The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
“Younger” was the first single to be released from the Mountain Goats' 2019 album In League with Dragons. Narrative wise, it’s built up of snapshots leading up to a raid or siege, tying into the would-be rock opera, River’s End. As John Darnielle writes:
This album began life as a rock opera about...
[Verse 1]
Crank that siren high
Drain the wellspring dry
Map out your coordinates
Send out scouts by day
Dole out mercenary pay
For restless young subordinates
It never hurts to give thanks to the local gods
You never know who might be hungry
It never hurts to scan the windows on the upper floor
I saw a face there once before when I was younger
[Verse 2]
Set the torch aflame
Call the night by name
Stake out your dark position
Lie in wait
By the gleaming city gate
Try not to lose sight of the mission
It never hurts to give thanks to the broken bones
You had to use to build your ladder
[Verse 3]
Moment close at hand
Half of you will never understand
And it doesn't really matter
Big smile on my face
Capsule just in case
Underneath my tongue there
Voices on the breeze
I heard voices once like these when I was younger
[Bridge]
Blood rushing to my face
I know that sweet warm taste
And the bitter trace
[Verse 4]
Storm right down that hill
If I don’t, no one will
Follow me right through the chaos
This whole house is doomed
Even the bit-parts get consumed
Prepare a grave for Menelaus
It never hurts to give thanks to the navigator
Even when he's spitting out random numbers
I knew what those figures meant
And what they hoped to represent
When I was younger
[Outro: Saxophone Solo]
Younger was written by John Darnielle.
Younger was produced by Owen Pallett.
The Mountain Goats released Younger on Mon Jan 28 2019.
As lead single, “Younger” has been received positively. A selection of what’s been written about the song so far:
The album’s lead single “Younger” reads like a shadowy, rollicking mini-epic, and ends on an unexpected, but wholly awesome saxophone outro — the sort of instrumental backing you’d want...