Letter From Belgium
The Mountain Goats Lyrics


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Martin calls to say he's sending old electrical equipment
That's good
We can always use some more electrical equipment

In the cold clear light of day down here, everyone's a monster
That's cool with all of us
We've been past the point of help since early April
Susan and her notebook, freehand drawings of Lon Chaney
Blueprints for geodesic domes, recipes for cake
Yeah, we're all here chewing our tongues off
Waiting for the fever to break

When we walk out in the sunlight
We tell every we know it hurts our eyes
When the real reason we don't like it
Is that it makes us wonder if we're dying

And Martin's found an old trunk full of stage makeup in the basement
And he's sending it along
We can always use more makeup
Yeah, more creams and powders

And Carrie's got the feeling that the people next door
Will close in like a wolf pack should we make one small mistake




Yeah, we're all here chewing our tongues off
Waiting for the fever to break

Overall Meaning

The Mountain Goats's song Letter From Belgium is a hauntingly beautiful piece of music that speaks to the desperation and isolation we sometimes feel in life. Martin, a character in the song, calls to say he's sending old electrical equipment, and the singer responds, "that's good, we can always use some more electrical equipment." This exchange suggests that the people in the song are living a life of scarcity, and they are always looking for ways to improve their circumstances. Despite their need for more resources, the people in the song are struggling to survive. In the cold clear light of day, everyone is a monster, and they seem to have given up hope: "We've been past the point of help since early April."


The second verse introduces us to Susan, who is drawing pictures of Lon Chaney and making blueprints for geodesic domes. Susan's actions suggest that she is trying to escape the harsh reality of her life by engaging in creative pursuits. The other characters in the song are also desperate to find something meaningful to do. They are all "chewing their tongues off, waiting for the fever to break." The final verse is perhaps the most poignant, as the characters reveal that they are afraid to go into the sunlight because it makes them wonder if they are dying. They are all waiting for someone to come and save them from their situation, but it seems that no one is coming.


Line by Line Meaning

Martin calls to say he's sending old electrical equipment
Martin is sending us some electrical equipment.


That's good
We welcome the addition of electrical equipment.


We can always use some more electrical equipment
We are in need of more electrical equipment.


In the cold clear light of day down here, everyone's a monster
In our current situation, everyone seems like a monster.


That's cool with all of us
We are not bothered by it.


We've been past the point of help since early April
We've been helpless for a long time now.


Susan and her notebook, freehand drawings of Lon Chaney
Susan is drawing Lon Chaney freehand in her notebook.


Blueprints for geodesic domes, recipes for cake
She also has some blueprints and recipes in there.


Yeah, we're all here chewing our tongues off
We are all anxious and nervous.


Waiting for the fever to break
We are waiting for things to get better.


When we walk out in the sunlight
When we go outside in the sun.


We tell every we know it hurts our eyes
We usually complain that the sun hurts our eyes.


When the real reason we don't like it
But the true reason we dislike it.


Is that it makes us wonder if we're dying
Is because it creates a sense of fear and mortality in us.


And Martin's found an old trunk full of stage makeup in the basement
Martin has discovered a trunk full of makeup.


And he's sending it along
He will be sending it to us.


We can always use more makeup
We could use more makeup.


Yeah, more creams and powders
Specifically, we could use more creams and powders.


And Carrie's got the feeling that the people next door
Carrie has a feeling about our neighbors.


Will close in like a wolf pack should we make one small mistake
They might come after us harshly if we make any minor error.


Yeah, we're all here chewing our tongues off
We are all nervous and uncomfortable in this place.


Waiting for the fever to break
We are waiting for things to get better.




Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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