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.
Going to Bridlington
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
saw your porch light on.
saw your wire-haired terrier lazing on the lawn.
came right in through the front door.
went right down the main hall.
turned right into the kitchen.
there you were alright.
the moon was rising over bridlington.
someone was singing in the yard next door.
and you had blood all over your hands.
sat down on the kitchen floor.
looked up at you.
saw you smoothing down your skirt around your thighs.
wondered what good that was supposed to do.
and i saw you pull your hair back.
saw you messing with your earrings.
saw you trying to smile.
hey! you don't have to smile for me.
the moon was rising over bridlington.
and you had blood all over your hands.
something was cracking in the rafters of our house.
and you had blood all over your hands.
the moon was rising over bridlington.
the moon was rising over bridlington.
the moon was rising.
The lyrics of The Mountain Goats' song Going to Bridlington depict a haunting and mysterious encounter between the singer and an unnamed female character. The song opens with the singer arriving at the woman's house and being greeted by her dog on the lawn. He enters the house and finds her in the kitchen, but quickly realizes that there is something very wrong. She has blood all over her hands, which immediately creates a sense of unease and tension in the listener.
As the song progresses, the singer and the woman have a brief exchange in which she tries to put on a brave face, but he can see right through her facade. The moon rising over Bridlington serves as a backdrop to the dark and unsettling events that are unfolding. There is a sense of impending danger and a feeling that something terrible has happened or is about to happen.
Ultimately, the song leaves many questions unanswered, and the listener is left to interpret the meaning behind the blood on the woman's hands and the strange behavior that the singer witnesses. Perhaps it is a metaphor for the hidden darkness that lies within all of us, or maybe it is a reflection on the often-hidden violence that can take place behind closed doors.
Line by Line Meaning
stopped by for the coffee and cake that you promised.
I came to your house because you had promised to serve me coffee and cake.
saw your porch light on.
I noticed that your porch light was turned on.
saw your wire-haired terrier lazing on the lawn.
I observed your wire-haired terrier relaxing on the lawn.
came right in through the front door.
I entered your house through the front door.
went right down the main hall.
I walked straight through the main hall of your house.
turned right into the kitchen.
I took a right turn into your kitchen.
there you were alright.
You were in the kitchen as expected.
the moon was rising over bridlington.
The moon was gradually appearing over the town of Bridlington.
and you had blood all over your hands.
I saw that your hands were covered in blood.
someone was singing in the yard next door.
I heard someone singing in the neighboring yard.
sat down on the kitchen floor.
I took a seat on the floor of the kitchen.
looked up at you.
I raised my head to look at you.
saw you smoothing down your skirt around your thighs.
I noticed you adjusting your skirt around your thighs.
wondered what good that was supposed to do.
I questioned the usefulness of your action.
and i saw you pull your hair back.
I observed you tying your hair back.
saw you messing with your earrings.
I saw you fiddling with your earrings.
saw you trying to smile.
I noticed you attempting to smile.
hey! you don't have to smile for me.
I reassured you that you didn't need to smile for my benefit.
something was cracking in the rafters of our house.
I heard a cracking sound coming from the ceiling of the house.
the moon was rising over bridlington.
The moon continued to rise over Bridlington.
the moon was rising over bridlington.
The moon was still rising over Bridlington.
the moon was rising.
The moon was ascending into the sky.
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@posgwow4116
One of my personal favorite’s from The Mountain Goats. This song is, in my opinion, grossly under praised.
@jtpeifer4147
this is the best version
@adriatic.vineyards
delicious bass
@PAK1986
Very awesome song. Btw the date is 1996-11-07 - VPRO Session
@7ghjbf6ugd42
my favorite "going to"
@madelinedalziel4304
My first Mountain Goats song :)