Darnielle began the new millennium with The Coroner's Gambit for Absolutely Kosher before signing to 4AD for the release of the surprisingly polished Tallahassee in 2002. We Shall All Be Healed followed in 2004, and one year later, Darnielle was back with The Sunset Tree. Remaining as prolific as ever, Darnielle turned away from the intensity of The Sunset Tree for a calmer, more reflective set of songs on 2006's Get Lonely. The accessible and assured Heretic Pride appeared in 2008. Next up was the Bible verse-inspired The Life of the World to Come, the group's sixth album for 4AD, in 2010. Switching to Merge Records in 2011, Darnielle released All Eternals Deck, which was recorded in four different studios in Brooklyn, Boston, North Carolina, and Florida with four different producers -- John Congleton, Scott Solter, Brandon Eggleston, and Morbid Angel guitarist and Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan -- helming various tracks. That year the band was also handpicked by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he was curating in Minehead, England, but they were ultimately unable to appear due to scheduling issues.
Alagemo
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The white clouds on night sky
They way they just roll on by made me think of you
And the religious cult of flesh disillusion you've committed yourself to
Alagemo, alagemo
The night crawlers poking their little slimy heads through the dirt
Made me think of you again
I don't know where you've gone
But i hear your voice droning on
Alagemo, alagemo
The Mountain Goats' song "Alagemo" is a poignant and melancholic reflection on lost love and the remnants that are left behind. The lyrics are strikingly vivid, weaving images of nature and the supernatural with the singer's lingering thoughts of a failed relationship. The opening lines set the tone: "The new rose floating on water in the old plain bowl / The white clouds on night sky / They way they just roll on by made me think of you / And the religious cult of flesh disillusion you've committed yourself to". Here, the image of a new rose in an old bowl serves as a metaphor for the singer's own feelings - something new and beautiful, but misplaced and unfulfilled. The reference to the "religious cult of flesh disillusion" adds another layer of complexity, suggesting that the person the singer once loved has embraced a destructive or unhealthy lifestyle.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer continues to draw connections between the natural world and their own personal turmoil. The "night crawlers" poking their heads through the dirt evoke a sense of movement and persistence, a reminder that life goes on even if the person you once loved is no longer there. However, the final lines suggest that the singer is still haunted by their past: "I don't know where you've gone / But i hear your voice droning on / Alagemo, alagemo". The repeated use of "alagemo" (a nonsensical word) adds to the sense of being lost, of not knowing what comes next.
Line by Line Meaning
The new rose floating on water in the old plain bowl
A beautiful, fresh rose floating in a simple, unadorned bowl filled with water
The white clouds on night sky
The clouds in the dark sky at night
They way they just roll on by made me think of you
The drifting clouds reminded me of you and how you seem to move on so easily
And the religious cult of flesh disillusion you've committed yourself to
Referring to a destructive lifestyle that you've chosen to follow, despite the harm to yourself and others
Alagemo, alagemo
A repeated, indistinct term, possibly a nonsense word or a mantra of some kind
The night crawlers poking their little slimy heads through the dirt
The worms emerging from the ground at night
Made me think of you again
Another reminder of you and your ability to resurface in my thoughts unexpectedly
Made me think of you a third time
A third instance of being reminded of you, indicating your persistent presence in my mind
I don't know where you've gone
Uncertainty about your whereabouts and what you're doing
But i hear your voice droning on
Despite being physically absent, your voice and presence still linger in my mind
Alagemo, alagemo
A repeated, indistinct term, possibly a nonsense word or a mantra of some kind
Contributed by Matthew R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ian Sutherland
I've done some research, and from what I can tell, Alagemo refers to some sort of Chameleon worship somewhere in Africa. The word might be Yoruba. The only sort of mythology I can find (after Googling "Chameleon worship" or "Chameleon Yoruba") was a story about the origins of death. the Chameleon, in some cultures, is considered a bad omen. anyways, done nerding out. thanks for uploading!
Aidan O'Brien
This is one of the songs that if you don't really like The Mountain Goats you'll probably never hear
Mortal Dilemmas
Always was curious about the meaning of this song. Wonderful album. Thanks for sharing.
Jekyll
man I forgot how sick this tape is
Sly Sawyer
Fuck yes. ✊