you people years to recover from all of the damage.

our mother has been absent ever since we founded rome.
but there's going to be a party when the wolf comes home.

go!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Up the Wolves" by The Mountain Goats speaks about the inevitability of ghosts from the past and how forgiving ourselves can be tough. The opening lines, "There's bound to be a ghost at the back of your closet, no matter where you live," acknowledge that regardless of where we go or what we do, there will always be a part of us haunted by past events or decisions that are challenging to forgive. The song's chorus offers hope for a better tomorrow when the pain or guilt is no longer weighing us down. The singer dreams of a day when they will be unburdened and free, capable of floating effortlessly from one branch to another like a weightless feather. The uncertainty of when this moment of liberation will arrive is acknowledged through the lines, "Just when that day is coming, who can say?"

The song's title metaphorically references the wolves that the singer anticipates will come home, suggesting the return of a threat or a challenge. The line "Our mother has been absent ever since we founded Rome, but there's gonna be a party when the wolf comes home" conveys the idea that the mother is the one who left in search of conquest and adventure, leaving the children alone with the wolves. However, when they return, the children will be ready to take them on, seizing control of the situation and demanding the respect and attention they deserve. The next verse describes a plan of rebellion against unnamed authorities who are responsible for the singer's pain and how they intend to get their revenge on those individuals. The singer expresses their eagerness to get into shape to take on their enemies and to play dirty to secure an unfair win.

Overall, the lyrics of "Up the Wolves" are compelling and poignant, acknowledging that the past is still with us but offering a sense of hope that one day we will be free of its weight. The imagery of wolves and the singer's desire for confrontation and justice adds to the song's emotional impact.

Line by Line Meaning

There's bound to be a ghost at the back of your closet
No matter where you live, there will always be something from your past that haunts you

There'll always be a few things, maybe several things, that you're gonna find really difficult to forgive
Everyone has things that are hard to forgive and let go of

There's going to come a day when you feel better
There will be a day when you start to feel good again and move on from your troubles

You'll rise up free and easy on that day
You will finally feel free of the burdens holding you back

And float from branch to branch, lighter than the air
You will feel weightless and able to move from place to place with ease

Just when that day is coming, who can say, who can say?
It is hard to predict when that day of feeling better will come

Our mother has been absent ever since we founded Rome
The singer's mother has not been around for a long time

But there's gonna be a party when the wolf comes home
There will be a big celebration when the singer finally achieves something significant

We're gonna commandeer the local airwaves
The singer will take over the local media in order to spread their message

To tell the neighbors what's been goin' on
To inform those around them of the situation

And they will shake their heads and wag their bony fingers
Others will disapprove or criticize the singer's actions

In all the wrong directions, and by daybreak we'll be gone
Their critics will point fingers in the wrong direction and attack them unfairly, but the singer will have moved on by then

I'm going to get myself in fighting trim
The singer is preparing themselves for a struggle

Scope out every angle of unfair advantage
They will carefully examine every potential advantage their opponents may have, and how these could be unfair

I'm gonna bribe the officials, I'm gonna kill all the judges
The singer is using hyperbolic language to describe their plan to overcome obstacles

It's gonna take you people years to recover from all of the damage
Their actions will have long-lasting consequences for others

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