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.
Hotel Road
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Friends on either arm supporting me
It's hard to walk now
But i will go down somehow
I'm going down the old road
I'm going down the old road
Children kick a soccer ball around in the street
It's hard to walk here
Where the waves shine so clear
I'm going down the old road
I'm going down down the old road
Above the swollen ocean the burning yellow sun
Hits the hotel's mylar windoows catching every one
It's hard to say why
I should come here to die.
I'm going down the old road.
I'm going down the old road
In the song "Hotel Road" by The Mountain Goats, the singer is walking down an old road, possibly for the last time. The imagery of a thirty story hotel overlooking the sea and friends supporting him on either arm gives a sense of a grand and luxurious life. However, the singer's present state is not as glorious as his past. He struggles to walk and the heat of the day is making it even harder. He is surrounded by the innocence of the children playing soccer and the beauty of the clear waves. Yet, he acknowledges that he is going down the old road, perhaps meaning he is approaching the end of his life.
The scene becomes even more poignant as the vivid description of the burning yellow sun and the reflection in the hotel's mylar windows. The singer contemplates why he has come to this place to die, but the reasons are not clear. The lyrics give a sense of both resignation and defiance, as he is determined to continue down the old road until the end.
Overall, the song presents a picture of someone who has lived a grand and yet challenging life, and has come to a certain acceptance at the end of their journey. The use of specific imagery and the sparse, yet evocative language make the lyrics of "Hotel Road" a reflective and powerful piece of poetry.
Line by Line Meaning
Thirty story hotel overlooking the sea
The singer is staying in a tall hotel with a view of the ocean
Friends on either arm supporting me
The singer is walking with friends on either side who are helping him/her due to physical difficulty
It's hard to walk now
The singer is having difficulty walking
But i will go down somehow
The artist is determined to continue walking despite the difficulty
I'm going down the old road
The artist is continuing to travel a familiar path
Children kick a soccer ball around in the street
Children are playing soccer in the street nearby
Kalpadruma trees are melting in the heat
The heat is causing the trees to wilt and look as if they are melting
It's hard to walk here
The heat and terrain are making it difficult for the artist to walk
Where the waves shine so clear
The ocean waves are glistening and reflecting light
Above the swollen ocean the burning yellow sun
The sun is shining brightly over the ocean
Hits the hotel's mylar windows catching every one
The sunlight is reflecting off the hotel's windows
It's hard to say why
The artist is unsure why he/she came to this location
I should come here to die.
The singer is considering staying in this location until death
I'm going down the old road.
The singer is continuing to travel a familiar path
I'm going down down the old road
The singer is further emphasizing the continuation of a familiar path
Contributed by Jack F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.