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.
Mobile
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To flee from the wrath of the Lord
But the mark on his forehead
Was visible to everybody on board
They threw him down into the water
But he did not drown
I'm on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama
Waiting for the wind to throw me down
Now the Lord told the great fish
Be free of your burden
And Jonah emerged from his darkness
Like a dancer crashing through the curtain
And the plant grew but it withered
And it shriveled up and turned brown
I'm on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama
Waiting for the wind to throw me down
Lord, if you won't keep me safe and warm
Then send down the storm
Send down the storm
Jonah was sure he heard voices
Maybe just one voice but real clear
And where he went, the voice followed
Sometimes hardly loud enough to hear
"Shall I not spare the wise with the wicked?
Hold back my wrath from this town?"
I am on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama
Waiting for the wind to throw me down
May I address the foreman of the jury?
Why do you hold back your fury?
Don't hold back your fury
The lyrics to "Mobile" by The Mountain Goats tell the story of Jonah, a biblical figure who tries to escape from the wrath of the Lord. Jonah goes down to the docks to flee but his mark, presumably the mark of the Lord on his forehead, is visible to everyone on board. Despite being thrown into the water, Jonah does not drown and instead finds himself on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama, waiting for the wind to throw him down.
The second verse continues the biblical narrative, where the Lord tells the great fish to be free of its burden, and Jonah emerges from darkness just like a dancer crashing through a curtain. The plant that was grown for Jonah's shade withers and turns brown, symbolizing the fleeting nature of comfort. Jonah remains on the balcony in Mobile, still waiting for the wind to throw him down.
The chorus expresses Jonah's plea to the Lord. If the Lord won't keep him safe and warm, he asks for the storm to be sent down. In a way, Jonah desires punishment or a reckoning for his actions.
The song also touches on the internal conflict within Jonah. He hears voices, maybe just one voice, but it's real and clear enough for him to follow. The voice questions if the Lord should spare the wise with the wicked, suggesting a sense of justice and questioning the Lord's judgment. Jonah remains on the balcony, awaiting his fate.
The final lines of the song address the foreman of the jury, asking why they hold back their fury. It's an unspoken frustration or plea to confront the truth and face the consequences without hesitation.
Overall, "Mobile" explores themes of escape, punishment, questioning divine judgment, and the internal struggles of a biblical figure.
Line by Line Meaning
Jonah went down to the docks
Jonah, feeling the need to escape from the anger of the Lord, went to the docks.
To flee from the wrath of the Lord
Jonah wanted to escape and avoid facing the anger of the Lord.
But the mark on his forehead
However, the symbol on Jonah's forehead
Was visible to everybody on board
could be seen by everyone present.
They threw him down into the water
As a consequence, they threw him into the water.
But he did not drown
Remarkably, he did not perish.
I'm on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama
At this moment, I find myself on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama.
Waiting for the wind to throw me down
Anticipating the wind to forcefully throw me off.
Now the Lord told the great fish
At this point, the Lord commanded the enormous fish
Be free of your burden
to release its burden.
And Jonah emerged from his darkness
Consequently, Jonah emerged from his state of darkness
Like a dancer crashing through the curtain
in a manner reminiscent of a dancer dramatically pushing through a curtain.
And the plant grew but it withered
A plant then grew but subsequently wilted.
And it shriveled up and turned brown
It dried up and changed color to brown.
I'm on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama
Once again, I find myself on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama.
Waiting for the wind to throw me down
Still awaiting the wind's forceful action to throw me off.
Lord, if you won't keep me safe and warm
Dear Lord, if you are unwilling to protect and provide comfort for me
Then send down the storm
then I request you to send a storm.
Send down the storm
Please send down the storm.
Jonah was sure he heard voices
Jonah was certain that he heard voices
Maybe just one voice but real clear
Perhaps it was only one voice, but it was quite distinct.
And where he went, the voice followed
Wherever he went, the voice continued to accompany him.
Sometimes hardly loud enough to hear
Occasionally, it was barely audible.
"Shall I not spare the wise with the wicked?
"Should I not show leniency towards both the wise and the wicked?
Hold back my wrath from this town?"
"Should I not suppress my anger towards this town?"
I am on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama
At this moment, I find myself on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama.
Waiting for the wind to throw me down
Still waiting for the wind to forcefully throw me off.
May I address the foreman of the jury?
Might I have the opportunity to speak to the foreman of the jury?
Why do you hold back your fury?
Why are you restraining your anger?
Don't hold back your fury
Please do not suppress your rage.
Lyrics © PACIFIC ELECTRIC MUSIC
Written by: John Darnielle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AshZelda
Jonah went down to the docks
to flee from the wrath of the Lord
But the mark on his forehead was visible to everybody on board
They threw him down into the water but he did not drown
I'm on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama, waiting for the wind to throw me down.
Now the Lord told the great fish, be free of your burden
and Jonah emerged from his darkness like a dancer crashing through the curtain
and the plant grew but it withered and it shrivelled up and turned brown.
I'm on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama, waiting for the wind to throw me down.
Lord, if you won't keep me safe and warm
Then send down the storm
Send down the storm
Jonah was sure he heard voices, maybe just one voice but real clear
And where he went, the voice followed, sometimes hardly loud enough to hear
"Shall I not spare the wise with the wicked? Hold back my wrath from this town?"
I'm on a balcony in Mobile, Alabama, waiting for the wind to throw me down
May I address the foreman of the jury?
Why do you hold back your fury?
Don't hold back your fury .
@floral_stone
The song sounds like what it feels like to go for an early morning walk as the sun rises, but the air is still crisp from the night.
@drugbuddy665
100% correct, this song is the warm sun hitting your face first thing in the morning after a chilly night
@jojones4685
Aww yes
@MrSilvUr
Nailed it.
@trevornunn6427
I literally just went on a long walk under the midday sun and started it off with this song. It is perfect for a long walk on a clear day.
@drugbuddy665
thank god the mountain goats keep putting out albums because who the fuck else is going to fix everything that happened to us this year
@thatonezoey334
I broke free on a Saturday morning
I put the pedal to the floor
Headed north on Mills Avenue
And listened to the engine roar
@joshshrum2764
Now we just need Radiohead, and American Football, to put out new albums.
@tompadfoot3065
@@thatonezoey334 love that song. When my mom died a few years ago I listened to that song at least twice a day for a year straight, it was my lifeline to reality
@dahlia8534
Yeah, This Year