No but seriously guys this is basically tied with “Source Decay”, “There Will be No Divorce”, “Going to Georgia”, “Golden Boy”, and yes alright “This Year” for “Donald’s vote for best mountain goats song ever”

dailymountaingoats:

The Mountain Goats: The Fall of the Star High School Running Back

Album: All Hail West Texas (2002)

Sophomore year
You rushed for an average 
Of eight-and-a-third yards per carry
All eyes were on you

Junior year
You blew your knee out
At an out-of-town game
Nowhere to go but 
Down, down, down
Nothing but the ground left
For you to fall to

By July
You’d made a whole bunch of new friends
People you used to look down on
And you’d figured out
A way to make real money
Giving ends to your friends 
And it felt stupendous
Chrome spokes on your Japanese bike
But selling acid was a bad idea
And selling it to a cop was a worse one
And a new law said that 
17-year-olds could do federal time
You were the first one 
So I sing this song for you
William Standaforth Donahue
Your grandfather rode the boat 
Over from Ireland, but
You made a bad decision or two.

Yeah!

This is the song I usually point to when I want to give a simple, straightforward example of why John Darnielle is one of the best writers and storytellers alive in any medium of artistic expression.

DAISIES ON THE HILLSIDES

LIKE CANCER ON THE SKIN

PRETTY LITTLE YELLOW EYES THAT FLUTTER IN THE WIND

I’D BE GRATEFUL THAT MY CHILDREN AREN’T HERE TO SEE THIS

IF YOU’D EVER SEEN FIT TO GIVE ME CHILDREN

IF ANYBODY COMES TO SEE ME

TELL THEM THEY JUST MISSED ME BY A MINUTE

IF ANYBODY COMES INTO OUR ROOM WHILE WE’RE ASLEEP

I HOPE THEY INCINERATE

EVERYBODY IN IT

AND MY DEFENSES MAY BE WORKING WITH A SKELETON CREW

BUT I’LL BE SKINNED ALIVE BEFORE I’LL TAKE THIS FROM YOU

Trying to cool down.

I am the killer, dressed in pilgrim’s clothing,

I’m the hard to find stations on the AM band,

I’m the white sky high over tripoli,

I am a land mine hidden in the sand.