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.
Alibi
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laid one finger to the breeze
You can almost taste the action
On nights like these
Trees were bending in the wind
You were forty miles away
And I was headed in your direction
I've been waiting all day, I've been waiting all day
Moon over west covena was huge and white
And I was like a patient on a table
Headed for the light
Lean toward the center divider
Feel the wind in my hair
Keep a light up in your window
I'm gonna be right there, I'm gonna be right there
With a gleam in my eye
And an almost airtight alibi
Down by the chemistry building
I found a quiet place to park
And I made my way down the street toward your place
Stepping lightly in the dark
Climbed the steps up to your doorway
Like a man prepared to jump underneath a train
It's real warm outside tonight
Maybe tommorow it rains, maybe tommorow it rains
Inside your room we shut the window
And we turned on a fan
And we lay there together in the darkness
I can keep a secret if you can
Finishing one another's sentences
Like a pair of identical twins
Your boyfriend's out of town until tuesday
And nobody saw me come in, nobody saw me come in
With a gleam in my eye
And an almost airtight alibi
The Mountain Goats's Alibi is a melancholic tale of desire and the lengths that a person will go to be with their love interest. The lyrics begin with the singer getting off work past eleven and feeling the excitement of the night. The trees are bending in the wind and the moon is monumental, painting the scene for a thrilling adventure. The singer is forty miles away from their love interest, but they are heading towards their direction. The lyrics are full of anticipation and impatience, as the singer has been waiting all day to be with their love interest.
As the singer drives towards their love interest's place, they are consumed with the desire to be with them. They lean towards the center divider and feel the wind in their hair. They keep a light up in their love interest's window so that they know the singer is on their way. The singer has an almost airtight alibi, which implies that they are taking a risk to be with their love interest. However, they are determined to be with them, with a gleam in their eye and a plan to escape discovery.
When the singer finally reaches their love interest's place, they go to great lengths to ensure that nobody sees them. They make their way quietly in the dark and climb the steps up to their doorway like a man prepared to jump underneath a train. Once they are inside the room, they shut the window, turn on a fan and lay there together in the darkness, finishing each other's sentences like a pair of identical twins. The lyrics are full of yearning and intimacy, with the singer willing to keep the secret of their rendezvous if their love interest can too. They are willing to take risks to be with each other and are caught up in this moment of pure desire, with a gleam in the singer's eye and an almost airtight alibi.
Line by Line Meaning
I got off work just past eleven
I left my job a little after 11 PM
Laid one finger to the breeze
I felt the wind with one finger
You can almost taste the action, On nights like these
The night was full of excitement that could be felt in the air
Trees were bending in the wind
The wind was strong enough to make the trees bend
You were forty miles away
You were far from me, about 40 miles away
And I was headed in your direction
I was going towards you
I've been waiting all day, I've been waiting all day
I had been waiting for this moment all day
Moon over west covena was huge and white
The moon in West Covena was large and bright
And I was like a patient on a table, Headed for the light
I was like a person on an operation table, heading towards the light of realization
Lean toward the center divider, Feel the wind in my hair
I leaned towards the center divider of the road, feeling the wind blowing through my hair
Keep a light up in your window, I'm gonna be right there, I'm gonna be right there
Keep a light in your window so that I can find your house and be there soon
With a gleam in my eye, And an almost airtight alibi
I was confident and had a nearly perfect excuse for my actions
Down by the chemistry building, I found a quiet place to park
I found a peaceful place to park my car near the chemistry building
And I made my way down the street toward your place, Stepping lightly in the dark
I walked quietly down the street towards your house in the dark
Climbed the steps up to your doorway, Like a man prepared to jump underneath a train
I climbed the stairs to your door nervously, feeling like I was about to do something dangerous
It's real warm outside tonight, Maybe tommorow it rains, maybe tommorow it rains
It was warm that night, but it might rain tomorrow
Inside your room we shut the window, And we turned on a fan, And we lay there together in the darkness, I can keep a secret if you can
We closed the window and turned on a fan in your room where we lay together in the dark. I promised to keep our secret if you did the same.
Finishing one another's sentences, Like a pair of identical twins
We were so close and intimate that we finished each other's sentences, like twins.
Your boyfriend's out of town until tuesday, And nobody saw me come in, nobody saw me come in
Your boyfriend was out of town until Tuesday, and no one saw me enter your house.
With a gleam in my eye, And an almost airtight alibi
I was still confident and I almost had a perfect reason for being with you.
Contributed by Elliot N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jordan Tropila
I got off work just past eleven
Laid one finger to the breeze
You can almost taste the action
On nights like these
Trees were bending in the wind
You were forty miles away
And I was headed in your direction
I've been waiting all day, I've been waiting all day
Moon over west covena was huge and white
And I was like a patient on a table
Headed for the light
Lean toward the center divider
Feel the wind in my hair
Keep a light up in your window
I'm gonna be right there, I'm gonna be right there
With a gleam in my eye
And an almost airtight alibi
Down by the chemistry building
I found a quiet place to park
And I made my way down the street toward your place
Stepping lightly in the dark
Climbed the steps up to your doorway
Like a man prepared to jump underneath a train
It's real warm outside tonight
Maybe tommorow it rains, maybe tommorow it rains
Inside your room we shut the window
And we turned on a fan
And we lay there together in the darkness
I can keep a secret if you can
Finishing one another's sentences
Like a pair of identical twins
Your boyfriend's out of town until tuesday
And nobody saw me come in, nobody saw me come in
With a gleam in my eye
And an almost airtight alibi
Jordan Tropila
I got off work just past eleven
Laid one finger to the breeze
You can almost taste the action
On nights like these
Trees were bending in the wind
You were forty miles away
And I was headed in your direction
I've been waiting all day, I've been waiting all day
Moon over west covena was huge and white
And I was like a patient on a table
Headed for the light
Lean toward the center divider
Feel the wind in my hair
Keep a light up in your window
I'm gonna be right there, I'm gonna be right there
With a gleam in my eye
And an almost airtight alibi
Down by the chemistry building
I found a quiet place to park
And I made my way down the street toward your place
Stepping lightly in the dark
Climbed the steps up to your doorway
Like a man prepared to jump underneath a train
It's real warm outside tonight
Maybe tommorow it rains, maybe tommorow it rains
Inside your room we shut the window
And we turned on a fan
And we lay there together in the darkness
I can keep a secret if you can
Finishing one another's sentences
Like a pair of identical twins
Your boyfriend's out of town until tuesday
And nobody saw me come in, nobody saw me come in
With a gleam in my eye
And an almost airtight alibi
mathdebaterclub
"Climb the steps up to your doorway, like a man prepared to jump beneath a train." That's the best line. Ever.
giftedangel6
Almost every Mountain Goats song has a best line ever :)
John Hatchell
Sounds like Woody Guthrie with modern lyrics. Really this sound is timeless. There's nothing like a good song writer armed with a guitar.
Cree8Ball
Absolute banger
Joseph Gregor
so GOOD!
Krowmeat
Before I read the lyrics I had just assumed this was another mountain goats song about murder
Gaius Cassius Longinus
The prequel to "Going to Maine."
Poppy Yates
'nobody saw me come in, nobody saw me come in, with a gleam in my eye' shit mate
Rogue Video
:53 He mentions West Covina! My hometown!