You or Your Memory
The Mountain Goats Lyrics


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Got my paintbox out last night
Stayed up late and wrecked this place
Woke up on the floor again
Cellphone stuck to the side of my face

Dead space on the other end
Perfect howl of emptiness
Cast my gaze around the room
Someone needs to clean up this mess

Tape up the windows
Call in a favor from an old friend

Make some scratches on my floor
Crawl down on my hands and knees
In old movies people scream
Choking on their fists when they see shadows like these
But not one screams cuz it's just me
Locked up in myself
Never gonna get free

Something sacred something blue
Cannons in the harbor dawn
Crawled down here to dig for bones
One more season then I'm gone





Black drapes over the crosses
Call in a favor from an old friend

Overall Meaning

In "You or Your Memory," John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats is reflecting on the aftermath of a destructive binge. He begins with a visual of a paintbox, which could represent his emotions or his creative outlet. He paints a picture of staying up late and ruining things, eventually passing out on the floor with his cellphone stuck to his face. The phone’s “dead space” mirrors the emptiness he feels inside. As he surveys the damage the next morning, he realizes that he needs help to clean up this mess.


Darnielle then moves into a series of actions that seem to signify his attempt at coping. The song mentions taping windows, making scratches on the floor, and crawling around on all fours, as if looking for something. He references old movies where people scream at shadows, alluding to the idea that he might be afraid of something that isn’t actually dangerous. He seems to feel trapped within himself, not sure if he’ll ever be able to find a way out.


Overall, “You or Your Memory” is a powerful look at addiction and the destruction it can cause. Darnielle’s lyrics are raw and visceral, as he explores the aftermath of a destructive binge. Through his words, we can see the pain and loneliness that often go hand in hand with addiction.


Line by Line Meaning

Got my paintbox out last night
I started painting last night


Stayed up late and wrecked this place
I stayed up late and made a mess of this room


Woke up on the floor again
I woke up on the floor after passing out


Cellphone stuck to the side of my face
I fell asleep with my phone glued to my face


Dead space on the other end
The other end of the phone was silent


Perfect howl of emptiness
The silence felt like a painful emptiness


Cast my gaze around the room
I looked around the messy room


Someone needs to clean up this mess
This mess needs to be cleaned up by someone


Tape up the windows
I covered the windows


Call in a favor from an old friend
I asked an old friend for help


Make some scratches on my floor
I made scratches on my floor


Crawl down on my hands and knees
I got down on my hands and knees


In old movies people scream
People in old movies scream


Choking on their fists when they see shadows like these
They scream and choke when they see shadows like the ones I'm seeing


But not one screams cuz it's just me
I'm not screaming, because no one else is here


Locked up in myself
I'm trapped within myself


Never gonna get free
I don't think I'll ever be free


Something sacred something blue
There's something sacred and blue


Cannons in the harbor dawn
I heard cannons in the harbor


Crawled down here to dig for bones
I crawled down here to search for something valuable


One more season then I'm gone
I'll be leaving after one more season


Black drapes over the crosses
There are black drapes over the crosses




Contributed by Elena T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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All comments from YouTube:

GRANDIOSE _

this song used to make me snicker. but now it brings a tear to my eye.

Pele Siren

The mountain goats are the perfect soundtrack to my suicide or falling in love. I find my life in their songs so often it rattles my soul. There's a strange loop where by we cross the bridge of compassion to find ourselves dancing on the lips of a singer like angels on a pinhead. The path is littered with the fallen bodies of narcissists and pretenders...

Holly

Wow...very throught-provoking insight. Thanks for giving me something to think about.

Pretty Bad At Everything

I finally got tickets. And if I do make it there, to that room full of those people, knowing these things? I..

Polly

I hear you friend

Roaa Alalwany

awesome. why are they so under-appreciated?

KnarfKcaz

Love this album!

Skates 35

Am I the only one that thinks the tree on the cover of The Sunset Tree kind of looks like a heart?

Jacob Morris

You're not anymore. I can't unsee it now

piemanpie2424

Skates 35 yeah, no, now that you mention it? Totally a heart.

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