The Stills were an indie rock band which formed in 2000 in Montreal, Quebec… Read Full Bio ↴The Stills were an indie rock band which formed in 2000 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band consisted of Tim Fletcher (vocals, guitar), Greg Paquet (guitar), Liam O'Neil (keyboards), Oliver Corbeil (bass) and Dave Hamelin (drums, vocals, guitar). The band released three albums, "Logic Will Break Your Heart" (2003), "Without Feathers" (2006) and "Oceans Will Rise" (2008), before splitting in 2011.

Paquet left the band in 2005, with drummer Hamelin replacing him as guitarist and Julian Blais replacing Hamelin as drummer. In 2010, Paquet returned to the band and Blais left, reverting the band to their original lineup.

The Mountain
The Stills Lyrics

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We took fifteen steps
But fifteen wrong
Through packs of wolves
And wild dogs

Wait,
We've been told to
Wait,

We've been told to

Our house turns to rust
And power is lost
Your hands are clean
But these diamonds are soft

I said wait,
We've been told to
Wait,
We've been told to
Wait

The hammers were quiet
Nailing me to the wall
I've been hanging here
All nightlong

Wait,
We've been told to
Wait,
We've been told to
Wait

We've been here before
We'll be there again
The blood on my hands, hanging
Over my head

The mountain
Catches fire and melts the snow

Now the river
Carries us home

Overall Meaning

The Stills's song, "The Mountain," is a melancholy tune about the struggles and hardships of life. The first verse paints a picture of a difficult journey through harsh environments, represented by packs of wolves and wild dogs. Despite their efforts, they took fifteen wrong steps, an indication of their mistakes and misfortunes along the way. They are told to wait, a sign that they must stop and reflect on their situation.

In the second verse, the scene changes to their home, which has turned to rust, and power has been lost. The singer's hands are clean, suggesting that they are not responsible for the decay of their abode, yet these diamonds are soft, indicating that even valuable things can be destroyed. The hammer is quiet, nailing the singer to the wall, and they have been hanging all night long. Again, they are told to wait, forced to endure their current agony.

In the bridge, the singer reflects on their past and future, acknowledging that they have been in this position before and will likely be there again. The blood on their hands is hanging over their head, a possible reference to guilt, shame, or fear. The chorus then returns, with the mountain catching fire and melting the snow. The river carries them home, perhaps implying that nature has the power to guide and heal them.

Line by Line Meaning

We took fifteen steps
We ventured a certain distance

But fifteen wrong
But we went in the wrong direction

Through packs of wolves
We encountered groups of vicious predators

And wild dogs
As well as untamed animals

Our house turns to rust
Our dwelling falls apart

And power is lost
We lose our source of strength

Your hands are clean
You appear innocent

But these diamonds are soft
But your riches do not have any real value

The hammers were quiet
The tools used to harm me were silent

Nailing me to the wall
I was cruelly and unfairly trapped

I've been hanging here
I have been suffering for some time