No Children
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give up on trying to save us
I hope we come up with a fail-safe plot
To piss off the dumb few that forgave us
I hope the fences we mended
Fall down beneath their own weight
And I hope we hang on past the last exit
And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here
Someday burns down
And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away
And I never come back to this town again
In my life, I hope I lie
And tell everyone you were a good wife
And I hope you die
I hope we both die
I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow
I hope it bleeds all day long
Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises
We're pretty sure they're all wrong
I hope it stays dark forever
I hope the worst isn't over
And I hope you blink before I do
I hope I never get sober
And I hope when you think of me years down the line
You can't find one good thing to say
And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out
You'd stay the hell out of my way
I am drowning
There is no sign of land
You are coming down with me
Hand in unlovable hand
And I hope you die
I hope we both die
The song "No Children" by The Mountain Goats is a dark and raw depiction of a toxic relationship on the verge of total collapse. The lyrics are filled with bitterness, anger, and a sense of hopelessness, as the singer expresses his desire for everything to fall apart and for both him and his partner to die. Through a series of vivid and unsettling images, the song paints a picture of two people who are deeply unhappy and incapable of escaping from their own misery.
The opening lines, "I hope that our few remaining friends/Give up on trying to save us," convey a sense of isolation and despair, as the singer imagines that even their friends have given up on them. He goes on to express his desire for a fail-safe plan to piss off those who forgave them, suggesting a deep-seated resentment towards anyone who has tried to help them.
The chorus is particularly haunting, as the singer voices his desire for both himself and his partner to die. The lines, "And I hope you die/I hope we both die" are repeated over and over again, as if the singer is trying to come to terms with his own mortality and the inevitability of their relationship's demise. The song ends with the singer stating that he is drowning and that there is no sign of land, as if to suggest that they are both already too far gone to be saved.
Overall, "No Children" is a bleak and powerful song that offers a glimpse into the darker side of human relationships. It is a reminder that love and hate are often two sides of the same coin and that sometimes the most intense emotions can lead to the most destructive consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
I hope that our few remaining friends
I don't want anyone around to save us
Give up on trying to save us
Our situation is hopeless
I hope we come up with a fail-safe plot
We need to figure out a way to hurt those who have forgiven us
To piss off the dumb few that forgave us
We want to hurt those who have tried to help us
I hope the fences we mended
I hope all of our hard work falls apart
Fall down beneath their own weight
We are destined to fail
And I hope we hang on past the last exit
We will do whatever it takes to stay together
I hope it's already too late
We are well past the point of no return
And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here
I want everything near me to burn down
Someday burns down
I want everything to be destroyed
And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away
I want to escape this place
And I never come back to this town again
I want to leave and never return
In my life, I hope I lie
I hope to deceive everyone around me
And tell everyone you were a good wife
I want to ruin your reputation
And I hope you die
I want you to suffer
I hope we both die
I want our misery to end
I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow
I want to hurt myself
I hope it bleeds all day long
I want to feel pain
Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises
Our friends are wrong about our situation getting better
We're pretty sure they're all wrong
We know our situation is hopeless
I hope it stays dark forever
I want to live in despair
I hope the worst isn't over
I want our situation to worsen
And I hope you blink before I do
I want to overpower you
I hope I never get sober
I want to remain numb to our misery
And I hope when you think of me years down the line
I want you to remember our misery
You can't find one good thing to say
There is nothing positive to say about our relationship
And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out
I want to leave you
You'd stay the hell out of my way
I want you to stay away from me
I am drowning
I feel overwhelmed
There is no sign of land
I feel lost
You are coming down with me
I want to bring you with me into my misery
Hand in unlovable hand
We have an unhappy relationship
And I hope you die
I want you to suffer
I hope we both die
I want our misery to end
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John Darnielle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind