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.
If You See Light
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will hide underneath the table in the dining room,
knees drawn to my chest.
when the villagers come to my door,
I will breathe shallow breaths from high up in my stomach
ah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah
waiting for the front door to splinter,
waiting all winter.
when the villagers come to my door,
I'll be all tucked away with my face to the floor and my eyes closed.
and no one knows how to keep secrets 'round here
they tell everyone everything, soon as they know.
and then where is there for poor sinners to go?
waiting for the front door to splinter,
waiting all winter.
The lyrics to The Mountain Goats’ song “If You See Light” evoke a sense of fear and isolation. The singer speaks of the fear of being found by others, represented by the villagers, and the desire to hide away from them. The image of the singer hiding under the table with their knees drawn to their chest gives the impression of vulnerability and a desire to retreat.
The fear seems to stem from a lack of trust in others. The singer speaks of how “no one knows how to keep secrets ‘round here,” and how secrets are quickly spread. This reveals a sense of distrust in the community and a feeling of being an outsider. The desire to hide away and avoid being found therefore makes sense as a means of self-protection.
The repetition of “waiting for the front door to splinter, waiting all winter” reinforces the sense of fear and anticipation. The singer seems to be waiting for the worst to happen, for the villagers to break down the door and find them. The imagery of waiting through the winter suggests a long and anxious period of waiting, adding to the sense of isolation and vulnerability.
Overall, the lyrics to “If You See Light” speak to a sense of fear and isolation that can arise when we feel disconnected from those around us. The desire to retreat and hide away, seen in the imagery of hiding under the table or closing one’s eyes, speaks to a need for safety and security.
Line by Line Meaning
When the villagers come to my door I will hide underneath the table in the dining room
The singer is afraid of facing the villagers and chooses to hide under the table in fear.
When the villagers come to my door I will breathe shallow breaths from high up in my stomach ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
The singer is anxious and is trying to control their fear by taking shallow breaths.
Waiting for the front door to splinter, waiting all winter.
The singer has been waiting for something ominous to happen, leading to their fear and anxiety.
When the villagers come to my door I'll be all tucked away with my face to the floor and my eyes closed
The artist has closed themselves up completely in fear.
And no one knows how to keep secrets 'round here
The artist lives in an environment where everyone is a gossip and cannot keep anything to themselves.
They tell everyone everything soon as they know
The people in the singer's environment spread gossip as soon as they hear anything.
And then where is there left for poor sinners to go?
The singer wonders where they can go when they are considered a sinner based on the gossips around them.
Waiting for the front door to splinter, waiting all winter.
The artist's fear and anxiety have been building up, and they are still waiting for something ominous to happen.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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