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.
Chino Love Song 1979
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and the strawberries grew fat and full
and thick and red and as big as your fist
and the traffic on riverside drive was thin
but by no means non-existant.
when I saw you against the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.
and your hand in the basket
was nimble-fingered, and red finger-nailed
and it made me remember the sunflower that popped-up outside my window one
morning in norwalk
it was bright yellow and it was real inviting
and I almost forgot that it was an intruder
and I saw you against the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.
I saw you against the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.
The Mountain Goats’ song, Chino Love Song 1979, paints a vivid picture of California, specifically Riverside Drive against the vibrant backdrop of a sunny day. The opening verse describes the strawberries that are fat, full, thick, and red, as big as your fist. This sets a tone for the rest of the song, evoking the imagery of abundance and the fullness of life. The singer’s focus then shifts to the traffic on Riverside Drive, describing it as thin but not non-existent, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the singer's life - things are happening but not overwhelmingly so.
The chorus of the song centers around the singer's observation of someone they are clearly interested in, leaning against a soda machine, with nimble-fingered, red-nailed hands. Though brief, this glimpse of the woman seems to have made an impression on the singer, bringing to mind the memory of a yellow sunflower that unexpectedly popped up outside their window one morning in Norwalk. The song ends with the chorus repeated twice, hinting at the singer's continued fascination with this woman.
Line by Line Meaning
and the may sun shone down on california.
The bright sun was shining over California in May.
and the strawberries grew fat and full
The strawberries were ripe and juicy.
and thick and red and as big as your fist
The strawberries were thick and large, with a deep red color.
and the traffic on riverside drive was thin
There was not a lot of traffic on Riverside Drive.
but by no means non-existant.
Although traffic was not heavy, it was still present.
when I saw you against the soda machine.
At the moment I noticed you standing by the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.
You were standing and leaning against the soda machine.
and your hand in the basket
Your hand was inside a basket.
was nimble-fingered, and red finger-nailed
Your hand was skillful and had red fingernails.
and it made me remember the sunflower that popped-up outside my window one morning in norwalk
Your hand reminded me of a sunflower that appeared outside my window one morning in Norwalk.
it was bright yellow and it was real inviting
The sunflower was bright and appealing.
and I almost forgot that it was an intruder
I almost forgot that the sunflower was an intruder in my garden.
and I saw you against the soda machine.
Once again, I saw you standing by the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.
You were still standing and leaning against the soda machine.
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
decomposition
Damn it, John Darnielle, show me one thing I don't love of yours.
antediluvian
and the may sun shone down on california.
and the strawberries grew fat and full
and thick and red and as big as your fist
and the traffic on riverside drive was thin
but by no means non-existant.
when I saw you against the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.
and your hand in the basket
was nimble-fingered, and red finger-nailed
and it made me remember the sunflower that popped-up outside my window one
morning in norwalk
it was bright yellow and it was real inviting
and I almost forgot that it was an intruder
and I saw you against the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.
I saw you against the soda machine.
I saw you leaning there.