Chanson du Bon Chose

Chanson du Bon Chose
Album	Nine Black Poppies
Released	1995
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	3:00
Previous Track	"Cheshire County"
Next Track	"Pure Money"

Chanson du Bon Chose is the fourth song on the Nine Black Poppies EP.

Lyrics

Saw the sycamore underneath the moon
I was waiting for something  
And you were sleeping out there in the living room
And it was 5:16 A.M.
The air was sharp and cool
And I wondered where you buried our dark little jewel

And the heat rising in the room
I am digging graves
I am digging graves
And the water boiling on the stove
I am digging graves 
I am digging graves

So I held you close to me
I saw the shadows start to gather outside beneath the sycamore tree
And something was changing
This was something here entirely new
Bursting into blossom inside of us both with the sun coming up 
And me holding onto you

And your body breathing on mine
I am digging graves
I am digging graves
And your hands running through my hair
I am digging graves
I am digging graves

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "Occasionally if you're me, you go back and listen to some songs that, um, that you say, 'whoa, what was going on with me at that time?' I don't mean the ones that are actually like, you know, when I'm talking about my life, like 'Dance Music,' things like that, I know both of those stories, those are true stories. This song is a story, but we went through it in soundcheck -- wow, what was going on with you, dark little fellow? I mean, I remember, I was in college, things were generally pretty okay. Something festering in there somewhere. This is a song about festering." -- 2014-06-18 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ
• "I think there's one song in the catalogue prior to Beat the Champ that [modulates into a different key], and it literally only modulates on the last chord, and it's 'Chanson du Bon Chose' on Nine Black Poppies." -- 2017-06-06 - KEXP Session - Seattle, WA

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 1997-03-xx - New York University - New York, NY
• 1997-06-22 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 1997-07-16 - Capitol Theater - Olympia, WA
• 1997-11-14 - University of Wisconsin Student Union - Madison, WI
• 1998-04-12 - Brownie's - New York City, NY
• 1998-04-17 - Custer Avenue Stages - San Francisco, CA
• 1998-05-15 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
• 1998-07-31 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
• 1999-01-27 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 1999-07-23 - CBGB - New York City, NY
• 2000-02-06 - The Press - Claremont, CA
• 2000-10-19 - WFMU Session - WFMU Studios - Jersey City, NJ
• 2001-12-07 - Good Records - Dallas, TX
• 2003-06-06 - Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN
• 2004-04-20 - Go! Rehearsal Studios, Room 4 - Carrboro, NC
• 2007-06-17 - Zoop - Farm Sanctuary - Watkins Glen, NY
• 2007-09-21 - Sonar - Baltimore, MD
• 2012-06-10 - Halfway Festival - Białystok, Poland
• 2014-06-18 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ
• 2014-06-21 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
• 2017-11-11 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA
• 2018-04-13 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
• 2024-07-25 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN

Videos of this Song

• 2014-06-21 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
• 2018-04-13 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH