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.
Collapsing Stars
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
working bitter calculations with a slide rule.
the grim particulars of poisoning the swimming pool,
well you looked me in the eye,
ready to die.
we were becoming what we are,
collapsing stars.
when we chewed up baby aspirin like bubble gum,
til our hearts were beating as deep and rich as kettle drums
we knew if we waited long enough the change would come.
and then the day did come and at last
hold tight.
hold fast.
catch lightning in a jar,
collapsing stars.
I told you to load up on provisions,
because we wouldn't be back for a while.
pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
turn toward the camera and smile, smile, smile.
when we ditched the plan to poison all our enemies,
stuffed our weapons in a clearing, and covered them with leaves,
we are going to come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves
one day, and we are on our way.
you can look,
but you won't find
another love like ours,
collapsing stars
In "Collapsing Stars," The Mountain Goats discusses the origins of a tumultuous relationship that is both self-destructive and compelling. The song begins with a nostalgic recollection of teenage rebellion, where the couple in question hides out behind the risers of their high school and calculates the logistics of poisoning the swimming pool. Despite the gravity of their actions, they share an intimate moment, with the woman looking the man in the eye and willing to die.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the couple is defined by their self-destructive tendencies, their hearts beating as deep and rich as kettle drums from taking too many baby aspirins at once. Even as they vow to change and make plans for the future, they are acutely aware of their own instability. In response, they cling to one another all the tighter, trying to catch lightning in a jar.
The song ends on a note of bleak acceptance, with the couple realizing that no matter what they do, they will be "collapsing stars." They reject the idea that they are unique or irreplaceable, admitting that they are flawed and self-destructive. Despite this, they are content to bask in the temporary warmth of their relationship, knowing that it will inevitably burn out and fade into the night.
Line by Line Meaning
when we hid out behind the risers at he high school,
We sought refuge behind the bleachers at school, where we calculated the exact details of how we would poison the swimming pool.
working bitter calculations with a slide rule.
We used a slide rule to perform the necessary calculations for the complicated plan.
the grim particulars of poisoning the swimming pool,
We focused on the unpleasant details involved in the elaborate plot to poison the swimming pool.
well you looked me in the eye,
You locked eyes with me in a moment of shared determination.
ready to die.
We were both willing to risk everything for our cause.
we were becoming what we are,
Our shared experiences were shaping us into the people we would become.
collapsing stars.
We were both heading towards something big, something life-changing that would leave us permanently altered.
when we chewed up baby aspirin like bubble gum,
We consumed large amounts of baby aspirin as if it was as casual as chewing bubble gum.
til our hearts were beating as deep and rich as kettle drums
We kept taking the aspirin until we could feel our hearts beating forcefully like the sound of kettle drums.
we knew if we waited long enough the change would come.
We believed that with enough time, the world would change and we would achieve our goals.
and then the day did come and at last
Finally, the change we had hoped for occurred and we knew our moment had arrived.
hold tight.
We held onto each other in anticipation of the coming changes.
hold fast.
We remained resilient even when everything seemed uncertain or dangerous.
catch lightning in a jar,
We believed that we could achieve the impossible, like capturing lightning in a jar.
collapsing stars.
Our actions revealed to us that we were collapsing stars, destined to change the course of our own lives and those around us.
I told you to load up on provisions,
I advised you to bring enough supplies, knowing that we wouldn't return home anytime soon.
because we wouldn't be back for a while.
We both knew that our actions would have far-reaching consequences, and we would be on the move for some time.
pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
We both needed to take along all our emotional baggage before heading out.
turn toward the camera and smile, smile, smile.
We decided to front the world with boldly confident smiles, knowing that we were doing what we thought was right.
when we ditched the plan to poison all our enemies,
Somehow, we evolved from our original strategy and abandoned our plan to poison others.
stuffed our weapons in a clearing, and covered them with leaves,
We concealed our weapons under a heap of foliage in a clearing.
we are going to come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves
We were sure that our time would come eventually, and on that day, we would come triumphant, bringing our harvested gains.
one day, and we are on our way.
We are certain that one day we'll be there, and our full potential will be reached.
you can look,
Anyone can judge us on the surface and form opinions about us.
but you won't find
They won't be able to see past what they perceive about us at first glance.
another love like ours,
Our profound, deep relationship was one of a kind and inviolable.
collapsing stars
Our tumultuous journey turned us into a unique, rare phenomenon that will not be repeated again in the same way.
Contributed by Andrew S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.