Grendel's Mother

Grendel's Mother
Album	Zopilote Machine
Released	1994
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	2:20
Previous Track	"Going to Lebanon"
Next Track	"Song for Tura Satana"

Grendel's Mother is the 15th song on the album Zopilote Machine.

Lyrics

The cave mouth shines
By pure force of will
I look down on the world
From the top of this lonesome hill
And you can run, and run some more
From here all the way to Singapore
But I will carry you home in my teeth

In the great hall you drink red wine
You chew meat off the bone
I beat down the new path to the castle
I come naked and alone
I laid my son on the bier, I burned the wreath
Fire overhead, water underneath
You can stand up or you can run
You and I both know what you've done
And I will carry you home
I will carry you home
I will carry you home in my teeth

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "This is another love song, of a different sort." -- 1998-02-06 - Cow Haus - Tallahassee, FL

Things Referenced in this Song

• Grendel's mother is one of the main antagonists in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. Her son Grendel is killed by the titular hero, at which point she seeks to avenge his death.

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 1994-08-18 - Under ACME - New York, NY
• 1996-01-15 - Brownie's - New York City, NY
• 1996-03-14 - Broadway Kino - Essen, Belgium
• 1996-08-30 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
• 1996-09-03 - Fletcher's - Baltimore, MD
• 1996-09-11 - Argo - Denton, TX
• 1997-06-21 - Tokyo Rose - Charlottesville, VA
• 1997-06-22 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 1997-11-14 - University of Wisconsin Student Union - Madison, WI
• 1998-02-06 - Cow Haus - Tallahassee, FL
• 1998-04-04 - Duke Coffeehouse - Durham, NC
• 1998-04-17 - Custer Avenue Stages - San Francisco, CA
• 1998-05-15 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
• 1999-01-30 - CD Exchange - Bloomington, IN
• 2001-02-10 - The Maintenance Shop - Ames, IA
• 2002-03-10 - The Green Room - Iowa City, IA
• 2002-10-09 - Radio Na Life Session - Dublin, Ireland
• 2002-10-23 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
• 2005-06-19 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA
• 2005-06-20 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
• 2005-06-21 - WOW Hall - Eugene, OR
• 2005-06-23 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
• 2005-06-24 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
• 2005-07-04 - Fulton Mall Parking Garage - Brooklyn, NY
• 2005-10-13 - Open End Gallery - Chicago, IL
• 2005-10-20 - Uptown Theatre - Washington, PA
• 2005-10-23 - Lunt Hall Basement Haverford College - Haverford, PA
• 2005-10-29 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
• 2005-11-04 - Duke Coffeehouse - Durham, NC
• 2006-09-29 - Club Europa - Brooklyn, NY
• 2006-10-31 - Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge, LA
• 2007-09-22 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA
• 2007-09-30 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
• 2007-10-02 - Studio B - Brooklyn, NY
• 2009-03-29 - Kenyon College - Gambier, OH
• 2009-04-03 - Mission Creek Music Festival - The Mill - Iowa City, IA
• 2009-08-21 - Durham Be Easy Festival - Durham, NC
• 2010-03-11 - Memorial Union Building - University of New Hampshire - Durham, NH
• 2010-05-16 - BreastFest - American Theater Company - Chicago, IL
• 2011-02-15 - University of Washington - Meany Hall - Seattle, WA
• 2011-03-26 - Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center - York, PA
• 2011-07-13 - 1982 Bar - Gainesville, FL
• 2012-02-04 - The Haw River Ballroom - Saxapahaw, NC
• 2012-06-27 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA
• 2012-06-28 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA
• 2014-06-27 - Boys Rock for Girls Rock - Haw River Ballroom - Saxapahaw, NC
• 2015-09-10 - Vega - Lincoln, NE
• 2015-10-04 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL
• 2015-11-22 - Paradiso Noord, Tolhuistuin - Amsterdam, Netherlands
• 2016-02-25 - High Dive - Gainesville, FL
• 2016-05-12 - The Pinhook - Durham, NC
• 2016-09-03 - Mr. Small's - Millvale, PA
• 2016-12-16 - House Show for Scott - Cherry Hill, NJ
• 2017-06-02 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
• 2017-06-05 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
• 2017-09-09 - Headliners - Louisville, KY
• 2017-09-10 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN
• 2017-09-15 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE
• 2017-12-14 - Holocene - Portland, OR
• 2018-04-15 - L'Astral - Montreal, Quebec
• 2018-09-02 - Sing Out Loud Festival - St. Augustine, FL
• 2019-05-17 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
• 2019-05-19 - D&D Live 2019: The Descent - Los Angeles, CA
• 2019-08-31 - Top Hat Lounge - Missoula, MT
• 2019-09-04 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
• 2019-09-10 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
• 2021-08-10 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX
• 2021-08-26 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI
• 2021-09-07 - City Winery - New York, NY
• 2021-09-17 - Tower Theatre - Oklahoma City, OK
• 2021-09-21 - Tellus360 - Lancaster, PA
• 2021-09-25 - Levon Helm Studios - Woodstock, NY
• 2021-10-25 - Brooklyn Made - New York, NY
• 2022-04-29 - Ventura Music Hall - Ventura, CA
• 2022-05-17 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL
• 2022-09-08 - Roxian Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA
• 2022-09-15 - Paper Tiger - San Antonio, TX
• 2022-09-21 - Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN
• 2022-11-10 - WUK Foyer - Vienna, Austria
• 2022-11-16 - Roundhouse - London, England
• 2022-12-05 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
• 2022-12-06 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
• 2023-04-02 - Soul Kitchen - Mobile, AL
• 2023-04-21 - XL Live - Harrisburg, PA
• 2023-06-29 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
• 2023-07-07 - Pablo Center at the Confluence - Eau Claire, WI
• 2023-10-07 - Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA
• 2023-11-25 - The Rialto Theatre - Raleigh, NC
• 2024-03-01 - Noise Pop 2024 - Grace Cathedral - San Francisco, CA
• 2024-05-26 - Vicar Street - Dublin, Ireland
• 2024-07-24 - Merge 35 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
• 2024-08-09 - The Mill & Mine - Knoxville, TN
• 2024-10-09 - United Theatre - Westerly, RI

Videos of this Song

• 1999-01-30 - CD Exchange - Bloomington, IN
• 2006-09-29 - Club Europa - Brooklyn, NY
• 2009-03-29 - Kenyon College - Gambier, OH
• 2012-06-27 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA
• 2016-05-12 - The Pinhook - Durham, NC
• 2019-05-19 - D&D Live 2019: The Descent - Los Angeles, CA
• 2021-08-26 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI