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.
Dutch Orchestra Blues
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere in secret, the dutch orchestra's playing.
Real nice.
Real nice.
And they play so quiet, you can hear the passing traffic.
They play so quiet, you can hear the passing traffic.
And the cars buzz by, and the wind blows.
And someone may notice, or it may all slide right by.
And you may love me, or you may not love me at all anymore.
But the sun will shine on holland in the spring.
And god will watch over the members of the orchestra for me
With all his available energies.
Yeah yeah
The Mountain Goats' song Dutch Orchestra Blues appears to be a tale of profound longing expressed through a metaphorical device representing the singer's feelings. The opening line sets the tone - "Somewhere in secret, the Dutch orchestra's playing." It implies that the singer is not present at the event or with the person they desire in the song's context. The Dutch orchestra represents a possible cure or solution for the singer's longing. The repetition of "real nice" amplifies the significance of what the orchestra brings to the singer's life - a feeling of warmth, comfort, and perhaps even hope.
The second verse describes the orchestra's music as being so quiet that the passing traffic can be heard. Here, the orchestra's music represents that one thing that can pacify the singer's mind in the midst of chaos. The imagery of the cars buzzing by and the wind blowing probably symbolizes adversities - those things that make the singer's life difficult - but the orchestra's quiet music provides a respite from it all. The singer acknowledges that they may or may not walk past the orchestra or the person they desire, and it may go unnoticed. The line "And you may love me or you may not love me at all anymore" serves as a reminder that sometimes, love is not enough to keep two people together. However, the final line of the verse, "But the sun will shine on Holland in the spring," introduces a ray of hope. No matter what, life will continue, and new beginnings are always possible.
In the final verse, the singer acknowledges that God is watching over the members of the orchestra for them - "With all his available energies." This line deepens the significance of the metaphor by introducing a spiritual element. In all likelihood, the singer is alone or sad, and the act of someone looking after the orchestra for them brings them comfort. Overall, Dutch Orchestra Blues is a beautiful and emotional song that uses metaphors to tell a powerful story of loss, longing, hope and the desire to find comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere in secret, the dutch orchestra's playing.
The Dutch orchestra is playing in a secret location.
Real nice.
Their performance is really great.
They play so quiet, you can hear the passing traffic.
Their music is so soft that you can hear the sound of passing cars.
And the cars buzz by, and the wind blows.
While the orchestra plays, there's the sound of cars and wind outside.
And i may walk past/fast?, and i may not.
The artist may or may not pass by the orchestra.
And someone may notice, or it may all slide right by.
Someone may or may not notice them playing.
And you may love me, or you may not love me at all anymore.
The singer's relationship with someone may or may not be over.
But the sun will shine on holland in the spring.
The sun will shine on Holland during the spring season.
And god will watch over the members of the orchestra for me
With all his available energies.
The artist believes that God will protect the orchestra members while they play.
Yeah yeah
A simple affirmation to end the song.
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.