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.
Quetzalcoatl Eats Plums
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and begin making my way toward where you are
i meant to leave the house this morning
i made it halfway across the front yard
but the plum tree hung heavy in my head
and the plum tree hung heavy in my heart
and the plum tree hung heavy over me
so i tore off to the phone
to call you and tell you something, but i couldn't remember what
because through the clean, clean windows
saw the plum tree's leaves, as red as fresh blood
and the plum tree hung heavy in my head
and the plum tree hung heavy in my heart
and the plum tree hung heavy over me
In The Mountain Goats's song "Quetzalcoatl Eats Plums," the singer struggles with a feeling of being held back, both physically and emotionally, by a plum tree. The song opens with the intention of the singer to leave their house and travel towards a destination where someone they care about is located. However, as they make their way across the front yard, they become fixated on a plum tree. This tree, though physically planted in the yard, begins to take on a larger symbolic meaning for the singer, representing a heavy weight or burden that they can't seem to shake.
Throughout the song, the plum tree is persistently described as a heavy presence weighing down both the singer's head and heart. They attempt to reach out to the person they intended to see, but are unable to articulate the reason why they called them. Instead, they become entranced by the plum tree, which appears to be glowing red through a window. Overall, the lyrics of "Quetzalcoatl Eats Plums" present a vivid and poignant exploration of the sometimes irrational and difficult-to-explain emotions that can hold us back from moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
i meant to leave the house this morning
I had intended to start my journey toward you today
and begin making my way toward where you are
I planned to begin my journey toward your location
i meant to leave the house this morning
I had a clear intention to set out today
i made it halfway across the front yard
I trekked only a short distance from my starting point
but the plum tree hung heavy in my head
The thoughts of the plum tree were weighing on my mind heavily
and the plum tree hung heavy in my heart
The plum tree was also occupying a lot of emotional space in my heart
and the plum tree hung heavy over me
The plum tree was burdening me significantly
so i tore off to the phone
At that point, I rushed to grab my phone
to call you and tell you something, but i couldn't remember what
The reason I was reaching for the phone evaded me at that moment
because through the clean, clean windows
Looking through the clear, polished windows
saw the plum tree's leaves, as red as fresh blood
I noticed the plum tree's vibrant leaves, vividly red like fresh blood
and the plum tree hung heavy in my head
Even now, the plum tree's weight was still on my mind
and the plum tree hung heavy in my heart
The plum tree still occupied a great deal of emotional space within me
and the plum tree hung heavy over me
The burden of the plum tree remained with me
Contributed by Caroline M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.