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.
Cadaver Sniffing Dog
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See if anyone's left up there
Teams on the scene from several stations
Everybody, adjust your expectations
Stray clumps of hair and blood and brain
Fragments of bone in the drain
Rookies trying to keep the airway clear
But the damage is too severe
Bring in the cadaver sniffing dog
Bring in the cadaver sniffing dog
Bring in the cadaver (Bring in the cadaver)
Sniffing dog
Bring in the cadaver (Bring in the cadaver)
Sniffing dog
Army crawlers down ash wet floor
Ready for war
Veterans on their hands and knees
Nobody's ready for days like these
Wait 'til you come up on the smoking wreck
And even then you check
Radio home all clean
If there were any survivors they've fled the scene
Bring in the cadaver sniffing dog
Bring in the cadaver sniffing dog
Bring in the cadaver (Bring in the cadaver)
Sniffing dog
Bring in the cadaver (Bring in the cadaver)
Sniffing dog
The lyrics to The Mountain Goats’s “Cadaver Sniffing Dog” depict the aftermath of a traumatic event as the singer reports on a disaster scene. With vivid descriptions, the verses paint a picture of a chaotic and gruesome situation, where teams from different stations are scrambling to control the aftermath of the event. The lines “Teams on the scene from several stations/ Everybody, adjust your expectations” suggest that despite the presence of different teams, the situation is out of control and requires everyone to be prepared for what may happen. The mention of “Stray clumps of hair and blood and brain/ Fragments of bone in the drain” creates a vivid mental image of the extent of the damage.
Due to the severity of the situation, the chorus repeats the phrase “Bring in the cadaver sniffing dog” twice, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The use of the repetition in the chorus also illustrates the inevitability of death in such an environment. The lines “Army crawlers down ash wet floor/ Ready for war/ Veterans on their hands and knees” conveys the idea that the people involved in the rescue operation are willing to do whatever it takes to save lives, even if it means putting themselves at risk.
In essence, the song tells the story of these individuals who, with their heroic and selfless deeds, bring order and hope in a time of chaos and darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Hustle up the spiral stairs
Move quickly up the staircase that spirals around to the top floor of a building
See if anyone's left up there
Check if there are any remaining people on the top floor
Teams on the scene from several stations
Multiple emergency response teams are present and working on the situation
Everybody, adjust your expectations
Lower your expectations for finding survivors due to the severity of the situation
Stray clumps of hair and blood and brain
Various pieces of evidence of the tragedy are scattered around, including hair, blood, and brain matter
Fragments of bone in the drain
Pieces of human bones are found in the drainage system of the building
Rookies trying to keep the airway clear
Inexperienced first responders are attempting to keep the airways open for any potential survivors
But the damage is too severe
The extent of the damage is too great for any chance of survival
Bring in the cadaver sniffing dog
Introduce a specially trained dog to detect and locate human remains
Army crawlers down ash wet floor
Personnel equipped with specialized tools for searching through ash and debris crawl across the wet floor
Ready for war
Prepared for the grueling and emotionally taxing task of locating dead bodies
Veterans on their hands and knees
Experienced responders are searching through the ashes on their hands and knees
Nobody's ready for days like these
No one can fully prepare for the horrors of disaster response
Wait 'til you come up on the smoking wreck
You can't truly comprehend the destruction until you see it for yourself
And even then you check
Double-checking for any potential survivors, though with low hopes
Radio home all clean
Communicate back to base, reporting that there were no survivors found
If there were any survivors they've fled the scene
If there were any people who survived, they have already left the area and are no longer present
Bring in the cadaver sniffing dog
Bring in the specially trained dog once more to ensure no remains were missed
Lyrics © PACIFIC ELECTRIC MUSIC
Written by: John Darnielle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheTetrapod
Hustle up the spiral stairs
See if anyone's left up there
Teams on the scene from several stations
Everybody adjust your expectations
Stray clumps of hair and blood and brain
Fragments of bone in the drain
Rookies trying to keep the airway clear
But the damage is too severe
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Army crawlers down ash-wet floor
Ready for war
Veterans on their hands and knees
Nobody's ready for days like these
Wait till you come upon the smoking wreck
Even then you check
Radio home all clean
If there were any survivors, they fled the scene
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
TheTetrapod
Hustle up the spiral stairs
See if anyone's left up there
Teams on the scene from several stations
Everybody adjust your expectations
Stray clumps of hair and blood and brain
Fragments of bone in the drain
Rookies trying to keep the airway clear
But the damage is too severe
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Army crawlers down ash-wet floor
Ready for war
Veterans on their hands and knees
Nobody's ready for days like these
Wait till you come upon the smoking wreck
Even then you check
Radio home all clean
If there were any survivors, they fled the scene
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
Bring in the Cadaver Sniffing Dog
spandaumole
This is the best song about cadaver sniffing dogs I've ever heard.
nickw
This might be one of their best albums to date, it's so much more adventurous and daring than their past work sonically speaking. And this is saying something considering Goths.
Rashied Shaw
John is getting out of his comfort zone in the best freaking way possible.
New Alternative 40 Chart
"Cadaver Sniffing Dog" debuted at #37 on the New Alternative 40 Chart this week.
2ndTry1324
This is amazing. Thank god for John Darnielle.
Nicollette S
Thank John Darnielle for god!
Day the They
This is so much boppier than I expected based on the live version.
Cool.
Finn Nicolas
That guitar solo is so great, I just wish there was more of it.
Graham Kristensen
John Darnielle in 2015: I like wrestling.
John Darnielle in 2017: I like big tiddy goth girls.
John Darnielle in 2019: I like D&D.
What nerdy thing will John Darnielle write about in 2021?