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Three for Mike G

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Released: 2008
Label: None, online release

Release notes

In December 2008, John's friend Mike was attacked, resulting in the potential loss of his eye. John posted to the forums asking for some donations to help pay Mike's medical bills, and released these three songs as a thank you for the community's support. 1 2 If you can, donate to Farm Sanctuary or Ice Hockey in Harlem as John requests before obtaining these songs.

As John states, all three of these songs likely predate Sweden, dating them to at least 1995.

Table of contents

  1. Hye Kye
  2. Extreme South #1
  3. Brandy Let's Go

Hye Kye 3

In December in California, the air was hot
And I carried the Christmas tree down Indian Hill 4
To the Gemco parking lot 5
What did I see
What spectacle confronted me
Ten thousand Christmas trees 6

And the people standing around, and the smiles on their faces
And the boards in the shapes of Xs
Hammered into the Christmas trees' bases
I took in the smell
I looked around
And among ten thousand Christmas trees
I laid down

Extreme South #1

In the little house
On the beach
Underneath
The dwarf peach tree
I've got
Coca-Cola
On my tongue
Yeah, sweet taste in my mouth
Borne down
Past Venezuela
Extreme south

South American red-capped woodpecker 7
In the high trees drumming
In the wet sand
I see you coming
Comfort burning
In your eyes
Yeah, sweet taste in my mouth
Borne down
Around the Horn 8
Extreme south

Brandy Let's Go

You say I'd forgotten what being young's all about
How could you say that to me
You say I don't know how to have fun anymore Well, that just may be
But it may be otherwise
Try me
And if it isn't so
I got a handgun
And a bottle of brandy
Let's go

You try and trace Taurus 9 in the sky for me
But I know you don't know what you're doing
But when I turn my face toward the cold, clean sidewalk
I can see the world glowing
You say I've forgotten what love's all about
You say I don't know how to shake the cobwebs out
I look into your eyes
And I see the fury grow
I got a handgun
And a bottle of brandy
Let's go

Footnotes

  1. Original post to the forums:

    Hi you guys. My friend Mike (you tMG people may know him from the "color in your cheeks" iowa city trance remix) was at an ATM in Fort Dodge when some guys demanded his wallet. Had Mike asked them for a lifeline and called me, I'd have told him to give them his wallet, but he didn't, and he got stomped real bad and has a detached retina and a broken hand. If he can't get surgery, he's going to lose the use of his right eye. He's also off work until the hand heals.

    His friend and co-blogger Jeromy has a post about it here:

    iowaliberal.com

    Anybody who wants to give me a Christmas present, please help out my friend, that would be the best present I could get. Just to personally testify: I don't make a lot of friends. I have a hard time feeling comfortable around people. I met Mike when I was working in Ames and it was one of those "God, I thought I was never going to meet anybody I could get along with again" situations for me. Anybody who can relate to what I'm talking about will know how I feel when my friend could lose his eye.

    Crossposting this at the band board - I'm abroad now but obviously there'll be some kind of small token "thanks guys" if my people come across, probably in the form of some old song.

    FYI yes I will still end up putting up the "give to Farm Sanctuary this Xmas" post, I can't help myself OK.

    Thanks everybody.

    Mountain Goats forums. if anybody can help out my friend, that would be awesome. December 16, 2008, 2:23 PM. Retrieved December 6, 2013. ↩

  2. After many other posts from forum denizens posting condolences and donations, this was followed up with a thank you and a link to this page:

    Three for Mike G

    Given in gratitude for those who helped out my friend in his time of need; extend to all others freely with the gentle urging that in response to having received freely, they give in like manner - original thread here, but there is no shortage of need in the world - think also of throwing five bucks at some awesome animals or some truly kick-ass people doing truly kick-ass things for young men and women. Go look at those links while the files are downloading! Paypal somebody a fin! You'll never miss the five bucks and it will totally make your day! OK done talking now, go listen to ridiculously old (probably pre-Sweden) songs and laugh at the ultra-nasality! Kiss baby Mithras as you pass his manger! all love all day long for all time

    JD

    themountaingoats.net. Three for Mike G. Retrieved December 6, 2013.

    (Mithras refers to a Persian deity or the deity at the core of the Mithraic Roman mystery religion.) ↩

  3. I have been unable to decipher this phrase. If you know what Hye Kye means, please email me. ↩

  4. Indian Hill also appears in From TG&Y. Given this and the appearance of a Gemco store, my best guess is that this refers to Indian Hill Boulevard, a major road through Pomona and Claremont, Southern California. ↩

  5. Gemco was a chain of department stores primarily based in Southern California until closing in the mid-1980s. ↩

  6. My best guess is that this refers to the common American sight of Christmas tree lots in parking lots during November and December. ↩

  7. Melanerpes rubricapillus, also known as the red-crowned woodpecker, is a woodpecker native to Central and South America. ↩

  8. Cape Horn is the southernmost point of Tierra del Fuego. It is the southernmost major sailing obstacle for traversing South America. ↩

  9. Taurus is one of the twelve Zodiac constellations. ↩