First Few Desperate Hours
The Mountain Goats Lyrics


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Bad luck comes in from Tampa
Bad luck comes in from Tampa
On the back of a truck
Doing ninety up the interstate

We have bad dreams the night he rolls in
We have bad dreams the night he rolls in
And we try
To keep our spirits high

But they flag and they wane
When the truck pulls up out front in the light spring rain
And they sag like withering flowers
Let the good times roll on through these first few desperate hours

The driver drops his cargo at the curb
The driver drops his cargo at the curb
And the sun peeks in
Like a killer through the curtain

And when cloven hoof prints turn up in the garden
Yeah, when cloven hoof prints turn up in the garden
We keep up the good fight
We keep our spirits light

But they drop like flies
And there's a stomach-churning shift in the way the land lies




And they lean like towers
On a hillside, struggling to stand through these first few desperate hours

Overall Meaning

The Mountain Goats' song "First Few Desperate Hours" is a haunting reflection on the uncertainty, fear, and hopelessness that come with a change in circumstance. The song starts with the lines "Bad luck comes in from Tampa / On the back of a truck / Doing ninety up the interstate." This is the beginning of the upheaval, the moment when the singer's life takes a turn for the worse. The truck is a symbol of the unknown, the uncertainty that lies ahead. The fact that it is doing ninety up the interstate suggests that there is no stopping it, that the singer has no control over what is to come.


The next verse describes the attempts to keep spirits high in the face of bad dreams and anxiety. But ultimately, as the truck pulls up and "they sag like withering flowers," it becomes clear that this is a losing battle. The lyrics "Let the good times roll on through these first few desperate hours" suggest a kind of resigned acceptance that things are going to get worse before they get better. The line "the sun peeks in / like a killer through the curtain" adds to the sense of impending doom.


The final verse is perhaps the most haunting, as cloven hoof prints turn up in the garden and "there's a stomach-churning shift in the way the land lies." This is a metaphor for the irrevocable change that has taken place, the moment when everything the singer thought they knew about their world is upended. Despite their efforts to keep their spirits light, "they drop like flies," and the singer is left struggling to stand through "these first few desperate hours".


Line by Line Meaning

Bad luck comes in from Tampa
Misfortune arrives in our town.


On the back of a truck
It comes in as freight.


Doing ninety up the interstate
Speeding towards us on the highway.


We have bad dreams the night he rolls in
His presence fills us with fear and dread.


And we try
We attempt.


To keep our spirits high
To remain optimistic and positive.


But they flag and they wane
Our spirits weaken and lessen


When the truck pulls up out front in the light spring rain
When the freight truck arrives in our town on a rainy day.


And they sag like withering flowers
Our spirits droop like dying blooms.


Let the good times roll on through these first few desperate hours
We hope for a period of happiness despite the initial fear and uncertainty.


The driver drops his cargo at the curb
The truck driver unloads his goods at the roadside.


And the sun peeks in
The sunshine enters our town.


Like a killer through the curtain
However, it seems ominous and threatening.


And when cloven hoof prints turn up in the garden
When we find evidence of something sinister (like Satan) in our garden.


We keep up the good fight
We continue to resist whatever is threatening us.


We keep our spirits light
We try to remain hopeful.


But they drop like flies
However, our optimism vanishes rapidly and many of us become disheartened.


And there's a stomach-churning shift in the way the land lies
The entire setting takes on a foreboding and nauseating appearance


And they lean like towers
We struggle to remain standing and resist like buildings swaying during an earthquake.


On a hillside, struggling to stand through these first few desperate hours
We attempt to persevere despite the ominous events occurring around us.




Contributed by Victoria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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