Prana Ferox
The Mountain Goats Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I went down to the basement
To check up on the sour mash
I looked down to the nonreactive ceramic tub
It was bubbling

I had stirred up the dust on the stairs coming down
I saw the dust devils swarming around
Incoming sunbeams cut them apart
And I watched a shadow pass across my heart

You were upstairs in the kitchen
With your head against the sink
Trying to cool down
Trying to cool down

I know you don't believe me but I could hear you breathing
I looked into the tub and there the mixture was seething
With new life, new life all around
I had stirred up the dust on the stairs coming down

You were upstairs in the kitchen
With your head against the sink




Trying to cool down
Trying to cool down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Mountain Goats’s song Prana Ferox paint a vivid picture of a scene in a house where the singer is checking on his sour mash brew in the basement. The ceramic tub is bubbling, and he observes the dust devils as incoming sunbeams cut them apart. Although the scene may initially appear mundane, the lyrics display the ability of the singer to find meaning in the small details. The shadow passing across the singer’s heart emphasizes the feeling of loneliness and possibly even existential dread that he may be experiencing. Meanwhile, the second stanza shifts focus to the subject of the singer’s affection, who is upstairs in the kitchen, trying to cool down by placing their head against the sink. The singer observes sounds that others may have overlooked, hearing the breathing of their companion. The lyrics of the song suggest that the singer is someone who is deeply thoughtful, someone who is able to find profound meaning in the little details of life.


Line by Line Meaning

I went down to the basement
The singer went to the basement


To check up on the sour mash
He went there to inspect the sour mash he had prepared previously


I looked down to the nonreactive ceramic tub
He saw a ceramic tub placed on the ground


It was bubbling
The contents of the tub were boiling or fermenting


I had stirred up the dust on the stairs coming down
The singer had stirred up the dust while coming down the stairs


I saw the dust devils swarming around
He saw dust devils occurring around him


Incoming sunbeams cut them apart
The sunbeams separating the dust devils


And I watched a shadow pass across my heart
He witnessed a shadow passing over his heart


You were upstairs in the kitchen
Someone was in the kitchen upstairs


With your head against the sink
The person had their head against the sink


Trying to cool down
They were attempting to reduce their body temperature


Trying to cool down
Reiterating their attempt to cool down


I know you don't believe me but I could hear you breathing
He claims to have heard the person breathing


I looked into the tub and there the mixture was seething
He looked at the tub again and saw the mixture boiling furiously


With new life, new life all around
There was fresh activity in the mixture


I had stirred up the dust on the stairs coming down
Reiterating his actions while coming down the stairs


You were upstairs in the kitchen
Someone was still upstairs in the kitchen


With your head against the sink
The same person had their head against the sink


Trying to cool down
Reiterating their intention to cool down


Trying to cool down
Reiterating their intention to cool down




Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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