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.
Pure Heat
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You come into the house, with your dress torn.
I can see you now, as through a screen.
A smile on your face, your fingers dripping kerosene
Your hair hangs down, over me.
Your hair casts a shadow to cover me.
I can see you now, as through a screen.
A smile on your face, your fingers dripping kerosene
The wind from the north, cools me.
The wind from the north, doesn't fool me.
I can see you now, as through a screen.
A smile on your face, your fingers dripping kerosene
The lyrics to The Mountain Goats' song "Pure Heat" seem to be describing a moment of intense passion, tinged with danger and unpredictability. The image of the wind from the north flattening the yellow corn implies a sense of desolation and barrenness, which is contrasted with the appearance of the singer's lover, who bursts into the house with their dress torn. The use of kerosene is also significant, as it suggests an element of danger and recklessness.
The repeated image of seeing the lover "as through a screen" adds to the feeling of detachment and distance, as if the singer is not fully present in the moment but is observing it from a removed perspective. The hair of the lover casting a shadow over the singer could be interpreted as a symbol of the overwhelming nature of their presence, and the way they are able to envelop the singer completely.
Line by Line Meaning
The wind from the north, flattens the yellow corn.
The harsh wind coming from the north is destroying the surrounding crops of yellow corn.
You come into the house, with your dress torn.
You enter the house with your dress ripped, indicating some form of struggle or distress.
I can see you now, as through a screen.
I am viewing your presence as if through a filter, or from some removed perspective.
A smile on your face, your fingers dripping kerosene
You are visibly happy, yet your hands are also covered in a dangerously flammable chemical.
Your hair hangs down, over me.
Your hair is cascading over my body.
Your hair casts a shadow to cover me.
The effect of your hair creates a physical shading or covering.
The wind from the north, cools me.
The same harsh wind can also provide a cooling relief from the heat.
The wind from the north, doesn't fool me.
Despite the temporary respite, I am still aware of the wind's destructive capability.
I can see you now, as through a screen.
Again, my perspective of you is somewhat obscured or filtered, indicating distance or separation.
A smile on your face, your fingers dripping kerosene
Reiterating the juxtaposition between happiness and danger in your presence.
Contributed by Anna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.