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.
Lakeside View Apartments Suite
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A dream in switchgrass and concrete
Three gray floors of smoky windows
Facing the street
Michael pulls the blinds back up
Stares blankly at the intersection
Watching for the guy who's got the angel dust
Days like dominos
All in a line
We cheer for the home team every time
Lakeside view, lakeside view
Lakeside view for my whole crew
Most nights now sleep in the kitchen
Keep my face cool on the floor
And john, john comes by to drop off his envelopes
Still playing postman after all these years
Pull down my army surplus jacket
Dig through some drawers to find the keys
Emerge transformed in a million years
From days like these
Under each eye little greasepaint smudge
You can't judge us - you're not the judge
Lakeside view, lakeside view
Lakeside view for my whole crew
And just before I leave
I throw up in the sink
One whole life recorded
In disappearing ink
And ray left a message thumbtacked to the door
I don't even bother trying to read them anymore
Lakeside view lakeside view,
Lakeside view for my whole crew
In "Lakeside View Apartments Suite," John Darnielle, the frontman of The Mountain Goats, describes the mundane and dismal everyday life of a drug addict living in a three-story apartment building in downtown North. The building is constructed from switchgrass and concrete, with gray facades and smoky windows, which obstruct the view out of it. Although it is unclear who Michael is, he pulls the blinds aside while staring blankly at the intersection, trying to catch sight of the person carrying an angel dust-crystal clear connection. The chorus is filled with ironic lyrics, including "Days like dominos all in line, we cheer for the home team every time," referring to the drug addict's life being a never-changing sequence of events.
In the second verse, the singer highlights the dire conditions of the drug addict's life. Most nights, he sleeps in the kitchen with his face pressed against the cool floor. John, a friend or infamous drug dealer, comes often, seemingly after many years, to give envelopes. The friend never changes, as he is still playing postman after all these years. The verse ends with the singer pulling on his old military jacket and searching for keys. He emerges transformed at the end of the day, after enduring many hardships.
The song's melancholic and dark nature speaks to John Darnielle's talent as a songwriter, as he manages to describe the struggles of addiction and drug use without judgment. The lyrics are so vivid that they allow the listener to imagine a vivid and distressing image of the drug addict's experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Downtown north past the airport
Heading from the downtown area towards the northern part of the city, which lies past the airport
A dream in switchgrass and concrete
A surreal landscape encompassing a mix of natural and urban elements
Three gray floors of smoky windows
Depicting a three-story building having hazy, smoke-tinted windows
Facing the street
The building's windows overlook the street
Michael pulls the blinds back up
Michael unveils the window covers to have a look outside
Stares blankly at the intersection
Looking aimlessly at the crossing from the window
Watching for the guy who's got the angel dust
Keeping an eye out for someone who has access to the highly addictive hallucinogenic drug, angel dust
Crystal clear connection
A clear and strong communication link to get the drug
Days like dominos
Days passing continuously, one after the other like the game of dominoes
All in a line
All days aligning in a row
We cheer for the home team every time
We support and celebrate our own group or community, in every situation
Lakeside view, lakeside view
A scenic view of the lake
Lakeside view for my whole crew
The tranquil lake view is enjoyed by the entire group of people
Most nights now sleep in the kitchen
Sleeping on the kitchen floor has become a routine for most nights
Keep my face cool on the floor
Lying down on the kitchen floor to cool off
And john, john comes by to drop off his envelopes
John visits occasionally to deliver his messages
Still playing postman after all these years
After all the time, John is still fulfilling his role as a messenger
Pull down my army surplus jacket
Taking off the military jacket from the hanger
Dig through some drawers to find the keys
Searching the drawers to locate the keys
Emerge transformed in a million years
A transformation happening after million of years, occurs all of a sudden
From days like these
Transformation from the present tough times
Under each eye little greasepaint smudge
A smear mark of grease paint under the eyes
You can't judge us - you're not the judge
No one can condemn us, as they are not authorized for it
And just before I leave
Before departing, right at the end
I throw up in the sink
Vomiting in the sink
One whole life recorded
The whole life is documented
In disappearing ink
But the ink used for it fades away, making it a temporary record
And ray left a message thumbtacked to the door
Ray left a memo attached to the door with a thumbtack
I don't even bother trying to read them anymore
Ignoring the messages and unreadable notes completely
Lakeside view lakeside view,
A beautiful sight of the lake
Lakeside view for my whole crew
A splendid view of the lake enjoyed by the entire group
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paula Groff
"And just before I leave - I throw up in the sink" is a line that has acquired so much meaning to me
Quincy Arbalest
"Vomiting in the kitchen sink / Veins full of disappearing ink / Disconnecting from the missing link"
-Elliott Smith, fellow needle addict and lyrical visionary. RIP Elliott.
Bukowski und ich demolieren Cabrios
I think
Bukowski und ich demolieren Cabrios
Too drunk to give details, it's an allusion
Bukowski und ich demolieren Cabrios
Elliot Smith
sydney
This is a lot different from JD's other stuff, but it's still got that great voice and the brilliant lyrics.
William May
Just leading towards Goths and In League With Dragons
Brijjitz
You can't judge us - you're not the judge
Christopher Bingham
That's one of my favorite song lyrics ever
Mr Silver
Listening to this song... Damn. I wasn't sure I'd like JD on piano as much as on guitar, but now I am.