Going to Queens

Going to Queens
Album	Sweden
Released	1995
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	2:26
Previous Track	"Sept 19th Triple X Love! Love!"
Next Track	"Tahitian Ambrosia Maker"

Going to Queens is the ninth song on the album Sweden.

Lyrics

the ghostly sing-song 
of the children playing double-dutch. 
I felt the wind come through the window 
I felt it turn around and switch back. 
in the second story room 
in Jamaica Queens 
your hair was dripping wet. 
your skin was clean. 
and the children skipping rope 
tripled their speed 
you were all I'd ever wanted 
you were all I'd ever need. 
in New York City 
in the middle of July 
the air was heavy and wet 
the air was heavy, your body was heavy on mine. 
I will know who you are yet. 
I will know who you are yet.

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "This is a song about how when time gets a little rough, you can always fall back on round-the-clock boning. You can just, if things get hard in your relationship, you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. Man! Maybe you got nothing to say. Just have sex until it gets better. Write me if it doesn’t work after five or six years." -- 2006-12-02 - Pitzer College - Claremont, CA

Things Referenced in this Song

• Jamaica, Queens - a working class multiethnic neighborhood in eastern Queens

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 1994-xx-xx - Stache's - Columbus, OH
• 1997-02-XX - Bob's Underground - Grinnell, IA
• 1997-06-17 - Brownie's - New York City, NY
• 2000-09-17 - The Make-Out Room - San Francisco, CA
• 2000-10-15 - Go! Rehearsal Studios, Room 4 - Carrboro, NC
• 2000-10-19 - WFMU Session - WFMU Studios - Jersey City, NJ
• 2002-10-23 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
• 2002-12-07 - Amstel Festival - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2004-03-03 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
• 2004-07-17 - Benefit for Piedmont Wildlife Center - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 2006-12-02 - Pitzer College - Claremont, CA
• 2007-05-11 - Sound Fix - Brooklyn, NY
• 2007-10-01 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
• 2008-03-01 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
• 2009-03-20 - Attucks Theatre - Norfolk, VA
• 2009-03-27 - The Society for Ethical Culture - New York, NY
• 2009-04-03 - Mission Creek Music Festival - The Mill - Iowa City, IA
• 2009-10-10 - Queen Elizabeth Hall - London, England
• 2015-04-04 - The Jinx - Savannah, GA
• 2016-04-18 - City Winery - New York, NY
• 2017-06-04 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
• 2022-05-08 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
• 2022-05-09 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
• 2022-09-04 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
• 2022-09-13 - JJ's Live - Fayetteville, AR
• 2022-11-14 - De Roma - Antwerp, Belgium
• 2023-07-02 - SPACE - Evanston, IL
• 2024-04-08 - Victory Theatre - Evansville, IN
• 2024-04-22 - Salvage Station - Asheville, NC

Videos of this Song

• 2006-12-02 - Pitzer College - Claremont, CA
• 2008-03-01 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
• 2009-03-27 - The Society for Ethical Culture - New York, NY