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.
Southwood Plantation Road
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got whatever's left of me to get.
Our conversations are like minefields,
No one's found a safe way through one yet.
I spend a lot of money,
I buy you white gold.
We raise up a little roof,
Against the cold
Where at night the stars blow like milk across the sky.
Where the high wires drop,
Where the fat crows fly.
All night long you giggle and scream,
Your brown eyes deeper than a dream.
I am not going to lose you,
We are going to stay married.
In this house like a Louisiana graveyard,
Where nothing stays buried.
On Southwood Plantation Road,
Where the dead will walk again.
Put on their Sunday best,
Mingle with unsuspecting Christian men.
La la la la la
The Mountain Goats's "Southwood Plantation Road" is a song about a tumultuous and emotionally charged relationship. The singer acknowledges that he has given all of himself to his partner, only for her to take whatever is left. The couple's conversations are compared to minefields, reflecting the perilous nature of their communication. Though the singer spends a lot of money on his partner and they try to create a comfortable home for themselves, the relationship remains fraught with tension.
Despite this, the singer is determined to hold onto his partner and make their marriage work. The lyrics reference the Louisiana graveyard where nothing stays buried, suggesting that the couple's issues and conflicts are likely to resurface. However, the singer is confident that they can weather any storm together. The imagery of the stars blowing like milk across the sky and the high wires dropping add a sense of unease to the song, emphasizing the precariousness of the relationship.
Overall, "Southwood Plantation Road" is a haunting and poignant exploration of the challenges of maintaining a relationship in the face of adversity. The lyrics are full of vivid, evocative imagery that capture the intensity of the emotions at play.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got you,
I have you as my partner, and I am committed to you.
You've got whatever's left of me to get.
I am willing to give you everything that I have left to offer in this relationship.
Our conversations are like minefields,
Our discussions are difficult to navigate since they are loaded with potential emotional explosions.
No one's found a safe way through one yet.
Nobody has been able to find a way to talk to us and avoid any issues or arguments.
I spend a lot of money,
I am willing to invest a significant amount of money into our relationship.
I buy you white gold.
As a symbol of our love, I buy you costly and valuable items like white gold jewelry.
We raise up a little roof, Against the cold
We try to protect ourselves and our relationship from damage and harm by building a metaphorical roof.
On Southwood Plantation Road, Where at night the stars blow like milk across the sky.
We live in a rural location where the night sky is clear and the stars shine brightly.
Where the high wires drop, Where the fat crows fly.
In this place, there are power lines overhead, and large crows roam around freely.
All night long you giggle and scream, Your brown eyes deeper than a dream.
Your uninhibited laughter and playful nature make my world feel magical and surreal.
I am not going to lose you, We are going to stay married.
I am tremendously committed to you, and I am not willing to leave this relationship or marriage.
In this house like a Louisiana graveyard, Where nothing stays buried.
Our home, like a cemetery in Louisiana, is a place where nothing is ever forgotten or buried for long.
On Southwood Plantation Road, Where the dead will walk again.
The supernatural elements of this location could potentially allow the deceased to come back to life.
Put on their Sunday best, Mingle with unsuspecting Christian men.
The resurrected dead, perhaps dressed in their finest clothing, could attend religious services and mingle with the living.
La la la la la
The song concludes with nonsensical, repetitive singing.
Contributed by Riley K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.