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.
Sendero Luminoso Verdadero
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(as they age, men encounter the 6th fear - loss of verility.
just look him straight in the eye, invade his space by
standing a little closer than normal...)
by 8.30 am the sun was so hot, that it made me remember.
i pulled on the jacket with the bars on the pockets
and i stood in front of the window
and it drinks in the pure heat, real slow.
i remember lima. i remember the good life.
i remember lima. i remember the good life.
the window is ten feet high and three feet wide
sun beams bounce off the dark water
and come through the clear glass, magnified.
standing here in the house on pacific coast highway
given to me by a friend whose name is no longer important
my conscience is clean.
and the feeling of power like thick red wine
and it's oh-nine-oh-five military time
i remember lima. i remember the good life.
i remember lima. i remember the good life.
In The Mountain Goats' song Sendero Luminoso Verdadero, the first few lines are actually spoken lyrics that set the tone for the entire song. The singer mentions the sixth fear that men encounter as they age, which is the fear of losing their virility. He then goes on to give advice on how to handle this situation by looking the fear straight in the eye and invading its space by standing a little closer than normal. This sets the stage for the theme of the song, which is reminiscing about the past and feeling powerful and in control.
The rest of the lyrics focus on the singer's memories of Lima and the "good life" he had there. He describes the sun being so hot that it made him remember, and he puts on a jacket with bars on the pockets that likely signifies some sort of authority or power. Standing in front of a large window, he remembers the pure heat of Lima, and the skin on his face seems to physically "drink it in." He remembers the feeling of power, like thick red wine, and the military time of 09:05 adds to this feeling of authority and control. Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time and place when the singer felt powerful and in control, but it also acknowledges the passage of time and the fear of losing that power.
Line by Line Meaning
by 8.30 am the sun was so hot, that it made me remember.
The intense heat outside triggered a memory from the past.
i pulled on the jacket with the bars on the pockets and i stood in front of the window
I put on a specific jacket and positioned myself in front of the window.
and the skin on my face has a memory all its own and it drinks in the pure heat, real slow.
My face absorbs the heat and has a distinct recollection of it.
i remember lima. i remember the good life.
The memory triggered is of a place and a time that was positive.
the window is ten feet high and three feet wide sun beams bounce off the dark water and come through the clear glass, magnified.
The window is a particular size and it amplifies the reflection of the sunlight on the water.
standing here in the house on pacific coast highway given to me by a friend whose name is no longer important my conscience is clean.
I'm in a house given to me by someone unimportant and I feel morally sound.
and the feeling of power like thick red wine and it's oh-nine-oh-five military time
A sense of authority, similar to strong wine, is present and the time is in military format.
i remember lima. i remember the good life.
The positive memory from Lima is still vivid and alive.
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.