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 Love
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, what are you trying to do?
'cause if what you had in mind
Is what i think it is
Then it's not very kind
And it won't be necessary
It won't be necessary now
It won't be necessary
Hey, what are you doing, my love?
Hey, didn't i just tell you that such a thing
Would be over and above what's called for in this case
Pull the ski mask away from your face
It won't be necessary
It won't be necessary now
It won't be necessary
It won't be necessary now
It won't be necessary
It won't be necessary now
The lyrics of "Pure Love" by The Mountain Goats is a tale of someone who is in love with a person that has threatened to hurt them or someone else. The singer begs the person to reconsider their actions, hoping to steer them away from the consequences they might face. The singer believes that the person's proposed action is not necessary and feels that it is unkind. The chorus is an affirmation that the violent act won't be necessary, and they continue to plead with the person.
As the song progresses, the singer asks the person what they are doing and reminds them that it is not what they had agreed upon. The singer tries to get the person to see that their actions are above what is called for in the situation. The use of a ski mask to conceal their identity suggests that the person intends to commit a crime, and the singer would instead talk them out of it than see them become a criminal.
Overall, the song portrays the singer's concern for the person's safety and well-being. They plead with the person to show restraint and not act out of anger, believing that kindness is always a better option than violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, what's wrong with you?
What's going on with you that's causing you to act this way?
Hey, what are you trying to do?
What is your intention behind your actions?
'cause if what you had in mind
Assuming that your plan or idea is what I think it is,
Is what i think it is
It matches my assumption or guess
Then it's not very kind
Your plan is unkind or cruel
And it won't be necessary
It's not needed or required
It won't be necessary now
There's no need to follow through with the plan at this moment
Hey, what are you doing, my love?
What actions are you taking, my love?
Hey, didn't i just tell you that such a thing
Didn't I recently inform you that such actions
Would be over and above what's called for in this case
Are beyond what's necessary or expected in this situation
Pull the ski mask away from your face
Remove your disguise or facade
It won't be necessary
The actions you're taking are not needed
It won't be necessary now
There's no need to proceed with those actions presently
It won't be necessary
Those actions are not required
It won't be necessary now
At this moment in time, they're not needed
It won't be necessary
Those actions aren't necessary
It won't be necessary now
Right now, those actions are not required
Contributed by Sadie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
girls poop too
I've heard hundreds of Mountain goats songs and they still surprise me
Stay Gold
Christopher Padilla
this song is like candy to my ears
wwmadi
I really love John's old keyboard songs. I wonder what keyboard he used for them
Jonovox
He used a Casio SA-7. These sounds can be found on most early 90's Casio SA model keyboards.
webmaster8040
i really want to buy this album but the only times ive found it online it was way too expensive. do you know of anywhere i could get the CD for a reasonable price?
suredoloveya
"I was always hoping people were afraid of me." --John Darnielle
valeriethezero
i had this exact same keyboard as a child. it was a prerecorded background thingy and i used to play it all the time
Feli
This kind of reminds me of a Daniel Johnston song.
zopilote_4000
what are you trying to do
zepployd
Casio love