The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by… Read Full Bio ↴The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite the plural moniker. The Mountain Goats are, for all practical purposes, the endlessly clever and prolific John Darnielle and whatever musicians he surrounds himself with, which means that while the soundscape may change from project to project, the overall tone and feel of Darnielle's work remains remarkably consistent. At his best, he writes finely observed, slightly surreal, impressionistic vignettes that manage to mix life as we live it with life as we wish we could live it, and as such he has more in common with a novelist than he does with the typical singer/songwriter, which is fitting, as he's also a published author. Darnielle's early Mountain Goats releases were lo-fi, cassette-recorded efforts cut with a rotating lineup of musicians, such as 1995's Nine Black Poppies and 2000's The Coroner's Gambit. By 2005's The Sunset Tree, his recordings had become cleaner and less cluttered, but his characters studies were just as vivid, and as the Mountain Goats finally cohered into a stable lineup (with Darnielle joined by Peter Hughes, Matt Douglas, and Jon Wurster), they recorded tuneful, thematically unified albums such as Beat the Champ (2015) and Goths (2017) that ranked with their finest work.
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.

Young Caesar 2000
The Mountain Goats Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

when I was twelve years old, they put me on the throne
when I was twelve years old, they made me king
from the ocean south of here to the northern hemisphere, they gave me everything
now i'm thirteen, and no one takes me seriously
now i'm thirteen, and they're trying to take away control
I don't know how stupid you all think I am
but as sure as flowers grow along the western wall, some heads are going to roll
yeah

Overall Meaning

In the song Young Caesar 2000 by The Mountain Goats, John Darnielle takes on the persona of a young ruler who was crowned at the age of twelve. Initially, his rule was supported and he was given everything from the south of the ocean to the northern hemisphere. However, as he turns thirteen, he realizes that no one is taking him seriously and they are trying to take away his control. The young Caesar is frustrated and feels like people are underestimating him. He knows that heads are going to roll and he is willing to fight for his power.

This song could be interpreted in different ways, but one possible approach is to think about how people's perceptions of us can change as we grow up. It's common for children to be underestimated and not taken seriously, but it's also true that sometimes young people have insights and ideas that adults could benefit from listening to. The contrast between being given everything at twelve and losing control at thirteen could reflect how fickle power can be, and how quickly people's allegiances can shift.

Overall, Young Caesar 2000 is a powerful and introspective song that taps into the frustrations and uncertainties of adolescence. The lyrics are vivid and poetic, and the melody is haunting and memorable. It's a song that rewards repeated listening and invites reflection on themes that are both personal and universal.

Line by Line Meaning

when I was twelve years old, they put me on the throne
At the young age of twelve, I was placed in a position of power and authority.

from the ocean south of here to the northern hemisphere, they gave me everything
I was given complete dominion over a vast territory that spanned from the southern ocean to the entire northern hemisphere.

now i'm thirteen, and no one takes me seriously
Despite being a year older, I am not taken seriously and my authority is being undermined.

now i'm thirteen, and they're trying to take away control
At the young age of thirteen, those around me are attempting to strip me of the power that I was given not long ago.

I don't know how stupid you all think I am
I am aware that others perceive me as foolish or naive due to my youth, but I am not unintelligent.

but as sure as flowers grow along the western wall, some heads are going to roll
Despite the attempts to take away my power, I will not let it happen without a fight and those who oppose me will face the consequences.

Contributed by Lauren F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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