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.
Parisian Enclave
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Collect the brine from the rain gutters, let the devil take the rest
Rats returning home to our nest
Beneath the streets of the city with my brethren
In the neverending shadows
Beneath the streets of the city with my brethren
In the neverending shadows, there I go
Secret hymnal with the words in a version of the mother tongue
Walls envelop all of us like a mother who protects her young
Spores at play deep down in our lungs
Beneath the streets of the city with my brethren
In the neverending shadow
Beneath the streets of the city with my brethren
In the neverending shadow, there I go
The Mountain Goats’s song, “Parisian Enclave,” explores the idea of hidden urban life by taking its listeners beneath the streets of the city. The imagery of the song paints a picture of an underground society of the disenfranchised. The song starts with the image of a “signal drawn upon the bricks of a clinic for the dispossessed,” signalling a sense of rebellion and unrest among a group of people who seem to have been abandoned by society. The next line, “Collect the brine from the rain gutters, let the devil take the rest,” adds to the image of a group of people who have been forced to live off the scraps left behind by the rest of society.
The song then goes on to describe the community’s sense of belonging and identity, emphasised by the repeated phrase “Beneath the streets of the city with my brethren” which highlights the bond between the characters. Despite their difficult situation, there is comfort in being part of a community and having a shared experience. The repeated line “In the neverending shadow, there I go” speaks to the idea that this hidden underground world is a constant part of the characters’ lives, and reminds the listener of the challenges they face every day. The image of a “secret hymnal with the words in a version of the mother tongue” furthers the sense of a tight-knit community with their own traditions and customs. But the song ends with a darker image of “spores at play deep down in our lungs”, highlighting the dangerous environment the characters are forced to live in.
Overall, “Parisian Enclave” is a powerful piece of storytelling that illuminates the struggles of people forced to live on the margins of society. The song paints a vivid picture of not just the physical space of the underground, but also of the emotional world of the characters who inhabit it.
Line by Line Meaning
Signal drawn upon the bricks of a clinic for the dispossessed
A symbol is marked on the wall of a hospital meant for those without resources
Collect the brine from the rain gutters, let the devil take the rest
Taking advantage of what little resources are available, leaving the rest to fate
Rats returning home to our nest
Going back to our humble abode, just like rats do
Beneath the streets of the city with my brethren
Together with my fellow outcasts, hidden in the underground passages of the city
In the neverending shadows
Concealed from the public eye, hidden in darkness
Secret hymnal with the words in a version of the mother tongue
A hidden book containing lyrics in our native language, known only to a few
Walls envelop all of us like a mother who protects her young
The walls around us provide comfort and safety from the harsh world outside, like a mother's embrace
Spores at play deep down in our lungs
Our living conditions are so poor that mold spores grow in our lungs
In the neverending shadow, there I go
Once more venturing out into the darkness, alone and unnoticed
Lyrics © SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING INC.
Written by: John Darnielle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind