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.
The Black Ice Cream Song
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i knew i was living in a long, long dream
when you fed me the black ice cream
and the heat rose up (2x)
i heard the loud loud buzzing of our son's go-kart
and the ice cream was blacker than the devil's heart
it was august the 19th, 1957
The lyrics of The Black Ice Cream Song by The Mountain Goats are filled with metaphors and symbolism that are open to interpretation. The song tells a story of a dream-like state, where the singer is living in a long, long dream. The heat comes down and the heat rises up, creating a sense of discomfort, while a loud buzzing sound can be heard. The ice cream that is fed to him is blacker than the devil's heart, which adds a dark and ominous feeling to the lyrics. This dream-state could be interpreted as a metaphor for being stuck in a difficult situation in life.
The date that is mentioned in the song, August 19th, 1957, is also significant. It is the same date that a young Elvis Presley's mother, Gladys, passed away, which adds to the overall sense of mourning and sadness in the song. The line "fixed my eyes on you, fixed my eyes on you" could symbolize the singer's fixation on this difficult situation or person, who may be causing him pain.
Overall, the song is open to interpretation and the meanings of the lyrics can vary depending on the listener's perspective. It is a beautiful and haunting song that showcases The Mountain Goat's poetic and musical talents.
Line by Line Meaning
and the heat came down
The oppressive heat brought a sense of unreality to my surroundings.
i knew i was living in a long, long dream
The surreal atmosphere made me feel like I was trapped in a never-ending dream.
when you fed me the black ice cream
Consuming the dark ice cream was a turning point that made me realize the dreamlike quality of my experience.
and the heat rose up
The heat intensified, making my surreal experience even more intense.
i heard the loud loud buzzing of our son's go-kart
The sound of the go-kart served as a jarring, strange background noise to my unusual experience.
and the ice cream was blacker than the devil's heart
The ice cream was an unnatural, unsettling black color that added to the otherworldliness of the situation.
it was august the 19th, 1957
The date serves as an anchor in time, highlighting the specificity and uniqueness of this experience.
i fixed my eyes on you, fixed my eyes on you
In the middle of the surreal experience, the artist finds comfort and stability in focusing on their companion and their shared experience.
Contributed by Hudson E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.