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.
Bluejays And Cardinals
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The highway traffic gets out of your way
Skies clear up if they're overcast
Pit bulls are gentle when you come past
Stars come out hiding for you
And I would too but this world couldn't hold you
You slipped free
Yeah, this world couldn't hold you
You slipped free
Without me
New sheen all over everything
When you open up your mouth to sing
Baseballs travel further when you watch them fly
Apples fatten on the trees when you walk by
You bring something unreplacable to each and every day
Or you used to, anyway
But this world couldn't hold you
And you slipped free
Yeah, this world couldn't hold you
And you slipped free
Without me
The opening lines of The Mountain Goats' "Bluejays and Cardinals" are a pleasant invocation of nature, summoning the two titular species into play. The lyricist's voice assumes the world's posture around them, as though the attentive listener is God, authoritatively molding the environment around the creatures. There's a sense of power and control that comes with this—when one is attuned to the rhythms of the natural world, one is in tune with the universe itself. The following lines further reinforce this notion that the lyricist can exert their influence on the environment. Highway traffic clears at their presence, overcast skies break in the face of their warmth. They are imbued with a magical quality, which neutralizes the malice of a pittbull if it comes across them.
Line by Line Meaning
Bluejays and cardinals all come out to play
Nature seems to be celebrating your presence.
The highway traffic gets out of your way
Even inanimate objects seem to be moving out of respect for you.
Skies clear up if they're overcast
Your mere presence has the power to turn things around.
Pit bulls are gentle when you come past
Even potentially dangerous dogs become gentle in your presence.
Stars come out hiding for you
The stars in the sky even seem to be shining brighter just because you exist.
And I would too but this world couldn't hold you
I would have liked to be with you, but it seems like you were too good for this world.
You slipped free
You passed away or left this world.
Yeah, this world couldn't hold you
The world was not good enough for you.
New sheen all over everything
Everything seems to be shining a little bit brighter with you around.
When you open up your mouth to sing
Your voice has the power to affect people in ways that they can't completely articulate.
Baseballs travel further when you watch them fly
Even sports equipment seems to perform better with you around.
Apples fatten on the trees when you walk by
Even nature itself seems to flourish with you around.
You bring something unreplacable to each and every day
Your contributions to the world cannot be replicated. You were truly special.
Or you used to, anyway
It seems like you were taken from us too soon.
Without me
You left without me. I wish I could have come with you.
Contributed by Evelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kiki Kat
Such a beautiful and sad song.
midsummer⁷
jameaters was my side account. Who knew I'd be back here years later mourning the loss of my friend.
How To Meet Women
<3
Dillon Walker
Thank you for bringing this music to YouTube, I listen to jameaters nigh-daily
Dillon Walker
Also sorry about your friend -- John wrote this about Rozz Williams.
CrispTomato94
I know I’m five years late but you have no idea how much of an impact your channel had on my life. You’re amazing for preserving John’s work. I hope your life is good nowadays.