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.
Raid on Entebbe
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i heard new rumors of war.
the sun was a red ball up in the summer sky.
i saw my sister standing in the doorway.
she had that look on her face that reminded me of you.
the reports were coming hourly and the sky was blue.
they were shifting the power again.
they always do this when i come home.
i tucked my shirt in, though i don't know why.
shielded my eyes from the light up in the sky
'cause it was shining, blazing, like a highway flare
in the incredibly impossibly dry air
i heard my mother call my sister to the kitchen again
and thought that everything was headed straight down the drain
they positioned themselves in strategic locations
i was beginning to lose my patience.
if you'll just put your hand in mine,
we're gonna leave all our troubles behind.
The song "Raid on Entebbe" by The Mountain Goats describes a moment in time when the songwriter hears rumors of war on the shores of a lake named after a late queen of England. The sun is a red ball in the summer sky, and the reports of the war are coming hourly as the sky remains blue. The songwriter's sister is standing in the doorway with a look on her face that reminds him of someone else, someone he misses. The song highlights how the power is always shifting when he comes home, but this time, it feels more significant.
As the songwriter tucks his shirt in, he shields his eyes from the blazing sun shining like a highway flare in the incredibly impossibly dry air. He hears his mother call his sister to the kitchen again, and he feels like everything is headed straight down the drain. The strategic positioning of the people around him is making him lose his patience. However, as the song comes to a close, the songwriter holds out his hand and asks his partner to put their hand in his. He assures them that they will leave all their troubles behind.
The song symbolizes the uncertainty and chaos of the world in moments of war and loss. Amidst a time of turmoil, the songwriter finds solace in the companionship that he shares with someone who loves him. The song ends on a hopeful note, indicating that no matter what happens, they will find peace together.
Line by Line Meaning
on the shores of a lake named after a late queen of england
I was by a lake named after a queen of England who has passed away.
i heard new rumors of war.
I was informed of new talk about war.
the sun was a red ball up in the summer sky.
The sun looked like a red ball in the summer sky.
i saw my sister standing in the doorway.
My sister was standing in the doorway.
she had that look on her face that reminded me of you.
She had a facial expression that reminded me of you.
the reports were coming hourly and the sky was blue.
Reports were frequent and the sky was blue.
they were shifting the power again.
They were transferring power again.
they always do this when i come home.
They have a habit of doing this when I arrive home.
i tucked my shirt in, though i don't know why.
I tucked in my shirt for an unknown reason.
shielded my eyes from the light up in the sky
I protected my eyes from the bright sky light.
'cause it was shining, blazing, like a highway flare
The light was bright and shining like a highway flare.
in the incredibly impossibly dry air
The air was extremely dry.
i heard my mother call my sister to the kitchen again
My mother called my sister to the kitchen once more.
and thought that everything was headed straight down the drain
I was worried that things were going to go badly.
they positioned themselves in strategic locations
They took up positions in strategic areas.
i was beginning to lose my patience.
My patience was starting to wear thin.
if you'll just put your hand in mine,
If you hold my hand,
we're gonna leave all our troubles behind.
We're going to leave our problems behind.
Contributed by Andrew P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Field Show
One of my all-time favorite Mountain Goats song and it was just some random b-side.
Joseph Gregor
Top 5, for sure.
Been having a mega-hard time transcribing this into chords. 1/2 step down???? Idunno.... but even if I did, to capture this sound with rachel, at this time, might be impossible
Dan Murphy
I must be responsible for all 1k views
King Rat
It’s a great song for sure. One of my favorites.