January 27 - Going To Cleveland

Imagine this post starts with about 22 seconds of high pitched noise.

And then into a delightful lyrical john-and-his-guitar number, which fits into one of the Elvis Costello Five Themes for a song. For those who don't know, Elvis Costello once told Esquire magazine:

"There are about five things to write songs about: I’m leaving you. You’re leaving me. I want you. You don’t want me. I believe in something. Five subjects and twelve notes. For all that, we musicians do pretty well.”

In his time, John has managed a fair few more than this, Elvis Costello doesn't give much advice for songs about getting into a fight with your stepdad, but this song is an archetypal "You're leaving me" that becomes an "I'm leaving you".

What strikes me most about is that, appropriately, it's such a young song. This is the story of a relationship not lasting, told by a point of view character not yet in a position to know how few relationships at this age do last, and still free enough that the end of a relationship can be a whirlwind of place and movement and not a painful accommodation of people around people.

This is one of the earliest collaborations (albeit a production and distribution one) between John Darnielle and Peter Hughes, who would go on to be the full time bassist of the Mountain Goats on every album from Tallahassee to Jenny from Thebes.