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.
Noche Del Guajolote
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The chicken coops, the darkness surrounding everything
It was late and the night was moving slowly
We laid down on the ground because the world was lonely
If you keep quiet it will stay like this forever
If you'll just keep quiet it will stay like this forever
I feel certain of it now
And all the birds were sleeping in their perches
The little wind swaying birches
And the north American wild turkey that your father brought home
Woke up and came toward us
And the moonlight and the turkey waking up
And the night air and the moonlight on your skin
And the moonlight and the turkey waking up
And quiet yard and the turkey and the moon
Unimaginable
Unimaginable
Unimaginable
Unimaginable
The lyrics of "Noche Del Guajolote" are incredibly evocative, conjuring up powerful imagery of a quiet, lonely night in a rural setting. The singer describes the glowing world around them, highlighting the chicken coops and the darkness that surrounds everything. The night is moving slowly, and the singer and their companion decide to lay down on the ground, presumably to take in the solitude and beauty of their surroundings. The singer offers an intriguing insight when they say, "If you keep quiet it will stay like this forever / If you'll just keep quiet it will stay like this forever / I feel certain of it now". This suggests that the singer is somewhat afraid to make noise or disturb the peace, and is content to simply be present in the quiet.
As the night progresses, the birds around them are sleeping in their perches, and the "little wind swaying birches" create a peaceful atmosphere. Suddenly, the north American wild turkey that the singer's father brought home wakes up and walks toward them. This is a surprising and sudden occurrence that seems to break the stillness of the moment. However, the singer seems to embrace this unexpected turn of events, describing how the moonlight on their skin mixes with the night air and the sight of the turkey as it wakes up.
The final three lines of the song - "Unimaginable / Unimaginable / Unimaginable / Unimaginable" - are repeated four times, which reinforces the dreamlike, almost surreal quality of the experience the singer is describing. Ultimately, this is a song about the power of solitude and the magic of the natural world, and how those things can come together to create a sense of profound awe and wonder in the individual.
Line by Line Meaning
The glowing world, the bench backed up against the house
The bright and vibrant world surrounded by a solitary bench situated by a house.
The chicken coops, the darkness surrounding everything
The enclosures for the domestic birds and the darkness engulfing everything in the vicinity.
It was late and the night was moving slowly
It was a late hour and the night was advancing at a leisurely pace.
We laid down on the ground because the world was lonely
We lay on the ground due to the world being all alone and desolate.
If you keep quiet it will stay like this forever
If you maintain silence, the prevailing conditions will persist eternally.
If you'll just keep quiet it will stay like this forever
Just by staying quiet, the current situation will endure for eternity.
I feel certain of it now
I am confident about this belief right now.
And all the birds were sleeping in their perches
All the birds were asleep while perched on their respective spots.
The little wind swaying birches
The small wind that made the birches sway gently.
And the north American wild turkey that your father brought home
As the North American wild turkey that your father had brought home
Woke up and came toward us
It woke up and strode in our direction.
And the moonlight and the turkey waking up
The turkey was arousing from its sleep amidst the moonlight.
And the night air and the moonlight on your skin
The skin was exposed to the night air and the moonlight's illumination.
And the moonlight and the turkey waking up
The turkey was waking up under the influence of the moon's glow.
And quiet yard and the turkey and the moon
The tranquil backyard was graced by the presence of the turkey and the moon.
Unimaginable
Inconceivable
Unimaginable
Inconceivable
Unimaginable
Inconceivable
Unimaginable
Inconceivable
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.