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.
Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hair plastered to her cheeks
Marduk t-shirt sticking to her skin
Refugee from a disco in old east Berlin
Weightless formless blameless nameless
Stray syllables were gurgling
Face hidden from my view
I let myself imagine she was you
Only weightless, formless, blameless, nameless
And when I washed my hands
I ran the water hotter than I could stand
Half rising to a crouch
Sinking back down to the floor
When you're walking keep your head low
Try to leave no traces when you go
Stay weightless, formless, blameless, nameless
The Mountain Goats's song "Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident" is a hauntingly melancholic and introspective exploration of love, loss, and anonymity in a gritty and chaotic world. The lyrics paint a vivid image of a woman slumped up against the sink with her hair plastered to her cheeks, wearing a Marduk t-shirt that is sticking to her skin. She is a refugee from a disco in old east Berlin, lost and displaced in a city that is unfamiliar and unforgiving.
The singer observes her from a distance, imagining that she is the person he loves, a formless and nameless object of desire that he cannot help but fetishize. He listens as stray syllables gurgle from her throat, and he is struck by her weightlessness and formlessness, her utter lack of identity and agency in a world that has left her behind.
As he washes his hands, the singer is overcome by a sense of despair and futility. He runs the water hotter than he can stand, half-rising to a crouch and then sinking back down to the floor. He is alone in the men's room, isolated and disconnected from the world around him. The only thing that makes sense is to stay weightless, formless, blameless, and nameless, to try to leave no traces behind when he goes.
Overall, "Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident" is a powerful and evocative song that captures the sense of dislocation and disorientation that many people feel in the modern world. It speaks to our deepest fears and longings, our sense of isolation and yearning for connection, and our struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that can often seem chaotic and meaningless.
Line by Line Meaning
Slumped up against the sink
A woman is sitting against the sink in a tired and defeated manner.
Hair plastered to her cheeks
Her hair is stuck to her damp face with sweat and exhaustion from dancing.
Marduk t-shirt sticking to her skin
She is wearing a Marduk-band t-shirt that is wet and plastered to her skin, displaying her love for the heavy metal genre.
Refugee from a disco in old east Berlin
She seems to have run away from a disco in East Berlin, which may have been a source of emotional turmoil or simply for adventure.
Weightless formless blameless nameless
The woman feels insignificant, as though she has no real impact or presence in the world.
Stray syllables were gurgling
She is barely able to form coherent words, as her throat is hoarse from shouting and singing loudly while dancing.
From her throat one at a time
She speaks slowly, taking her time to get each word out, as though it takes a great deal of effort.
Face hidden from my view
The artist cannot see her face; perhaps she is too ashamed to show it or feels embarrassed in her current state.
I let myself imagine she was you
The artist, for a brief moment, pictures the woman as someone he deeply cares for or has feelings for, possibly as a coping mechanism in this strange situation.
And when I washed my hands
The artist, who has been observing this woman, takes a moment to wash his hands in the men's room.
I ran the water hotter than I could stand
Perhaps in an effort to cleanse himself of the strange, intense emotions he experienced while watching this woman, the singer washes his hands in scorching hot water.
Half rising to a crouch, Sinking back down to the floor
The artist is in a state of confusion and disorientation, moving about the bathroom floor in a way that suggests he is unsteady or agitated.
When you're walking keep your head low
The singer offers a piece of advice, recommending that others keep a low profile, avoiding making a scene or drawing attention to oneself.
Try to leave no traces when you go
When leaving a place or situation, it is best to ensure that nothing remains behind, be it physical objects or emotional baggage.
Stay weightless, formless, blameless, nameless
In closing, the singer seems to urge the woman he observed, along with anyone else who may be dealing with similar issues, to release themselves of their burdens and try to move on, remaining untethered to any physical or emotional labels or ties.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
William Carter
John Darnielle, I have two people who I want to embrace before I die. You and Stephen Colbert.
How can I embrace you? Your music is so beautiful and meant so much to writers like me. Your music is is the soundtrack to my writing about my trauma.
Cecil
ah yes. now THIS is prime trauma music.
Garrett Glasscock
00:15 - 00:19 Actual Footage of John Darnielle Forgetting That He Is John Darnielle