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.
Beach House
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you've taken to hanging out on that rock about a mile from shore
given what I know about that rock mainly that it's populated by seals
I strongly suggest to you that you not hang out there anymore
'cause the seal is a wily and a vicious creature
and the seal will bite you if you give him half a chance
yeah the seal has a mind set on violence
and the seal is the sworn enemy of man
now when I say that the seal is vicious I use the term advisedly
according to webster's 9th new collegiate definition 4b.
which states that vicious means marked by ferocity
and offers as a synonym...savage
'cause the seal is a vicious and a wily creature
and the seal has a mind full of evil designs
and the seal will harm you and laugh about it
yeah the seal is not a creature you want to toy with
yeah the seal is not a creature you want to toy with
The lyrics to The Mountain Goats' song "Beach House" are directed toward someone the singer knows who has been spending time on a rock about a mile from shore. The singer received letters telling him this, and warns the person to stay away from the rock. The reason for this warning is that the rock is primarily populated by seals, who are known to be vicious creatures. The singer uses vivid language to describe the danger of the seals, stating that they have evil designs and are the sworn enemy of man. He even cites the definition of "vicious" to emphasize just how dangerous the seals can be.
At its core, "Beach House" is a song about caution and the dangers of taking unnecessary risks. The singer cares enough about the person receiving his warning to make the effort to write them a letter, even if it may be disregarded. However, the song is also rich in irony. Despite the warning, the singer is unable to prevent the person from continuing to visit the rock. The lyrics suggest that the person is drawn to the risk and potential danger, even though it could be fatal.
Line by Line Meaning
I get letters telling me since I moved away
The singer has received letters stating that the person they left behind has been spending time on a rock near shore.
you've taken to hanging out on that rock about a mile from shore
The person left behind has been spending time on a rock a mile from shore.
given what I know about that rock mainly that it's populated by seals
The singer has knowledge that the rock the person is visiting is home to seals.
I strongly suggest to you that you not hang out there anymore
The artist advises the person to stop visiting the rock.
'cause the seal is a wily and a vicious creature
The seal is dangerous due to its cunning and aggressive nature.
and the seal will bite you if you give him half a chance
If given the opportunity, the seal will attack and bite the person.
yeah the seal has a mind set on violence
The seal has violent tendencies and is prone to attacking humans.
and the seal is the sworn enemy of man
Seals see humans as their natural enemy and are not to be trusted.
now when I say that the seal is vicious I use the term advisedly
The artist emphasizes the danger of seals and chooses their words carefully.
according to webster's 9th new collegiate definition 4b.
The artist cites a dictionary definition to further emphasize their point.
which states that vicious means marked by ferocity
The chosen dictionary definition defines vicious as indicating ferocity.
and offers as a synonym...savage
The dictionary also suggests that savage is a synonym for vicious.
'cause the seal is a vicious and a wily creature
The seal is both aggressive and clever, making it a formidable opponent.
and the seal has a mind full of evil designs
The seal is capable of malicious and harmful intent towards humans.
and the seal will harm you and laugh about it
If the seal harms a human, it will take pleasure in doing so.
yeah the seal is not a creature you want to toy with
The seal should not be underestimated and approached with caution.
yeah the seal is not a creature you want to toy with
The seal should not be underestimated and approached with caution.
Contributed by Hudson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gage Link
Great song to run to
Ghoulish Blacksmith
Great song to run away from seals to
William Wells
this would sound great with a nice 130 bpm piece of electronic dance music
Devon's biggest fan
The perfect comment doesnt exi...
Lord Of Dutch
An underated classic