Cutter

Cutter is an unreleased song by the Mountain Goats written for Full Force Galesburg but not making the cut for the album.

Lyrics

I've been living hand-to-mouth for a year or better
When the mailman comes and he gives me your letter
And I recognize the handwriting even now
But I go ahead and open it anyhow, yeah
No one's been buying from my roadside stand and I 
Hold your letter like a cross in my hand
I'm gonna wrap up my troubles
I'm gonna wrap up my troubles
I am gonna wrap up my troubles
In you

I went out into the kitchen
Where the light comes through the four-paneled window
Clean and bright 
And it's taken me this long to realize
How much I like the way that you dot your "i"s
I was born in Indiana thirty years ago
I got a mean, cruel hunger down below
And I'm gonna wrap up my troubles
I am gonna wrap up my troubles
I'm gonna wrap up all my troubles
In you

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "This is a song that has two truths in it, which it's up to you to ferret out...the title of this song is a term of abuse for a person from where I'm from. You may remember it from the movie 'Breaking Away'. It's called 'Cutter'." -- 1997-11-14 - University of Wisconsin Student Union - Madison, WI
• "Hoping to play this song in this town here, where I first saw light in this world, since the day I wrote it, so I'm glad you're here. It's called 'Cutter'." -- 1999-01-30 - CD Exchange - Bloomington, IN

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 1997-04-04 - Duke Coffeehouse - Durham, NC
• 1997-06-21 - Tokyo Rose - Charlottesville, VA
• 1997-06-26 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
• 1997-11-14 - University of Wisconsin Student Union - Madison, WI
• 1999-01-30 - CD Exchange - Bloomington, IN
• 2005-03-04 - Gate City Noise - Greensboro, NC
• 2009-04-04 - Earlham College - Richmond, IN
• 2009-04-06 - Buskirk-Chumley Theater - Bloomington, IN
• 2011-06-26 - Rhino's Youth Media Center & All-Ages Club - Plan-It-X Fest - Bloomington, IN
• 2013-01-19 - FSG Originals - Studio X - New York, NY
• 2013-06-15 - Buskirk-Chumley Theater - Bloomington, IN
• 2013-06-16 - Space - Evanston, IL
• 2021-09-25 - Levon Helm Studios - Woodstock, NY
• 2022-09-10 - Bluebird Nightclub - Bloomington, IN
• 2024-04-08 - Victory Theatre - Evansville, IN
• 2024-07-25 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN

Videos of this Song

• 1999-01-30 - CD Exchange - Bloomington, IN
• 2011-06-26 - Rhino's Youth Media Center & All-Ages Club - Plan-It-X Fest - Bloomington, IN
• 2013-01-19 - FSG Originals - Studio X - New York, NY