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 Jamaica
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
check out of maine for the other world.
and you ask me how much longer we have to stay here.
but I'm not at liberty to say.
and what flowers there were around kingston are blue.
I ripped them up from the dry soil and draped them over you.
I saw you address them through your megaphone.
and you asked me when we were leaving.
well, it's any day now.
and what flowers there were around trenchtown were red.
I stole them from the hands of children.
I braided them around your head.
In this song, The Mountain Goats talks about seeing the last of the brightly colored birds from Maine checking out for the other world. The persona in the song is asked how much longer they have to stay where they are, but they reply that they are not at liberty to say. The vivid imagery in the song about the last of the colored birds suggests a feeling of longing for something that is about to be lost. The line "I saw the last of the brightly colored birds check out of Maine for the other world" can be interpreted as a metaphor for the end of something, maybe a relationship or a dream.
In the second verse, the persona talks about flowers around Kingston being blue and ripping them up from dry soil and draping them over someone. This verse conjures up an image of desperation and despair, and again, a feeling of loss or the end of something. The image of something blue can often represent sadness or depression, reinforcing this bleak atmosphere. In the last verse, the persona witnesses the last of the bright-colored birds coming home and addresses them through a megaphone. The persona's wish to leave is again rebuffed, but there's a feeling that a departure is imminent. The flowers around Trenchtown are red, and the persona steals them from the children and braids them around someone's head. This verse creates a sense of chaos and desperation, perhaps even violent acts, in a crude attempt to hold on to something that is slipping away.
Overall, "Going to Jamaica" is a song about loss, desperation, and longing. The imagery is vivid and striking, and it's easy to get lost in the emotional landscape that the lyrics create.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw the last of the brightly colored birds check out of maine for the other world.
I watched the final flight of the colorful birds leave Maine for a new destination outside of this world.
and you ask me how much longer we have to stay here.
You're wondering how much longer we must stay, but I cannot disclose that information.
and what flowers there were around kingston are blue.
The flowers in Kingston are blue, and I picked some to adorn you with.
I ripped them up from the dry soil and draped them over you.
I uprooted the flowers from their arid soil and placed them over you.
we saw the last of the bright colored birds coming home.
We observed the final migration of the vibrant birds returning home.
I saw you address them through your megaphone.
I witnessed you speaking to them through your megaphone.
and you asked me when we were leaving.
You inquired about our departure date.
well, it's any day now.
Our leave date could be any time now.
and what flowers there were around trenchtown were red.
The Trenchtown flowers were red, and I plucked them from the hands of children.
I stole them from the hands of children.
I took the flowers from the children's hands.
I braided them around your head.
I wove the flowers through your hair.
Contributed by Jordyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
antediluvian
I saw the last of the brightly colored birds
check out of maine for the other world.
and you ask me how much longer we have to stay here.
but I'm not at liberty to say.
and what flowers there were around kingston are blue.
I ripped them up from the dry soil and draped them over you.
we saw the last of the bright colored birds coming home.
I saw you address them through your megaphone.
and you asked me when we were leaving.
well, it's any day now.
and what flowers there were around trenchtown were red.
I stole them from the hands of children.
I braided them around your head.
willneu97
holy mother of god this song... hell, all of taking the dative...