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 Japan
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and there's a west wind coming in
and there's an east wind coming in
and there's a strong wind blowing in from the south
and there's a sweet metallic taste in my mouth.
there's a dead feeling lingering over the wind.
and there's a one-way ticket in my hot little hand
there's life and liberty on my tongue
and there's a dead silence where the wind-chimes hung
and on some mountain somewhere in the world it's snowing
but here in the fields there's not a thing growing.
maybe next year, ya know, there is a way of knowing.
there's wind coming in from all directions.
there's a coat on my shoulders--midnight connections.
and I'm kissing you and leaving you behind in the sand.
I'm holding you a while then I'm going to japan.
The lyrics to The Mountain Goats's song "Going to Japan" are about the singer leaving their current life and heading to Japan. The wind serves as a metaphor for the multitude of emotions and feelings the singer is experiencing. The north, west, and east winds may represent the different paths they could take in life, while the south wind represents a force that is pushing them towards their destination. The metallic taste in their mouth and dead feeling in the wind could represent the sadness and uncertainty of leaving everything behind.
The second verse introduces the idea of liberty and life on the singer's tongue, which seems to represent their sense of freedom and possibility in making this decision. However, there is also a sense of emptiness and stillness without the sound of wind chimes, and the lack of growth in the fields. The mention of snow on a mountain somewhere else in the world highlights the distance between the singer's current life and Japan. They acknowledge that there may be a way of knowing what the future holds, but ultimately they have to take the leap and follow their intuition towards a new life.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet feeling of leaving behind what is comfortable and familiar, but also the excitement and hope that comes with starting a new chapter in life. The lyrics are simple yet evocative, using the imagery of wind and nature to convey the conflicting emotions of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
there's a north wind coming in
A gust of wind is arriving from the northern direction.
and there's a west wind coming in
Another gust of wind is blowing in from the west.
and there's an east wind coming in
A third gust of wind is coming in from the eastern direction.
and there's a strong wind blowing in from the south
A powerful gust of wind is coming from the southern direction.
and there's a sweet metallic taste in my mouth.
The taste of metal is in the artist's mouth.
there's a dead feeling lingering over the wind.
The wind is imparting a feeling of lifelessness.
and there's a one-way ticket in my hot little hand
The singer is holding a non-return ticket.
and I'm kissing your eyelids and I'm going to japan.
The artist is bidding farewell and traveling towards Japan.
there's life and liberty on my tongue
The artist feels liberated and alive.
and there's a dead silence where the wind-chimes hung
There's an eerie, silent emptiness where wind chimes used to be.
and on some mountain somewhere in the world it's snowing
It's snowing on a certain mountain somewhere on the planet.
but here in the fields there's not a thing growing.
Nothing is growing in the nearby fields.
maybe next year, ya know, there is a way of knowing.
There's hope that next year things might be different.
there's wind coming in from all directions.
Winds are blowing in from every possible direction.
there's a coat on my shoulders--midnight connections.
The singer has a coat on and is making connections at midnight.
and I'm kissing you and leaving you behind in the sand.
The artist is kissing someone goodbye and leaving them behind in the sand.
I'm holding you a while then I'm going to japan.
The artist is embracing someone for a moment and then traveling away to Japan.
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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