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.
Third Snow Song
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
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Down to the broadway bridge
Two and a half blocks
When you scrape the ice away
You can read the bridge dedication
I can feel the cold air coming in through my teeth
I saw the bridge
I saw the water underneath
That's a whole lotta water
I took out the key that i'd forgotten the function of
Twisted it from the keyring as the bridge loomed above
I hammered it against the ice
I hammered it against the ice
The lyrics of The Mountain Goats's song Third Snow Song offer an insight into the singer's experience during a short walk in January. The song begins with the singer's description of their environment, highlighting their physical surroundings. They took a "short walk" down to the Broadway bridge, and as they walked, they observed the snow and ice that covered the ground. When they finally arrived at the bridge, they were able to clear some of the ice away and read the bridge dedication. The bridge itself, with the water running underneath, serves as a metaphor for the vastness of the world.
The second half of the song turns more introspective as the singer takes out a key they had forgotten the function of. The key may signify a lost opportunity, a relationship, or something else that is now inaccessible to the singer. However, the singer doesn't sit in wonder about what the key may unlock. Instead, they take the key and hammer it against the ice on the bridge. This action may symbolize the singer's frustration at their inability to reclaim what they have lost. Overall, the song presents a sense of longing and unease with one's place in the wider world, while also suggesting that a sense of purpose or closure can still be carved out through one's actions.
Line by Line Meaning
In january i took a short walk
I went for a walk in the month of January, not too far from where I live.
Down to the broadway bridge
Specifically, I walked until I reached a bridge on Broadway Street.
Two and a half blocks
The distance I walked can be measured as two and a half blocks.
When you scrape the ice away
If you scrape away the ice on the bridge, a message will appear.
You can read the bridge dedication
The message is actually a dedication for the bridge.
I can feel the cold air coming in through my teeth
It was so cold outside that I could feel the air coming in through my teeth.
I saw the bridge
I looked at the bridge carefully.
I saw the water underneath
Below the bridge, there was a vast amount of water.
That's a whole lotta water
The volume of water underneath the bridge was massive.
I took out the key that i'd forgotten the function of
I found a key that I had forgotten the use of.
Twisted it from the keyring as the bridge loomed above
As I was standing under the bridge, I twisted the key off the keyring.
I hammered it against the ice
I started hitting the key against the ice.
I hammered it against the ice
I kept on hitting the key against the ice.
Contributed by Alex N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.