Sicilian Crest
The Mountain Goats * Track #12 On In League with Dragons
Download "Sicilian Crest"
Album In League with Dragons
- #1Done Bleeding
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- #2Younger
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- #3Passaic 1975
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- #4Clemency for the Wizard King
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- #5Possum by Night
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- #6In League with Dragons
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- #7Doc Gooden
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- #8Going Invisible 2
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- #9Waylon Jennings Live!
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- #10Cadaver Sniffing Dog
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- #11An Antidote for Strychnine
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- #12Sicilian Crest
The Mountain Goats
Sicilian Crest by The Mountain Goats
Release Date
Performed by
The Mountain GoatsProduced by
Owen PallettWrited by
John DarnielleAbout
“Sicilian Crest” is the final track on In League with Dragons. Musically, the song lends elements from 1990s synth-pop – John Darnielle calling it a Spandau Ballet pastishe and comparing it to New Order and the Alarm – while also incorporating piano and a prominent rhythm section by long-time tMG me...
Sicilian Crest Lyrics
[Verse 1]
In these times of wanting prophesy
And false witnesses up to all manner of deviltry
Drench a kitchen rag in heretic's blood
Wash your windows and prepare for the flood
[Chorus]
Look to the West
Look to the man bearing the Sicilian crest
[Verse 2]
Portents in the sky say that the time is near
Dial into the signal, coming in loud and clear
Sacrificial victims out of the cage
Smiling as they're taking the stage
[Chorus]
Look to the West
Look to the man bearing the Sicilian crest
[Bridge]
Out of the blue, everything's new
All the talk we heard was true
The legends we all heard once
The whispers from the storefronts
[Verse 3]
Hope for the best
Prepare for the worst
We wait like stock-piled landmines, ready to burst
Wait all your life to see what you see
Open up your eyes and be free
[Chorus]
Look to the West
Look to the man bearing the Sicilian crest
Sicilian Crest Q&A
Who wrote Sicilian Crest's ?
Sicilian Crest was written by John Darnielle.
Who produced Sicilian Crest's ?
Sicilian Crest was produced by Owen Pallett.
When did The Mountain Goats release Sicilian Crest?
The Mountain Goats released Sicilian Crest on Thu Apr 11 2019.
Is there a particular style this song was written in?
As John Darnielle talks about in season 2, episode 2 of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats: the lyrics speak in a prophetic way, almost as a parody. This grandiosity is generally not that interesting to John anymore, given the current political sphere.
[…] but at the same time, occasionally it’s f...
Where does the song's title come from?
John tweeted that the song began life as a title, which he had written in a notebook that says “Rodeo Queen” on the cover. He elaborates a bit on season 2, episode 2 of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats:
I don’t know where I got the title “Sicilian Crest” from. I like the word “Sicilian”. I’d nev...
How was the recording of the vocals for the song?
On season 2, episode 2 of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats, John Darnielle explains that after many attempts at recording the vocals, they couldn’t get a satisfying take. The next day, he took the advice of the album’s producer, Owen Pallett, and focused only on the technique of the song, instead...
Who is the man bearing the Sicilian crest?
Nothing concrete is known about the man, other than that he bears the flag of Sicily. The reason his crest is Sicilian is simply that that’s what John Darnielle had written in his notebook – i.e., the island of Sicily and its flag bear no deeper significance to the meaning of the song.
On an episod...