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.
Are You Cleaning Off the Stone?
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that would be a lie.
I'd like to say that i can hear your voice,
But i couldn't mean 'hear' in the accepted sense of the word.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
That's a sweet thing to do.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
They tell me your hair's gotten much, much longer.
I bet it looks nice.
They tell me your eyes are the same color as they always were.
That kind of information just floors* me.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
That's a sweet thing to do.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
That's sweet of you.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
That's a sweet thing to do.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
That's sweet of you.
The overall tone of the song Are You Cleaning Off the Stone? by The Mountain Goats is bittersweet with a hint of nostalgia. The opening lines of the song suggest the singer has longed for the person addressed to visit, yet the reality is that they're not there. This feeling of absence is accentuated with the lines "But that would be a lie," and "But I couldn't mean 'hear' in the accepted sense of the word."
The rest of the song speaks to the familiarity that still exists between the singer and the person they're addressing. The repetition of the lines "Are you cleaning off the stone? That's a sweet thing to do. Are you cleaning off the stone? That's sweet of you." suggests a sense of comfort and understanding between the two. The mention of the person's hair and eye color indicates that the singer has heard about this person from others, which implies that they no longer have direct contact with them.
Overall, Are You Cleaning Off the Stone? can be seen as a reflection on the past and the longing for connection that still exists in the present despite the distance.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to begin by saying that I saw you coming,
I want to start by claiming that I anticipated your arrival, but that would be untrue.
But that would be a lie.
I have to admit that my previous statement is false.
I'd like to say that I can hear your voice,
Although I wish otherwise, I cannot accurately perceive the sound of your speech.
But I couldn't mean 'hear' in the accepted sense of the word.
I must clarify that when I use the word 'hear,' it is not in the usual meaning of the term.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
May I ask if you are wiping clean the surface of the rock?
That's a sweet thing to do.
If so, I find that to be very kind.
They tell me your hair's gotten much, much longer.
According to others, your hair has significantly increased in length.
I bet it looks nice.
I suppose it appears attractive.
They tell me your eyes are the same color as they always were.
People say that your eyes have not changed in their hue.
That kind of information just floors me.
Such news astounds and perplexes me.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
I inquire once more if you are cleaning the stone's surface.
That's a sweet thing to do.
Again, I find it to be kind of you to perform such an action.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
Once more, I repeat my query regarding the state of the rock's surface.
That's sweet of you.
If true, your act of cleaning the stone conveys your benevolent character.
Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Quay Dawgg
Is this sang from the perspective of the deceased while a love one visits their grave? Beautiful.
He_Be_ Jonesin
I'd like to begin by saying that I saw you coming,
but that would be a lie.
I'd like to say that I can hear your voice,
but I couldn't mean 'hear' in the accepted sense of the word.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
that's a sweet thing to do.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
that's sweet of you.
They tell me your hair's gotten much, much longer.
I bet it looks nice.
they tell me your eyes are the same color as they always were.
that kind of information just floors me.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
that's a sweet thing to do.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
that's sweet of you.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
that's a sweet thing to do.
Are you cleaning off the stone?
that's sweet of you.