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.
Alpha Sun Hat
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i'd really like to play along
your ruby red mouth is full and moist
i'd like to give in to your oboe reed voice
but as sure as those are buzzards in the guava tree
you're looking real funny at me
1 2 3 4,
that's not the sun up in the sky, it's a human heart
if you're planning your escape, you know i'm all for you
as i watch the sun come up again over tallahassee, florida
The first stanza of this song is about a person trying to play along with their partner or friend who says there's nothing wrong. The singer is physically attracted to the person because of their red lips but is unsure if anything is actually wrong in the relationship because the other person is sending mixed signals - they are looking funny at the singer. The second stanza is more introspective and starts with the counting off of 1 2 3 4 which is reminiscent of a band starting a song. However, the singer doesn't hear music, they hear the devil. The singer sees the sun as a human heart and is supportive of their partner/friend's plans to leave. The song ends with a comment on the sunrise in Tallahassee, Florida, almost as if the singer has accepted that sometimes people leave and that's just the nature of life.
Some possible interpretations of this song are that the singer is unsure about the state of their relationship with the other person. They are physically attracted to the other person but emotionally unsure about where they stand. The second stanza may be about the singer's fear of losing the other person or a fear of something darker intruding into their life. Overall, the song has a feeling of uncertainty and transition, with the sunrise in Tallahassee acting as a metaphorical new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
you say again that nothing's wrong
You're pretending that everything is fine, even though it's not.
i'd really like to play along
I want to believe you and be okay with the situation.
your ruby red mouth is full and moist
Your lips look enticing and are tempting me.
i'd like to give in to your oboe reed voice
I want to give in to your sweet and seductive voice.
but as sure as those are buzzards in the guava tree
I have a feeling that something is not right.
you're looking real funny at me
Your behavior is making me suspicious.
1 2 3 4,
Counting in music terms.
that's not music you hear, that's the devil
This is not a good situation, it's evil.
that's not the sun up in the sky, it's a human heart
Things are not as they seem, and there may be something dark at play.
if you're planning your escape, you know i'm all for you
If you need to leave this situation, I support you and will help in any way I can.
as i watch the sun come up again over tallahassee, florida
I am watching the world start anew, and leaving the past behind.
Contributed by Samuel N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.