Absolute Lithops Effect

Absolute Lithops Effect
Album	All Hail West Texas
Released	2002
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	3:08
Previous Track	"Source Decay"

Absolute Lithops Effect is the 14th song on the album All Hail West Texas.

Lyrics

After one long season of waiting
After one long season of wanting
I am breaking open
My insides are pink and raw
And it hurts me when I move my jaw
But I am taking tiny steps forward
And I, I feel sure that my wounds will heal
And I, I will bloom here in my room
With a little water
And a little bit of sunlight
And a little bit of tender mercy
Tender
mercy

The big trucks come up the highway
And the big wheels rattle my windows
And night, night comes to Texas
After one blind season alone in here
After one long sweltering summer
I, I'm going to find the exit
And I will go to the house of a friend I know
And I will let myself forget
With a little water
And a little bit of sunlight
And a little bit of tender mercy
Tender
mercy

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "It's about sometimes when you're living in a place all by yourself and you get a kind of a absolute lithops effect. It's called 'Absolute Lithops Effect.'" -- 2013-06-08 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
• "This is a song about sitting alone in a room waiting for something to happen. A subject that's most insufficiently addressed by pop music. You know, because not everybody really is going to find the one they love, but everybody is going to spend some time alone in a room waiting for something to happen." -- 2014-06-20 - Dan's Silverleaf - Denton, TX
• "...I'm of the belief that there are only so many themes for songs, and you can do a number of different -- dressing up of the things that you tend to obsess about, but I think most songwriters have a few things they tend to obsess about. I have recurring images and phrases, right.... But one of mine, uh, which is not surprising to me when I think about it, is, um, is emerging from some place, uh, after a long period of, uh, of waiting to emerge, right, for whatever reason, right, whether, you know -- some, some people in my songs who are emerging, it's because they were too wounded to come out, and some feel like they can't come out. And I don't know if this is the first, uh, occurrence of that, but I noticed it's like a predecessor to In Memory of Satan, which is sort of, uh, I think the more melancholy version of this one, which is called 'Absolute Lithops Effect'." -- 2021-09-16 - Kessler Theater - Dallas, TX

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 2004-08-20 - Durham Music Festival - Durham Armory - Durham, NC
• 2008-10-14 - Pabst Theater - Milwaukee, WI
• 2008-10-31 - The Foundation - Lubbock, TX
• 2009-03-20 - Attucks Theatre - Norfolk, VA
• 2009-03-30 - Oberlin College - Oberlin, OH
• 2012-12-05 - Emo's East - Austin, TX
• 2012-12-08 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ
• 2012-12-12 - Masonic Lodge - Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Los Angeles, CA
• 2012-12-13 - Origami Vinyl - Los Angeles, CA
• 2013-01-20 - Rock for Roe at The Pinhook - Durham, NC
• 2013-05-01 - Legends Club at Appalachian State University - Boone, NC
• 2013-06-04 - Strand-Capitol Performing Arts - York, PA
• 2013-06-07 - Center Church on the Green - New Haven, CT
• 2013-06-08 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
• 2013-06-12 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI
• 2013-06-16 - Space - Evanston, IL
• 2013-06-17 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
• 2013-06-22 - The Bottletree - Birmingham, AL
• 2013-06-23 - High Dive - Gainesville, FL
• 2013-06-24 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• 2013-06-26 - The Charleston Pourhouse - Charleston, SC
• 2013-06-27 - New Brookland Tavern - West Columbia, SC
• 2013-06-28 - The Soapbox - Wilmington, NC
• 2013-07-06 - Festival for the Eno - Durham, NC
• 2013-10-07 - St. Georges - Bristol, England
• 2013-10-08 - Union Chapel - London, England
• 2013-10-09 - Royal Northern College of Music - Manchester, England
• 2013-10-10 - Arches - Glasgow, Scotland
• 2013-10-13 - People's Place - Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 2013-10-14 - Luxor - Cologne, Germany
• 2013-10-17 - La Connexion Live, Toulouse, France
• 2013-10-18 - Teatre Conde Duque - Madrid, Spain
• 2013-10-19 - Caprichos de Apolo - Barcelona, Spain
• 2014-06-05 - Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO
• 2014-06-07 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
• 2014-06-08 - Knitting Factory - Boise, ID
• 2014-06-10 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
• 2014-06-11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
• 2014-06-20 - Dan's Silverleaf - Denton, TX
• 2015-05-31 - Amoeba Records - San Francisco, CA
• 2015-06-08 - Kessler Theater - Dallas, TX
• 2021-09-16 - Kessler Theater - Dallas, TX
• 2021-09-19 - George's Majestic Lounge - Fayetteville, AR
• 2022-05-17 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL

Videos of this Song

• 2013-06-28 - The Soapbox - Wilmington, NC
• 2013-10-08 - Union Chapel - London, England
• 2013-10-09 - Royal Northern College of Music - Manchester, England
• 2014-06-05 - Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO
• 2014-06-20 - Dan's Silverleaf - Denton, TX
• 2015-06-08 - Kessler Theater - Dallas, TX

All Hail West Texas

Track list: "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton" • "Fall of the Star High School Running Back" • "Color in Your Cheeks" • "Jenny" • "Fault Lines" • "Balance" • "Pink and Blue" • "Riches and Wonders" • "The Mess Inside" • "Jeff Davis County Blues" • "Distant Stations" • "Blues in Dallas" • "Source Decay" • "Absolute Lithops Effect" Reissue bonus tracks: "Hardpan Song" • "Answering the Phone" • "Indonesia" • "Midland" • "Jenny" (alt. take) • "Tape Travel Is Lonely" • "Waco"