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.
When I Take out the Garbage at Night
Mount Eerie Lyrics
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I'm not with you then exactly
I'm with the universe
And with the lighting and thunder coming in over the mountains
But when I walk back into the house
Looking up at the window from the back step
The dark window of the room that you died in
Cold because I won't close the window
Just in case something still needs to leave
I stand in the yard and look up
And the dark rectangle glares your face
All of our moments condensed into a thunderclap
When I take out the garbage at night
And then have to go back in and live on
The lyrics of Mount Eerie's song "When I Take out the Garbage at Night" convey a sense of solitude and longing for a lost loved one. The act of taking out the garbage at night becomes a metaphor for being alone, separate from the presence of the person who has passed away.
In the first stanza, the singer describes how they feel connected to the universe and the natural world when they step outside to take out the garbage. They are immersed in the atmospheric phenomena of lightning and thunder, which symbolize the grandeur and power of nature. However, as they return to their house, their attention is drawn to the window of the room where their loved one died. The darkness of the window represents the void left by their absence. The singer refuses to close the window, perhaps hoping that something intangible, like their loved one's spirit, might still need to depart.
As the singer stands in the yard and gazes at the window, they see the reflection of their loved one's face in the dark rectangle. This image triggers a flood of memories and emotions, encapsulating the entirety of their shared moments in a single thunderclap. The final verse underscores the lingering heaviness of grief, as the singer must return inside and continue living without their loved one.
Overall, the lyrics of "When I Take out the Garbage at Night" reflect the paradoxical experience of finding solace and connection in the vastness of the universe while simultaneously grappling with the profound absence of a beloved presence.
Line by Line Meaning
When I take out the garbage at night
When I go outside to dispose of waste late in the evening
I'm not with you then exactly
I am physically separate from you during that time
I'm with the universe
I feel connected to the vastness of existence
And with the lighting and thunder coming in over the mountains
I am captivated by the spectacle of lightning and thunder originating from distant mountains
But when I walk back into the house
Upon reentering the home
Looking up at the window from the back step
Gazing at the window from the rear porch
The dark window of the room that you died in
The dimly lit window of the room where your passing occurred
The big empty room on the second floor
The spacious vacant room situated on the upper level
Cold because I won't close the window
Chilled because I refuse to shut the window
Just in case something still needs to leave
In anticipation of a possibility that something may still require departure
I stand in the yard and look up
I position myself in the yard and direct my gaze upwards
And the dark rectangle glares your face
The obscure rectangular shape emits the illumination of your countenance
All of our moments condensed into a thunderclap
The entirety of our shared experiences compressed into a resounding burst of sound
When I take out the garbage at night
During the moments when I discard refuse in the darkness
And then have to go back in and live on
And subsequently have to return inside and continue with my existence
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Phil Elvrum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind