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.
Beautiful Gas Mask
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blindfolded and bound
'Til we stand at the edge
Of a hole in the ground
We hold hands and we jump
And as we fall we sing
Paupers hammering the walls of the castle
Never sleep, remember to breathe deep
Never sleep, remember to breathe
Breathe deep
Crash in from deep space
Shot birds falling fast
Who will be there to catch us in his jaws
When we arrive alive at last?
I can't hear you in the dark
Wish I knew where you'd gone
Know you're there off in the shadow somewhere
Try to soldier on
Never sleep, remember to breathe deep
Never sleep, remember to breathe
Breathe deep
And breathe humbly
Secure your mouthpiece when you can
Toxic shapes adorn the walls
As we rise from our knees
Someone's coming to reward us, you wait and see
Or crush us both like fleas
Never sleep, remember to breathe deep
Never sleep, remember to breathe
Breathe deep
In the song Beautiful Gas Mask by The Mountain Goats, the listener is presented with vivid and somewhat surreal imagery. The opening lines seem to describe a dangerous and reckless situation, with the singer and others being blindfolded and bound before standing at the edge of a hole in the ground. Yet, instead of jumping as one might expect, they hold hands and sing as they fall. The next verse continues with similar imagery, describing a journey through space and the anticipation of arriving at their destination. Yet, there is a sense of uncertainty and fear permeating the lyrics, with the singer wishing they knew where their companion had gone and struggling to soldier on in the dark.
The chorus, with its repeated instruction to "never sleep, remember to breathe deep," adds an element of urgency to the song. It seems to suggest that the journey they are taking demands constant vigilance and mindfulness in order to survive. The lines "secure your mouthpiece when you can" and "toxic shapes adorn the walls" give a sense that they are facing danger and potentially hazardous circumstances. The final lines describing someone coming to either reward or crush them further add to the sense of unease and uncertainty that pervades the song.
Overall, the lyrics of Beautiful Gas Mask are cryptic and open to interpretation. The imagery can be read in a variety of ways, and the sense of threat and danger is never entirely clear. The repeated refrain to "never sleep, remember to breathe deep" gives a sense of urgency and intensity to the song, and the final lines leave the listener unsure of whether the journey they have embarked on will end in success or disaster.
Line by Line Meaning
Come hard through the fog
We're charging forward fearlessly, even though we can't see what lies ahead
Blindfolded and bound
We're restricted and limited, but we're still moving forward
'Til we stand at the edge
We persist until we reach our goal or destination
Of a hole in the ground
We've arrived at a place that may seem scary or dangerous
We hold hands and we jump
We're taking a risk together, hoping for the best outcome
And as we fall we sing
We're trying to stay upbeat and positive even in the face of danger
Paupers hammering the walls of the castle
We may not have much, but we're working hard to achieve something greater
Going to meet the king
We're striving to meet our ultimate goal or destiny
Never sleep, remember to breathe deep
We need to be perpetually alert and focused, but also calm and centered
Crash in from deep space
We're making an explosive entrance, disrupting things as we make our way forward
Shot birds falling fast
There may be obstacles or challenges in our path, but we continue to move forward swiftly
Who will be there to catch us in his jaws
We're unsure if there is anyone or anything that can help us if we fall
When we arrive alive at last?
We're hoping that our persistence and hard work will pay off in the end
I can't hear you in the dark
We feel lost and alone, unsure of what to do next
Wish I knew where you'd gone
We're trying to find someone or something we've lost or doesn't seem to be there
Know you're there off in the shadow somewhere
We have faith that what we're looking for is still present, even if we can't see it
Try to soldier on
We're pushing forward even when it feels difficult or impossible
Secure your mouthpiece when you can
We need to protect ourselves when possible, especially from harmful or toxic things
Toxic shapes adorn the walls
There may be dangerous or harmful things surrounding us, even if they're not immediately visible
As we rise from our knees
Even when we've been knocked down, we get back up and keep going
Someone's coming to reward us, you wait and see
We believe that our hard work and perseverance will eventually pay off and lead to something positive
Or crush us both like fleas
We're aware that failure and defeat are possible outcomes, even when we're working as hard as we can
Never sleep, remember to breathe deep
We must remain vigilant and calm even in the face of uncertainty or danger
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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