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 Lebanon
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
saw you moving real slow
nowhere to run to, nowhere to go
i heard the wind blow
i saw your sash come untied
blue water, white sky
for the radio to tell us the time of day
but there was moisture in the air
i heard the city call
they can go on burning
to hell with them all
your liquid movements
the water rushing by
blue water, white sky
world's surface was as smooth as glass
and they saw the hour coming and they didn't let it pass
i heard you say my name twice through your teeth
i saw you coming down to me, i was underneath
it's been coming for some time
you close your eyes
blue water, white sky
i heard the wind blow
i saw your sash come untied
blue water, white sky
The Mountain Goats' song "Going to Lebanon" is a creation that conjures up a sense of the surreal and mysterious, told through the perspective of an unnamed protagonist who is witnessing events that seem otherworldly. The lyrics themselves are shrouded in symbolism and metaphor, leaving the interpretation of their meaning up to the listener. However, there is undeniably a sense of danger and urgency to the events unfolding in the song.
The majority of the song is structured around the refrain "nowhere to run to, nowhere to go," repeated twice in every verse. This creates a sense of claustrophobia and despair, that whatever the singer is witnessing or experiencing is inescapable. The first verse sets the scene with descriptions of the singer's surroundings, their arms hanging at their side, moving slowly with no escape in sight. The imagery of "blue water, white sky" evokes a sense of both calm and etherealness, emphasising the surreal nature of the situation.
The second verse further adds to the dreamlike state of the song, with the singer and someone else (possibly a lover) being "up in the cedars," too far away from the rest of the world to be able to tell the time of day. There is a sense of distance and separation, but the city's call is still heard in the distance. The line "they can go on burning, to hell with them all" adds a touch of nihilism and disdain for societal norms. The liquid movements and rushing water described conjure up a sense of fluidity and flow, which contrasts with the static and trapped feeling of the refrain.
The final verse brings the song to an intense climax, with more urgent and vivid descriptions of what the singer is experiencing. The world's surface being as smooth as glass adds to the otherworldliness of the situation, and the urgent repetition of "it's been coming for some time" adds to the sense of inevitability. The final lines of "you close your eyes/blue water, white sky" evoke a sense of acceptance that whatever is happening cannot be avoided.
Overall, "Going to Lebanon" is a haunting and surreal song that leaves much up to interpretation. However, there is no denying the sense of urgency and danger to the events that the singer is experiencing, leaving listeners with a feeling of unease and anticipation.
Line by Line Meaning
saw your arms hanging at your side
I saw that you were defeated.
nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide
You have no escape from your troubles.
saw you moving real slow
I saw that you were lethargic and without direction.
nowhere to run to, nowhere to go
You feel trapped and directionless.
i heard the wind blow
I could hear the chaos of the world around us.
i saw your sash come untied
I saw you lose your restraint and give in to despair.
blue water, white sky
The world is cold and indifferent to our struggles.
up in the cedars, we were too far away
We were disconnected from reality and isolated.
for the radio to tell us the time of day
We were not concerned with the trivialities of time.
but there was moisture in the air
The world was pregnant with potential chaos and destruction.
i heard the city call
I could hear the suffering and struggles of others.
they can go on burning
Despite their struggles, the world will continue to suffer.
to hell with them all
We reject the oppressive nature of these struggles.
your liquid movements
Your movements were graceful and fluid, despite your struggles.
the water rushing by
Life continues to move forward at an unrelenting pace.
world's surface was as smooth as glass
The world was deceptively calm, hiding the tension beneath the surface.
and they saw the hour coming and they didn't let it pass
Others recognized the impending chaos and took action to prevent it.
i heard you say my name twice through your teeth
You spoke my name with urgency and desperation.
i saw you coming down to me, i was underneath
You came to me for support and safety.
it's been coming for some time
These struggles have been building for a while.
you close your eyes
You retreat into yourself and avoid facing the struggles of the world.
blue water, white sky
The harshness of reality remains unchanged.
Contributed by Cameron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.