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.
Snow Owl
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your feathers were the color of snow
The dice were loaded against us ever seeing each other
But one of us had nowhere else to go
In your eyes were all the colors the rainbow forgot
Your wingspan was three feet wide or better
With your voice practicing notes from time's own beginning
And here, where it all stops for good
Where the cool waters run
Thought I saw a mouse kicking in your beak
It was only a skeleton
The lines in The Mountain Goats' Snow Owl transport the listener to a world where an ethereal being comes down from heaven, alighting on a branch outside a person's window. The singer marvels at the color of the owl's feathers, which resemble snow. The singer seems to acknowledge how unlikely it is that they and the owl could have ever met, seeing as though the dice were loaded against it. However, fate or destiny, perhaps, led the owl to that branch, and the singer to that window, so that the two could meet.
The lyrics paint a picture of a fantastical creature that is both beautiful and mystical. In the owl's eyes are all the colors that the rainbow has forgotten, and it has a wingspan of three feet or more. The voice of the owl practices notes from "time's own beginning," suggesting that it has a connection to a deeper, more ancient world. The singer feels dwarfed by the owl, watching it take the alphabet apart letter by letter. Lastly, the singer is left with the impression of the owl with a mouse kicking in its beak before realizing that it is only a skeleton. The owl's presence in the world is fleeting, and it is seemingly capable of transcending the boundaries between life and death.
Line by Line Meaning
You came down from heaven to the branch outside my window
The singer is in awe that the snow owl has come down from heaven and landed on a branch right outside their window.
Your feathers were the color of snow
The snow owl's feathers were white as snow.
The dice were loaded against us ever seeing each other
The odds were not in favor of the singer and the snow owl ever crossing paths.
But one of us had nowhere else to go
Despite the odds, either the artist or the snow owl had no other option but to be there in that moment.
In your eyes were all the colors the rainbow forgot
The snow owl's eyes held all the colors of the rainbow that mere mortals often overlook.
Your wingspan was three feet wide or better
The snow owl had an impressive wingspan of at least three feet wide.
With your voice practicing notes from time's own beginning
The snow owl's sound evokes memories from the beginning of time.
You took apart the alphabet letter by letter
The snow owl's call was so precise that it sounded like it was breaking down the alphabet letter by letter.
And here, where it all stops for good
The artist is reflecting on a place where everything comes to an end permanently.
Where the cool waters run
The place the artist is at is where there are fresh and rejuvenating waters.
Thought I saw a mouse kicking in your beak
The singer initially thought the snow owl had caught a live mouse in its beak.
It was only a skeleton
Upon closer inspection, the artist realized the snow owl had actually caught a mouse skeleton, giving the impression that it had just been kicking it around.
Contributed by Aubrey W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@QuayDawgg
I believe John once said that he disliked playing this song because it made him feel self conscious after a reporter wrote some un flattering things about it shortly after it came out. I for one love this song and think it is one of the most beautiful things that John has ever written. Play on brother.
@aoeulhs
When you create something really good the envious will attack pretty hard.
@catiec3020
Every time I hear this song all of the stress and tension just goes right out of me. What a beautiful rendition.
@njujuznem6554
Beautiful song
@tyceyoder3532
oh yeah... song of all time...
@The1stValhallan
one my all time favourite mountain goats songs!
@Uberwenis
I've always loved this song
@waltcoact1983
Glad to her this.
@reevegarrett8412
Does anyone else think this would be awesome with a full band arrangement, or at least with Matt doing something similar to the backing instrumentation on the album?