Steal Smoked Fish | |
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Album |
Steal Smoked Fish |
Released |
2012 |
Artist |
the Mountain Goats |
Length |
3:13 |
Next Track |
Steal Smoked Fish (alternate take) | |
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Album |
Transcendental Youth (Japanese release) |
Released |
2012 |
Artist |
the Mountain Goats |
Length |
3:44 |
Previous Track |
|
Next Track |
"Tomorrow" |
Steal Smoked Fish is the first and title track from the Steal Smoked Fish single. An alternate take, performed with piano instead of guitar, is available on the Japanese version of Transcendental Youth.
Lyrics[]
Across the Burnside bridge before Anyone shot their movies there We hid from the whipping rain When we had run out of cocaine Dispatch down to Plaid Pantry Two on point, and two on sentry Ah, the joys that the lesser days bring Make you throw back your heads and sing God bless all petty thieves With tins of oysters up their sleeves Feast when you can And dream when there's nothing to feast on Across a different bridge today Over the river and down Broadway Feels so good to have you here Some of you will be dead next year I see your destinies above you Like angels who don't love you Let them kiss you and hold you tight As long as the money's right God bless all my old friends And god bless me too, why pretend? Feast when you can And dream when there's nothing to feast on God bless the guys from my old neighborhood Gone past the point where any blessings can do them any good Attach the C-4 where you must Disappear in a cloud of dust But spare a thought for what it covers up Pour a triple and raise your cup We were here once, me and my friends But we destroyed all of the evidence And vanished into the night At least we got that one right God bless us, all of us We who learn to shun the light God bless all vampires every night Feast when you can Feast when you can Feast when you can Feast when you can
Comments by John Darnielle About this Song[]
- "This song is for a bunch of people, most of them ghosts." -- 2014-06-14 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
- [answering a question from Joseph Fink about "theft of luxury"] "The idea that, that, that you should only steal staple foods is ridiculous. Most staple foods take a lot longer to cook, right. If you have to devote some of your day to shoplifting, right, then, uh -- [audience laughter] You do! Then, then you take stuff you can eat quickly, right, uh, maybe eat in the -- behind the store, uh, before they catch you and take it away from you, right. You don't have time to -- if you cook beans, you have to soak them overnight, and then you have to have the time in the day to bring them to a boil, uh, with, uh, a little bit of baking soda, you know, so they won't get bubbly, and um -- and they have to come to a boil and you reduce them and, uh, and you let them simmer for an hour or two, maybe with a bay leaf. But, but not everybody has time to do that, right. Um, so, so yeah, that's the thing, the stuff that people call luxury items, Chee-tos, tins of fish, you know, whatever. Um, they're not -- they're ready. To eat, right.... I should stress, though, that in the song we're going to talk about, uh, the people stealing stuff from Plaid Pantry in Portland, Oregon are doing so because they spent all their money on meth, and they don't have -- and they're really hungry because they've been up for three days and, uh, and that's their best idea to feed themselves. And then, I know for a fact that when they actually open up the King Oscar sardines, it's not going to taste as good as it looked on the package." -- 2018-05-30 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL / I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats season 1 episode 16 (50:05-53:45)
- "The people from the first verse were largely sex workers, friends of mine, and they died of AIDS during the crisis. Uh, and our friends were dropping like flies in those days. It's, it's incomprehensible if you didn't live through it.... That verse is a recollection of people I will not see again." -- 2018-05-30 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL / I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats season 1 episode 16 (58:55-59:52)
Notes[]
- In every known live recording except 2014-06-18 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ, the first word is "beneath."
Things Referenced in this Song[]
- The song refers to the Burnside Bridge and the Broadway Bridge, both in Portland, Oregon.
- Plaid Pantry is a chain of convenience stores in Oregon and Washington.
- Gus Van Sant filmed the movie "Paranoid Park" in Portland in 2006-2007; some scenes were filmed at the Burnside Skatepark, under the east end of the Burnside Bridge. Van Sant's earlier film "My Own Private Idaho" also depicts street kids in Portland.
Live Shows this Song Was Played at[]
- 2009-11-11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
- 2012-10-09 - The National - Richmond, VA
- 2012-10-27 - The Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL
- 2012-12-09 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ
- 2012-12-10 - The Irenic - San Diego, CA
- 2012-12-12 - Masonic Lodge - Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Los Angeles, CA
- 2012-12-13 - Origami Vinyl - Los Angeles, CA
- 2012-12-13 - Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA
- 2012-12-14 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
- 2012-12-16 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
- 2012-12-17 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
- 2013-05-01 - Legends Club at Appalachian State University - Boone, NC
- 2014-01-19 - Rock for Roe at the Pinhook - Durham, NC
- 2014-04-20 - Old Town School of Folk Music - Chicago, IL
- 2014-04-21 - Scope Productions Presents First United Methodist Church - Iowa City, IA
- 2014-05-02 - Kresge Recital Hall - Knox College - Galesburg, IL
- 2014-06-11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
- 2014-06-13 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
- 2014-06-14 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
- 2014-06-15 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
- 2014-06-17 - Mayan Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
- 2014-06-18 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ
- 2014-06-20 - Dan's Silverleaf - Denton, TX
- 2014-06-21 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
- 2014-06-22 - The Mohawk - Austin, TX
- 2015-03-18 - Welcome to Night Vale Selected Shorts - Symphony Space - New York, NY
- 2015-04-02 - Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
- 2015-04-04 - The Jinx - Savannah, GA
- 2015-04-07 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
- 2015-04-11 - City Winery - New York, NY
- 2015-04-12 - City Winery - New York, NY
- 2015-04-14 - House of Blues - Boston, MA
- 2015-04-16 - Bogart's - Cincinnati, OH
- 2015-05-06 - Sirius XMU Session - New York, NY
- 2015-05-26 - Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO
- 2015-05-27 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
- 2015-05-29 - KEXP Session - Alaska Junction - Seattle, WA
- 2015-06-02 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
- 2015-09-09 - Lawrence Arts Center - Lawrence, KS
- 2015-09-12 - Maximum Ames Festival - First United Methodist Church - Ames, IA
- 2015-10-02 - Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN
- 2015-10-03 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC
- 2015-11-12 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, England
- 2015-11-14 - Whelan's - Dublin, Ireland
- 2015-11-19 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England
- 2015-11-20 - Autumn Falls Festival - Le Botanique - Brussels, Belgium
- 2015-11-22 - Paradiso Noord, Tolhuistuin - Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 2015-11-23 - Heliogàbal - Barcelona, Spain
- 2016-04-04 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
- 2016-04-06 - Asbury Hall - Buffalo, NY
- 2016-04-07 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
- 2016-04-09 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN
- 2016-04-17 - City Winery - New York, NY
- 2016-07-22 - Subterranean - Chicago, IL
- 2016-09-01 - The State Theatre - Falls Church, VA
- 2016-09-02 - Ace of Cups - Columbus, OH
- 2016-09-03 - Mr. Small's - Millvale, PA
- 2016-09-19 - The National - Richmond, VA
- 2016-09-20 - Jefferson Theater - Charlottesville, VA
- 2016-09-22 - Buskirk-Chumley Theatre - Bloomington, IN
- 2016-09-23 - Castle Theatre - Bloomington, IL
- 2016-09-24 - Midpoint Music Festival - Cincinnati, OH
- 2016-09-26 - The Englert Theatre - Iowa City, IA
- 2016-09-27 - Pabst Theater - Milwaukee, WI
- 2016-09-28 - Majestic Theater - Madison, WI
- 2016-09-30 - The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE
- 2016-10-01 - Madrid Theater - Kansas City, MO
- 2016-10-02 - The Blue Note - Columbia, MO
- 2016-10-03 - Codfish Hollow Barnstormers - Maquoketa, IA
- 2016-11-21 - Second City - Chicago, IL
- 2017-04-07 - Fowlers Live - Adelaide, Australia
- 2017-04-09 - The Factory Theatre - Sydney, Australia
- 2017-04-12 - The Corner Hotel - Melbourne, Australia
- 2017-05-25 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL
- 2017-06-05 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
- 2017-06-06 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
- 2017-06-22 - WFUV Session - New York, NY
- 2017-06-28 - Columbus Theatre - Providence, RI
- 2017-07-08 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI
- 2017-09-09 - Headliners - Louisville, KY
- 2017-10-06 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, England
- 2017-10-11 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England
- 2017-12-06 - Carolina Theatre - Durham, NC
- 2018-09-04 - The Lyric Oxford - Oxford, MS
- 2018-09-05 - Cain's Ballroom - Tulsa, OK
- 2018-09-10 - 191 Toole - Tucson, AZ
- 2019-08-28 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
- 2019-08-31 - Top Hat Lounge - Missoula, MT
- 2019-09-01 - Bing Crosby Theater - Spokane, WA
- 2019-11-11 - Pustervik - Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2019-11-14 - De Helling - Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 2019-11-18 - St. Luke's - Glasgow, Scotland
- 2019-11-20 - Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland
- 2019-11-24 - Lisboa ao Vivo - Lisbon, Portugal
- 2021-08-23 - Pabst Theater - Milwaukee, WI
- 2021-09-19 - George's Majestic Lounge - Fayetteville, AR
- 2022-05-09 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
- 2022-07-10 - Intuition Ale Works - Jacksonville, FL
- 2022-07-14 - Minglewood Hall - Memphis, TN
- 2022-07-16 - Wooly's - Des Moines, IA
- 2023-10-06 - August Hall - San Francisco, CA
- 2023-10-10 - The Knitting Factory - Boise, ID
- 2023-12-12 - Georgia Theatre - Athens, GA
- 2023-12-15 - The Bier Hall at Intuition Ale Works - Jacksonville, FL
- 2024-03-03 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
Videos of this Song[]
- 2012-10-27 - The Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL
- 2012-12-17 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
- 2014-06-21 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
- 2015-04-11 - City Winery - New York, NY
- 2015-04-12 - City Winery - New York, NY
- 2015-11-19 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - London, England
- 2016-11-21 - Second City - Chicago, IL
- 2017-06-22 - WFUV Session - New York, NY
- 2024-03-03 - Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR
Transcendental Youth |
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Track list: "Amy AKA Spent Gladiator 1" • "Lakeside View Apartments Suite" • "Cry for Judas" • "Harlem Roulette" • "White Cedar" • "Until I Am Whole" • "Night Light" • "The Diaz Brothers" • "Counterfeit Florida Plates" • "In Memory of Satan" • "Spent Gladiator 2" • "Transcendental Youth" |