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.
Wait for You
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I took the bus to malibu
Found a cafe by the ocean
Watched the sky for signs
And a rainbow in the west
Wrapped its coils around the earth like a serpent
I felt like I was going to suffocate
But I knew this was not the day you would finally come my way
But I waited all the same
Watched the water through the window
And a rainbow in the west
Held its head beneath the waves and grew dimmer
Nothing anyone could do I suppose
The lyrics to The Mountain Goats' "Wait for You" are all about the concept of waiting for someone, and the agony and uncertainty that can come with it. The singer describes waiting for someone special, presumably a romantic interest or love, but they never arrive. In the first verse, the singer takes a bus to Malibu and finds a cafe by the ocean. They watch the sky for signs, hoping to see anything to give them hope that the person they're waiting for will show up.
However, all they see is a rainbow in the west, which wraps around the earth like a serpent. The imagery here is quite powerful, suggesting that the waiting is suffocating and oppressive. The second verse continues in a similar vein, with the rainbow growing dimmer and holding its head beneath the waves. The singer reflects on the futility of waiting, acknowledging that nothing anyone can do will change the fact that the person they're waiting for isn't going to show up.
Overall, the song is a poignant and melancholic reflection on the pain of waiting for someone who may never come. The vivid descriptions of the rainbow and the ocean help to evoke a sense of place and atmosphere, while the sparse instrumentation and plaintive vocals only increase the emotional impact of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
When it came time to wait for you
The singer was waiting for someone and started his journey to Malibu.
I took the bus to malibu
The singer used the bus as a means of transportation to reach Malibu.
Found a cafe by the ocean
The singer arrived at a cafe located near the ocean.
Watched the sky for signs
The artist kept his eyes on the sky while he was waiting for someone.
And a rainbow in the west
The artist noticed a rainbow in the western sky.
Wrapped its coils around the earth like a serpent
The rainbow's appearance was similar to that of a serpent spiraling around the earth.
I felt like I was going to suffocate
The singer's anticipation for the arrival of someone increased his anxiety to the point of suffocation.
But I knew this was not the day you would finally come my way
Despite being anxious and suffocated, the artist was aware that the day he was waiting for had not yet arrived.
But I waited all the same
The artist still chose to wait, hoping that the person he was waiting for would eventually arrive.
Watched the water through the window
The artist continued to pass his time watching the water from the window of the cafe.
And a rainbow in the west
The same rainbow the singer saw previously appeared in the west once again.
Held its head beneath the waves and grew dimmer
The rainbow disappeared from sight as it dipped below the waves of the ocean.
Nothing anyone could do I suppose
The singer accepted that there was nothing he could do but wait for the person he was expecting.
Contributed by Alex N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.