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.
Sail Babylon Springs
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little too proud to let the matter drop
And I can hear you up there
Isn't it romantic?
You're huffing and puffing rearranging
Deck chairs on the titanic
And I reach for a glass of cool water drawn
From the rivers of babylon
And meanwhile outside, the stars have come out
And the humid summer air pulls at the ring in my snout
And you stand at your window looking down
And I spread wide my arms
Jump if you want to jump, jump if you want to
The water's warm
I know
I know 'cause I've been swimming
Blindly along through the rivers of babylon
In these lyrics, the singer is in a separate room from someone they care about, who is upstairs doing something else. The singer seems to be feeling too proud to let a matter drop, suggesting they are perhaps in some sort of disagreement with the person upstairs. They listen to the other person's movements above them and comment on the irony of their attempts at rearranging "deck chairs on the Titanic," a reference to the futility of trying to change anything in a doomed situation. Meanwhile, the singer pours themselves a glass of water from the rivers of Babylon, a biblical reference to a place of exile and despair. The second stanza places the singer outside on a summer evening looking up at the other person's window. The singer seems to be inviting the other person to jump into the unknown with them, referencing the game popularized by the singer Van Halen of the same name. The singer has been swimming blindly through the rivers of Babylon and is ultimately inviting the other person to join them in a shared experience of the unknown and the uncertain.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of frustration and a desire to want to connect with someone who is out of reach. The allusions to the Titanic and the rivers of Babylon suggest a comparison between modern-day struggles and those of the past, and a sense that no matter what we do, some things are destined to fail.
Line by Line Meaning
But meanwhile downstairs, I'm setting up shop
While my partner is upstairs fussing over trivial things, I am starting something productive downstairs.
A little too proud to let the matter drop
I am slightly stubborn and unwilling to give up on my new venture.
And I can hear you up there
I am aware of my partner's continued actions upstairs.
Isn't it romantic?
It is ironic how my partner is focused on romanticizing a doomed situation.
You're huffing and puffing rearranging
My partner is exerting themself while rearranging things, despite it being futile.
Deck chairs on the titanic
My partner's actions are like reorganizing deck chairs on a sinking Titanic ship.
And I reach for a glass of cool water drawn
I take a break from my work to quench my thirst with water from Babylon's rivers.
From the rivers of babylon
The water I drink is symbolic of the challenges and hardships I am navigating through.
And meanwhile outside, the stars have come out
As I work, I notice that the stars have emerged outside.
And the humid summer air pulls at the ring in my snout
The hot and heavy summer air affects me and makes me feel less content.
And you stand at your window looking down
My partner observes me from above, while standing at the window.
And I spread wide my arms
Despite the challenges, I remain unbroken and embrace my current situation.
Jump if you want to jump, jump if you want to
I offer my partner an opportunity to join me in embracing the uncertainties of life.
The water's warm
I reassure my partner that the challenges can be confronted, and the outcome will be rewarding.
I know
I understand the challenges and hardships that must be faced.
I know 'cause I've been swimming
I have persevered through similar challenges before, so I am confident in my ability to overcome them again.
Blindly along through the rivers of babylon
I have faced similar challenges before, and for me, these challenges are like swimming blindly through the waters of Babylon - a difficult but familiar and navigable path.
Contributed by Jayden C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.