Under a cloak of … Read Full Bio ↴The Mountain Goats & Kaki King is the correct tag.
Under a cloak of great secrecy Kaki King and John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats snuck into Baucom Road studios in western North Carolina in August 2008 and recorded the six-song Black Pear Tree EP together with Scott Solter producing. The record is currently at the pressing plant and is touted to be released on tour. Darnielle will go on tour in october with Kaki King, whom he describes as "one of the most gifted artists alive."
On September 5th, 2008 the mp3 "Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is in Another Castle" was released on Pitchfork Media.
Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle
the Mountain Goats and Kaki King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The room was dark and it smelled like sulfur.
I heard the screams from way down in the darkness;
felt pretty sure my life was over.
I kept my hat on just for luck,
sang simple tunes the whole night through.
I wondered if I'd wake to find myself in flames
as I waited here for you.
Yeah, when you came
in
I could breathe again.
I saw some guys dressed up like sorcerers;
blue robes that float above the ground.
They came and went and I was frightened for my life.
I tried not to make a sound.
Just when my solitude was closing in
I heard a howl like screeching tires,
and I told you the one thing I know how to say
through the bright ringing drone of 8-bit choirs.
Yeah, when you came
in
I could breathe again.
The song "Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle" is a collaboration between the Mountain Goats and Kaki King. The lyrics detail a character waiting in a dark and sulfur-smelling room, feeling sure that their life is over as they hear screams from the darkness. The character wears a hat for luck and sings simple tunes while they wait, wondering if they'll wake up in flames. They see some sorcerers dressed in blue robes that float above the ground and become frightened for their life. Just as their solitude is closing in, they hear a howl and tell someone that they're grateful for their arrival.
The lyrics of the song seem to refer to the classic video game Super Mario Bros. The character waiting in the dark and sulfur-smelling room may represent Mario, who has to navigate through treacherous levels and face dangerous enemies like Bowser to save Princess Toadstool. The reference to 8-bit choirs could also be a nod to the 8-bit sound of the original game's music. At its core, the song seems to be about the relief and joy that come from finding someone who can help you through a difficult situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I waited here all by myself.
The singer was alone in a dark room that smelled like sulfur.
The room was dark and it smelled like sulfur.
The room the singer was in was both dark and had a strong odor of sulfur.
I heard the screams from way down in the darkness;
felt pretty sure my life was over.
From deep in the darkness, the singer heard terrifying screams and thought they were going to die.
I kept my hat on just for luck,
sang simple tunes the whole night through.
The artist kept their hat on for good luck and passed the time by singing easy songs throughout the night.
I wondered if I'd wake to find myself in flames
as I waited here for you.
While waiting for their companion, the artist couldn't help but worry that they might catch on fire without even realizing it.
Yeah, when you came
in
I could breathe again.
The singer felt immediate relief and comfort when their companion finally arrived.
I saw some guys dressed up like sorcerers;
blue robes that float above the ground.
The singer spotted people dressed as wizards, wearing floating blue robes.
They came and went and I was frightened for my life.
I tried not to make a sound.
The artist was scared and didn't want to alert the passing wizards of their presence, so they kept quiet.
Just when my solitude was closing in
I heard a howl like screeching tires,
and I told you the one thing I know how to say
through the bright ringing drone of 8-bit choirs.
As the artist was growing increasingly lonely and afraid, they heard a loud howl and exclaimed the only thing they knew in the midst of a loud, beeping accompaniment.
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@weeniedog44
I waited here all by myself
The room was dark and it smelled like sulfur
I heard the screams from way down in the darkness
Felt pretty sure my life was over
I kept my hat on just for luck
Sang simple tunes the whole night through
I wondered if I'd wake to find myself in flames
As I waited here for you
Yeah when you came in
I could breathe again
I saw some guys dressed up like sorcerers
Blue robes that flowed above the ground
They came and went and I was frightened for my life
I tried not to make a sound
Just when my solitude was closing in
I heard a howl like screeching tires
And I told you the one thing I know how to say
Through the bright ringing drone of 8-bit choirs
Yeah when you came in
I could breathe again
@2dtesseract
this is what i think makes a Mountain Goats song special: these tender moments in forgotten figures on the edges of your vision who deserve a song celebrating them, the ones you thought are vestigial but were actually important all along. as my drama teacher said: "there is no such thing as a small role
"
@duartelopes5223
"Anyways, this is my rendition of Background Tree #5"
@rabo9
this song is amazing on so many levels. "it sounds great" and "its about Super Mario" being the most important ones
@largeproblem
i love that this isn’t inherently a love song; like, yeah, Toad could just be super gay, but it could also be read as valuing a friend because of the comfort & reassurance they give you, or how the people you may not expect will be there for you when you’ve hit a low point
@zacharyboyce1818
i feel that way as well
i strive to be that person for my friends
@jakc6247
Gross
@ansic9974
the way he enunciates every syllable of 'sorcerers' is fantastic.
@weeniedog44
I waited here all by myself
The room was dark and it smelled like sulfur
I heard the screams from way down in the darkness
Felt pretty sure my life was over
I kept my hat on just for luck
Sang simple tunes the whole night through
I wondered if I'd wake to find myself in flames
As I waited here for you
Yeah when you came in
I could breathe again
I saw some guys dressed up like sorcerers
Blue robes that flowed above the ground
They came and went and I was frightened for my life
I tried not to make a sound
Just when my solitude was closing in
I heard a howl like screeching tires
And I told you the one thing I know how to say
Through the bright ringing drone of 8-bit choirs
Yeah when you came in
I could breathe again
@ScribeAwoken
last year I went to a fighting game tournament, realized I forgot the printer cable I use for my controller, then spent God knows how long wandering around town in sub-zero temperatures trying to find a store that sold the right kind of cable. By the time I got back to the venue, I could barely move my fingers and had to spend 5 minutes sitting in front of a space heater to warm them back up
I was listening to this on a loop the whole time. My hands start to hurt a bit whenever I come back to it.
@dfiction
damn