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If You See Light Lyrics

When the villagers come to my door I will hide underneath the table in the dining room
knees drawn to my chest

When the villagers come to my door I will breathe shallow breaths from high up in my stomach ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Waiting for the front door to splinter, waiting all winter.

When the villagers come to my door I'll be all tucked away with my face to the floor and my eyes closed

And no one knows how to keep secrets 'round here
They tell everyone everything soon as they know
And then where is there left for poor sinners to go?

Waiting for the front door to splinter, waiting all winter.
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Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

the music to this is incredible

Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

To me, this song is about the loneliness of anxiety. Some people with anxiety and panic disorders feel isolated and different from other people and it can be terribly lonely. My impression is that the guy in the song feels bad about some of his decisions and maybe even his thoughts. He feels like if someone found out about him - what he really thinks, the little stupid things he's done - they'll tell everyone else and they'll all turn against him. I could be wrong, but I struggle with anxiety and this song describes how I feel at least 50% of the time.

Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

Conjures up being so scared, knowing I'm going to get caught, just waiting, and trying to enjoy the time that's there but how can you when it's so fucking scary and you know what's coming?

Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

it's definitely not about doctor frankenstein, but it IS about a man who did something horrible, this song is about the paranoia that guilt brings, he is ready and he is waiting for the village to attack him, he expects it even, he's constantly thinking about his sins, and he is waiting for the village to retaliate, even if nobody knows what he did, wich seems to be the case here "waiting all winter" implies that.

Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

I think the narrator is trying to relate to Dr. Frankenstein. One of his secrets has been leaked and he fears that all his friends will lynch him because of it, but they don't even seem to care since he's been in hiding, waiting for a long period of time with no repercussions (waiting all winter). Classic delusion of grandeur story. Really great and beautiful.

Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

i think this song is about dr. frankenstein waiting for the villagers.

Not about that per se, but referencing that for sure.

Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

Drums in this are amazing. Anybody have any idea what it could be about? Im thinking that it could possible be somewhat autobiographical (which is easy to assume because so much of it is) but im not so sure

None of this album is autobiographical. Otherwise that would mean JD wrote it from beyond the grave.

The album is about a fictional character who has just divorced, or possibly murdered, his wife. In this song, JD thinks the villagers are going to come after him and kill him for what he did to his wife so he's hiding from them. But the villagers either don't know or don't care what he did (that's why he's "Waiting all winter") or they got over it. The villagers were gathered at their front porches waving torches in 'New Monster Avenue," but now...

Cover art for If You See Light lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

I think it's about the Allegory of the Cave.

I don't see how this relates to Allegory of the cave at all.

@TrustNo121000 Made me smile; not sure if you were joking, but if so, 10/10.

 
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