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Tianchi Lake Lyrics

Children by the water banks laughing long and loud
Changbai’s high fine western peaks just beneath the clouds
Currents in the water churning in their course
Body of a sea-lion, head just like a horse

Preacher in the soft brown sand begins to speak his piece
High winds in the treetops low flying winter geese
No one taking pictures everybody still
And then the water sought its course again the way that waters will

No one at the lakeside now, moon up in the sky
Night birds in the dragon spruce, moaning long and high
Backstroking on the surface, moonlight on its face
Floats the Tianchi Monster, staring into space

Out around the temple now narcissus in bloom
Censers packed with sandalwood send smoke into the room
Children in the sand outside on their hands and knees
Sketching pictures all day long of stranger things than these
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Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The
Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

john darnielle and jeffery lewis made a comic explaining each song on the new album, you can look at it here:

http://www.thejeffreylewissite.com/Mt-Goats-Press-Kit-08.html

Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

It's nice to know that after two harrowing songs, John didn't have the monster attack the children or anything. Just chilling in his monsterly way. Just a really pleasant song all around.

Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

"Changbai's high fine western peaks" is some awesome assonance

Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

This is a song about loneliness.

Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

This is a lake between China and N Korea that some say is home to an Asian version of the Loch Ness Momster (hence the lines "body of a sea lion, head just like a horse" and "the Tianchi Monster"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven_Lake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tianchi_Monster

Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

"Changbai's high fine western peaks" is some awesome assonance

Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

Ok so I was just looking at these lyrics, and I hit next on my shuffling itunes library and what do ya know? Tianchi Lake popped up. Weird...

Cover art for Tianchi Lake lyrics by Mountain Goats, The

Preacher in the soft brown sand begins to speak his PEACE

i believe

great song, certainly one of my favs

 
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