Shadow Song

Shadow Song
Album	The Coroner's Gambit
Released	2000
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	2:45
Previous Track	"Bluejays and Cardinals"
Next Track	"There Will Be No Divorce"

Shadow Song is the 12th song on the album The Coroner's Gambit.

Lyrics

If you get there before me, will you save me a seat?
If you get there before me, would you save me a seat?
But if I never get there at all
Would you leave the seat empty?

If you get there before me, will you light us a fire?
If you get there before me, will you light us a fire?
And if I never show
Will you watch the embers glow?
You can keep the fire burning

This is a song for you
In case I never make it through to where you are
This is a song for you
In case I never make it through to where you are

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "This song is for a friend of mine with whom I had a short and turbulent friendship, who is presently down the road at a place called Hollywood Forever [Cemetery]." -- 2014-06-17 - Mayan Theatre - Los Angeles, CA

Things Referenced in this Song

• John Darnielle has said several times that the person addressed in this song is Rozz Williams, a musician and friend of Darnielle's who died by suicide in 1998.

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 2000-02-06 - The Press - Claremont, CA
• 2000-10-15 - Go! Rehearsal Studios, Room 4 - Carrboro, NC
• 2000-10-16 - Gate City Noise - Greensboro, NC
• 2001-08-03 - 40 Watt Club - Athens, GA
• 2002-03-07 - Independent Media Center - Urbana, IL
• 2002-03-08 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
• 2002-04-13 - Sky Church - Experience Music Project - Seattle, WA
• 2002-10-04 - Le Club Shock - Rochester, NY
• 2002-10-08 - McGarrigle's - Sligo, Ireland
• 2002-10-09 - The Cobblestone - Dublin, Ireland
• 2002-10-23 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
• 2002-11-01 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
• 2002-11-08 - Go! Rehearsal Studios, Room 4 - Carrboro, NC
• 2002-11-13 - The Opolis - Norman, OK
• 2002-12-07 - Amstel Festival - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2003-01-29 - Mean Fiddler - London, England
• 2003-01-30 - Peel Session - London, England
• 2003-02-01 - Briton's Protection - Manchester, England
• 2003-02-05 - Hanbury Ballroom - Brighton, England
• 2003-02-14 - Substanz - Munich, Germany
• 2003-02-17 - P3 Pop Session - Sweden
• 2003-02-18 - Uffes Källare - Växjö - Gothenberg, Sweden
• 2003-04-06 - Go! Rehearsal Studios, Room 4 - Carrboro, NC
• 2003-04-08 - Beta Bar - Tallahassee, FL
• 2003-07-02 - The Guinguette Pirate - Paris, France
• 2003-10-03 - Berbati's Pan - Portland, OR
• 2003-11-11 - Kimmel Center - New York University - New York, NY
• 2004-02-10 - Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA
• 2004-02-11 - Mills College Chapel - Oakland, CA
• 2004-02-18 - The EARL - Atlanta, GA
• 2004-03-02 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
• 2004-03-03 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
• 2004-03-05 - T.T. the Bear's - Cambridge, MA
• 2004-03-29 - Mains D'Oeuvres - Paris, France
• 2004-03-31 - ICA - London, England
• 2004-04-20 - Go! Rehearsal Studios, Room 4 - Carrboro, NC
• 2004-05-27 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
• 2004-08-15 - Live at the Wireless - Triple J Session
• 2004-10-08 - Knitting Factory - New York, NY
• 2004-10-11 - The Black Cat - Washington, D.C.
• 2004-10-18 - The EARL - Atlanta, GA
• 2005-03-23 - Emo's - Austin, TX
• 2005-05-07 - Northsix - Brooklyn, NY
• 2005-06-20 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
• 2005-06-21 - WOW Hall - Eugene, OR
• 2005-10-20 - Uptown Theatre - Washington, PA
• 2005-10-27 - Remis Auditorium - Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA
• 2006-09-16 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
• 2006-10-01 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
• 2007-03-10 - Steynberg Gallery - San Luis Obispo, CA
• 2007-03-11 - The El Rey - Los Angeles, CA
• 2007-03-31 - Fritz's Corner @ Debaser - Stockholm, Sweden
• 2007-06-16 - Zoop - Farm Sanctuary - Watkins Glen, NY
• 2007-06-20 - Eff Cancer Benefit - Metro - Chicago, IL
• 2007-09-22 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA
• 2007-09-30 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
• 2007-11-02 - Gardner Lounge - Grinnell, IA
• 2008-02-27 - WOW Hall - Eugene, OR
• 2009-02-24 - Herbst Theatre - San Francisco, CA
• 2009-03-19 - Duke Coffeehouse - Durham, NC
• 2009-03-20 - Attucks Theatre - Norfolk, VA
• 2009-04-02 - Courtyard Café at University of Illinois - Champaign, IL
• 2009-06-14 - Zoop II - Farm Sanctuary - Watkins Glen, NY
• 2009-09-18 - Ithaca College - Ithaca, NY
• 2009-10-10 - Queen Elizabeth Hall - London, England
• 2009-11-14 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
• 2011-02-15 - University of Washington - Meany Hall - Seattle, WA
• 2012-06-10 - Halfway Festival - Białystok, Poland
• 2012-06-28 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA
• 2012-10-20 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, Ontario
• 2012-10-27 - The Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL
• 2012-12-12 - Masonic Lodge - Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Los Angeles, CA
• 2012-12-16 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
• 2013-10-08 - Union Chapel - London, England
• 2013-10-14 - Luxor - Cologne, Germany
• 2014-04-15 - Pearl Street Ballroom - Northampton, MA
• 2014-04-21 - Scope Productions Presents First United Methodist Church - Iowa City, IA
• 2014-06-17 - Mayan Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
• 2015-11-12 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, England
• 2015-11-19 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England
• 2016-02-25 - High Dive - Gainesville, FL
• 2016-04-09 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN
• 2016-10-01 - Madrid Theater - Kansas City, MO
• 2017-06-22 - New York Times Session - New York, NY
• 2017-12-14 - Holocene - Portland, OR
• 2018-08-30 - The Georgia Theatre - Athens, GA
• 2018-08-31 - The Wilbury - Tallahassee, FL
• 2018-09-04 - The Lyric Oxford - Oxford, MS
• 2018-09-12 - Meow Wolf - Santa Fe, NM
• 2019-07-23 - The Jefferson - Charlottesville, VA
• 2022-05-11 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
• 2022-05-15 - Washington's - Fort Collins, CO
• 2023-11-25 - The Rialto Theatre - Raleigh, NC
• 2023-12-06 - Infinity Hall - Hartford, CT

Videos of this Song

• 2003-07-02 - The Guinguette Pirate - Paris, France
• 2007-09-22 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA
• 2013-10-08 - Union Chapel - London, England
• 2015-11-19 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England
• 2017-06-22 - New York Times Session - New York, NY
• 2018-08-31 - The Wilbury - Tallahassee, FL