Elverum explained this change in an 2003 interview with Discorder, asserting that "Mount Eerie is a new project. The Microphones was completed, or at least at a good stopping point. I did it because I am ready for new things. I am new."
As Mount Eerie, Phil typically works with synthesizers, guitars, drums, and the accenting voices of Mirah, The Blow, and fellow K-Records/Anacortes, Washington friends. Mount Eerie's album "Seven New Songs of Mount Eerie" was also the first recording released on Phil's new label, P.W.Elverum & Sun. All songs from that recording are available for free download in the Internet Archive.
No Flashlight
Mount Eerie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's inside this one
The moon is in the lake.
And no flashlight means the lake at night
At the cold bottom
There's no pool of light
No moon no sky no world
And no flashlight means at the bottom of the lake
With opened eyes
In the mountains with no flashlight and no friends
Knowing the world is unsung
And being able to hush
Turning off the light is being welcomed home
Crawling in the dark
Saying "No flashlight" is saying "yes" everything else
The lyrics to Mount Eerie's song No Flashlight are rich with metaphors that challenge the listener's perception of reality. The line "no flashlight means that there's another world" suggests that there is a hidden dimension to our existence that we cannot see with the aid of artificial sources of light. Instead, this other world is within our current one, waiting to be discovered through our own internal perception. The image of the moon being in the lake reinforces this idea of a hidden world within our current one, as if the moon is reflecting something deeper within ourselves that can only be seen in a state of darkness.
The following lines talk about the absence of light at the bottom of the lake, where there is no pool of light or recognizable features of the world we know. This lack of light and visibility becomes a physical embodiment of the unknown, representing the daunting possibility of something darker and deeper. However, it is also an opportunity for a new kind of discovery, as the singer opens their eyes to see what lies beyond the surface. Similarly, in the mountains with no flashlight and no friends, the singer embraces solitude and the chance to reflect on the unsung parts of the world that are often overlooked.
The chorus of "no flashlight" signifies surrendering to the unknown and emerging from the darkness with a greater sense of clarity and acceptance. Turning off the light symbolically represents the willingness to leave behind what is familiar and embrace the unknown, as if turning off the flashlight is a way of coming home to oneself. The final line of "saying 'No flashlight' is saying 'yes' everything else" suggests that letting go of the fear of the unknown requires trust in the world and oneself, and that by doing so, a new perception of the unknown is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
No flashlight means that there's another world
The absence of light reveals the existence of another world beyond what our senses can perceive
And it's inside this one
The other world is not separate from our own but lies within it
The moon is in the lake.
The reflection of the moon in the lake symbolizes the potential for hidden beauty in the darkness
And no flashlight means the lake at night
Without any external source of light, the lake becomes a mysterious and ominous place
At the cold bottom
Deep beneath the surface, where light cannot reach, lies a hidden reality
There's no pool of light
There are no easy answers or clear paths in the darkness
No moon no sky no world
Without light, the known world disappears and one is left with uncertainty and fear
And no flashlight means at the bottom of the lake
The absence of light is a metaphor for confronting the depths of one's own psyche
With opened eyes
In order to face the darkness, one must be willing to look at the truth without flinching
In the mountains with no flashlight and no friends
The journey into the unknown can be a lonely and isolating experience
Knowing the world is unsung
Recognizing that there are mysteries and truths that cannot be put into words
And being able to hush
Finding peace and quiet within oneself, despite the chaos and uncertainty of the world
Turning off the light is being welcomed home
Embracing the darkness can be a way of returning to one's true self and finding a sense of belonging
Crawling in the dark
Navigating through the unknown with no clear sense of direction or purpose
Saying "No flashlight" is saying "yes" everything else
By rejecting the illusion of easy answers and simple solutions, one is opening oneself up to the full complexity of existence
Contributed by Kaylee C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@macafromthewired
phil so goofy for making so many songs with the same name
@sean..L
It's actually one long song.
@miker4632
Thank you for being so dedicated to sharing Phil's stuff!
@cecileconoly4140
go buy it
@PeyoteCoyote97
@@cecileconoly4140 some people are poor and still want to be able to enjoy the music :)
@ernesttokes62
When I was 16 the first two albums I bought online were glow pt 2
and mt eerie...
@profd65
@@PeyoteCoyote97 They're poor yet strangely have enough to afford either a smartphone or a computer and Internet. These "poor" people also have no trouble finding $60 to blow on a video game. F-ck off.
@ernesttokes62
Saying no flashlight is Saying yes everything else.. the art of swordlessnes
@alfiewillis4893
Thanks a lot for uploading the original version of the album, it's hard to find the album nowadays.
@sernoddicusthegallant6986
Whats the difference between them?