Mr. November

No, this is not about the president, not about the american revolutionary war, not about baseball. He was a highschool quarterback. November is playoff season for football. He was carried in the arms of cheerleaders. He was a hero. This character has peaked way too early. He's had his big accomplishment already, so now he sleeps late, thinking he doesn't really need to put in the effort. but now he is in dire straits, and he almost wishes he could give up (wish that I believed in fate). "The English are waiting" could be a reference to the Beggars Banquet label pressure, that's a very good observation, but I think it could be a more general or metaphorical reference. But anyway, he's so desperate not to fail, but he's having a hard time convincing himself he has a chance, and when he says "I'm Mr. November", he's not telling us, he's telling himself, trying to convince himself that he's not completely fucked.
I want to hear what people think about the line "in my best clothes". I think it could mean the pressure is business-related, like he's meeting with a potential client or something. "nothing like it was in my room" I'm not sure about, but it doesn't seem to be that weighty of a line.
This song is so interesting because I would normally have no sympathy for some jock high school quarterback, I would almost want to see him fail, but the way he sings "I won't fuck us over", so desperate and serious, it's really affecting, emotionally. We're seeing someone trying to allay immense anxiety.

"I won't fuck us over, I'm Mr. November I'm Mr. November, I won't fuck us over"

it's awesome singing that really loud in the car.

I think it's called Mr November because he was in that nude calendar where he posed as "Mr November", he was being carried by cheerleaders, so I guess that's the meaning of that lyric. Glad I could help guys!

source: vice.com/read/the-national-helped-elect-obama-but-dont-call-them-a-political-band

Matt Berninger: "We don't think of ourselves as a political band. If you read into the lyrics of any of our supposedly political songs, they aren't partisan messages. They aren't protests. We made t-shirts for Obama that said “Mr. November,” but that song was actually written about John Kerry and how uncomfortable it must be to run for president. It must be so stressful and annoying to constantly play that role."

when he said "gator" in the line "I wanna go gator around the warm beds of beginners" he was using it as a synonym for explore or going crazy sort of. so maybe the title of the album is alligator as a metaphor for an exploration or an explorer of some sort. or possibly someone who is going crazy. ahh I don't know.

He used to be admired by others back in high school - a football star likely, a "great white hope" carried in the arms of cheerleaders, with blue blood - a real 'Merican boy. Now he's a nobody, a loser. He dreams, sleeps too late, and is terrified of the world. But he has something to do. Something that other people are counting on him for. Trying to convince himself he can do it, He sais he won't fuck it up because he's "Mr. November," godamnit, and don't you forget it... But really he's gunna fuck it up because he's a loser now.

actually, this song has nothing to do with the president. it's about being under pressure while recording this album. reggie jackson was known as "mr. october" because he always saved his best for last, aka at the end of the season, so "mr. november" is his way of saying he's saving his best effort for last. i think i read that this song was actually the last one written for this record. the line "the english are waiting and i don't know what to do" is in reference to their label, beggar's banquet, which is a uk based label.

song is so highschool rock.

i dig the recording pressures explaination. but, one thing: what the hell does an alligator have to do with all of this?

Its a great song about pressure. The chorus just gets you amped to do better in life.