Going to Maine
The Mountain Goats Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You and me are in a lot of trouble
And somebody's gonna burst our bubble
Your husband
My wife
My marriage
Your life

Let's go to Maine out on the East Coast
Let's go to Maine right now
Let's beat the retreat
Let's hop on the plane
Let's get out of here
Let's go to Maine

Someone knows what's going on
Someone knows, and someone's gonna tell




Someone's gonna wrap us up in styrofoam and paper
And mail us flat-rate right down to Hell

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Mountain Goats' song "Going to Maine" tell the story of two people who have entered into an affair and are now faced with the consequences of being discovered. They both know that their extramarital relationship is doomed to fail and acknowledge that their respective spouses will not tolerate such behavior. As the song progresses, the two of them begin to plan their escape to Maine, away from the problems they have created for themselves. They hope to avoid being caught and punished for their actions by disappearing and starting a new life elsewhere.


The song's lyrics convey a sense of desperation and urgency, highlighted by the repeated refrain urging the listener to "Let's go to Maine." The urgency is driven by a looming sense of danger, both from the risk of discovery and the threat of punishment. The images of being "wrapped up in styrofoam and paper" and "mailed flat-rate right down to Hell" emphasize the gravity of the situation and the potential consequences of their actions.


Ultimately, "Going to Maine" is a cautionary tale about the consequences of infidelity and the importance of dealing with problems in a responsible and mature manner. The song highlights the dangers of seeking temporary solutions to complex problems and warns against making decisions that may ultimately hurt oneself or others.


Line by Line Meaning

You and me are in a lot of trouble
We are both in a difficult situation


And somebody's gonna burst our bubble
Someone is going to ruin our plans


Your husband
The man you are married to


My wife
The woman I am married to


My marriage
The state of my relationship with my wife


Your life
The way you live your life


Let's go to Maine out on the East Coast
Let's travel to Maine which is on the East Coast


Let's go to Maine right now
Let's go to Maine immediately


Let's beat the retreat
Let's retreat from this situation


Let's hop on the plane
Let's take a plane to our destination


Let's get out of here
Let's leave this place


Someone knows what's going on
There is someone who is aware of the situation


Someone knows, and someone's gonna tell
Someone knows and they will reveal the truth


Someone's gonna wrap us up in styrofoam and paper
Someone will pack us up like an object for shipment


And mail us flat-rate right down to Hell
They will send us away to a terrible place like Hell




Contributed by Christian R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Ash Banks

"Repeat Chorus twice, drink heavily for 6 months, repeat Chorus again"

May a herd of raccoons decide that you're their leader and fill your life and basement with stolen goods, because you are a genius and you deserve it.

OutlawGrrl

"Someone's gonna wrap us up in stryofoam and paper and mail is flat-rate right down to Hell" < My favorite lyric. Like, ever.

Justin Wildasin

those ae some of the best lyric instructions I've ever heard

Shiisiln

hey so I had an upbeat, synthy vocaloid pop song playing in another tab without realizing it so it took me like a full minute to process that John darniellle HADN'T dropped a random electropop song into the middle of Ghana. I thought I was having a fucking stroke.

Charlie

have u ever heard Itzcuintli-Totzli Days on Beautiful rat sunset, kinda like that

Matt Hill From College

Shiisiln he did drop a random electronic song in the middle of all hail west Texas, kind of

Samson Lacroix

i live in maine :DDD when i saw this i about had a heart attack

BlackOhioSky

Like most tMG songs I haven't heard in ages, I forgot how good this was.

Aditya Khanna

@thezachster18 SAME!

thezachster18

BlackOhioSky same!

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