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.
Estate Sale Sign
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And aviator shades
The trinkets and the treasures we brought back from the Crusades
Some guy in an Impala shakes his head when he rides by
But I remember when we shared a vision, you and I
Worked hard to build this altar
We made it earn its keep
The sacrificial stains all spreading out and soaking through
But I remember when we kept it pretty, me and you
And high above the water
The eagle spots the fish
Every martyr in this jungle
Is gonna get his wish
Stock shots stupid stock shots
From the Pomona mall
Set up like unloved icons gathering dust up on the wall
From films no one remembers
They call down silently
But I remember when their names were dear to you and me
Yeah
Pennies on the dollar
Everything's gotta go
The things that we can't even give away
I don't wanna know
Try to see if secrets burn when you hold them up into the light
I remember when we loved each other day and night
And high above the water
The eagle spots the fish
Every martyr in this jungle
Is gonna get his wish
The Mountain Goats’ song “Estate Sale Sign” is a reflection on the end of a relationship and the process of letting go of material possessions associated with the shared past. The lyrics begin with a description of some of the objects that the couple had collected over time, such as “crude little wooden idols” and “aviator shades.” These objects, once valuable to the couple, are now being discarded and seen as insignificant by others, as reflected in the line “some guy in an Impala shakes his head when he rides by.”
The singer then remembers the effort that they had put into their shared possessions, particularly an altar that they had built together. Despite the fact that the altar has been cracked and stained over time, the singer still holds onto the memory of when it was “pretty” and they were “together.” The lyrics also reflect on the passing of time, with the line “from films no one remembers” suggesting that time has made the shared memories and interests of the couple irrelevant.
The chorus of the song, “And high above the water, the eagle spots the fish, Every martyr in this jungle is gonna get his wish,” seems to suggest that while the relationship has ended, life goes on and each individual will ultimately find their own way. The imagery of the eagle and fish further emphasize this idea that life continues on, regardless of what has been left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Crude little wooden idols
Small and basic figurines made of wood
And aviator shades
Sunglasses in the style of aviators
The trinkets and the treasures we brought back from the Crusades
Souvenirs and valuable items that we collected during our trip to the Crusades
Some guy in an Impala shakes his head when he rides by
A man driving a Chevrolet Impala disapproves of what he sees
But I remember when we shared a vision, you and I
I recall the time when we had the same goals and desires
Worked hard to build this altar
We put in a lot of effort to construct this religious structure
We made it earn its keep
We used it regularly and made sure it served its purpose
The cracks across its surface spiderweb while we're asleep
The surface of the altar has started to develop spiderweb-like cracks over time
The sacrificial stains all spreading out and soaking through
The stains left behind by religious rituals are seeping through the altar
But I remember when we kept it pretty, me and you
We used to take care of and maintain the altar so it would stay in good condition
And high above the water
Up in the sky
The eagle spots the fish
An eagle notices a fish in the water below
Every martyr in this jungle
Everyone who has sacrificed for a cause in this world
Is gonna get his wish
Will eventually get what they desire out of their sacrifice
Stock shots stupid stock shots
Generic footage that has been reused time and time again
From the Pomona mall
Taken in a shopping center in Pomona
Set up like unloved icons gathering dust up on the wall
These clips have been placed on display but have been disregarded and ignored over time
From films no one remembers
Taken from movies that have been forgotten
They call down silently
They remain silent and unacknowledged
But I remember when their names were dear to you and me
We used to care about these films and their significance to us
Pennies on the dollar
A small amount of money in comparison to the item's original cost
Everything's gotta go
Everything must now be sold or thrown away
The things that we can't even give away
There are items that even if we offered for free, no one would take them
I don't wanna know
I don't want to be aware of what happens to these items
Try to see if secrets burn when you hold them up into the light
Examining secrets to see if they can be brought to surface and dealt with
I remember when we loved each other day and night
There was a time when our love was strong and constant
And high above the water
Up in the sky
The eagle spots the fish
An eagle notices a fish in the water below
Every martyr in this jungle
All those willing to sacrifice themselves in this unforgiving world
Is gonna get his wish
They will eventually receive the desired outcome from their sacrifice
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mick Cullen
Anyone who's been through a relationship ending and/or hosted a garage sale should find something familiar in this song...and man, what a brilliant video
Liam Gillies
this is one of my all time "I'm walking here, stand in my way you're gona get knocked down" songs.
gardner159
Unbelievable, fits the mountain goats style perfectly.
thecanadianDJ
pretty much everything since Heretic Pride, which came out in 2008. Definitely different but Jon Wurster is amazing and the drums are never overpowering
PayingDebtToKarma
Suits the song well! Great stuff!
Mick Cullen
Such a perfect visual story to go along with the audio one.
Morgan Howard
That was awesome!!!
Vindrag
Yeahh!! loved this video!! great song too.
stude444
Lots of their songs have drums. Especially on this album.
AWESUMer
JD can do no wrong. I honestly believe that now.