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.
Standard Bitter Love Song #7
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you've got it down to a science, that innocent look
you've got it practiced real good
but i know you'd kill me if you could stand the sight of blood
if i'd been a fly on the wall a little earlier
if i'd been one of the innumerable flies in this room
if i'd been a fly on the wall a little earlier
you try to speak but the buzzing's too loud
and it's hard to make you loud through the dense black cloud
that surrounds us both, that's just as well
you call them up, let the whole house go to hell
if i'd been one of these flies
i would've lodged myself firmly underneath your eyelid
if i'd been one of these flies a little earlier
it would've been real different around here
The lyrics of "Standard Bitter Love Song #7" by The Mountain Goats depict a complicated and somewhat disturbing relationship between two people. The singer describes the other person as having a practiced innocence, but also a willingness to kill him if she could stand the sight of blood. The singer then reflects on how different things could have been if he had been a fly on the wall earlier, implying that there is something hidden or mysterious about their relationship that he has not yet fully understood.
The second half of the song introduces a buzzing sound that becomes a metaphor for the tension and confusion between the two people. The singer imagines himself as one of the flies in the room, unable to fully understand or communicate with the woman. He suggests that he would have lodged himself under her eyelid, perhaps desperate for some kind of connection or understanding. The song ends with the implication that something dark and unspoken is happening between these two characters.
Overall, the lyrics of "Standard Bitter Love Song #7" are evocative and haunting, painting a picture of a relationship that is both alluring and dangerous. The use of flies as a metaphor adds a layer of tension and unease to the song, suggesting that there is something unsavory or contaminated about the connection between these two people.
Line by Line Meaning
you smile at me in total defiance of all decency
You express a grin that disregards moral norms in my direction
you've got it down to a science, that innocent look
You've perfected the art of appearing unassuming
you've got it practiced real good
You've rehearsed it with great skill
but i know you'd kill me if you could stand the sight of blood
I'm aware that if blood didn't frighten you, you would take my life
if i'd been a fly on the wall a little earlier
If I were present but unnoticed in this space earlier
if i'd been one of the innumerable flies in this room
If I existed in this room as one of the countless flies
it would've been real different around here
The circumstances would have been notably dissimilar
you try to speak but the buzzing's too loud
You endeavor to speak but the humming is excessive
and it's hard to make you loud through the dense black cloud
It's challenging to hear your voice amidst the thick darkness
that surrounds us both, that's just as well
The obscurity envelops us both, but that's not entirely problematic
you call them up, let the whole house go to hell
You prompt someone by phone, willing to let the entire residence go into a state of ruin
if i'd been one of these flies
If I were a fly in this vicinity
i would've lodged myself firmly underneath your eyelid
I would have positioned myself securely beneath your eyelid
if i'd been one of these flies a little earlier
If I existed as a fly in this territory previously
it would've been real different around here
The situation would have been significantly distinct
Contributed by Keira I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.