Wild Palm City

Wild Palm City (Within You, Without You)
Album	Back to the Egg, Asshole
Released	1991
Artist	the Mountain Goats
Length	2:31
Previous Track	"Revolution" (Refrigerator)
Next Track	"Nowhere, Man" (Wckr Spgt)

Wild Palm City (AKA Within You, Without You) is the fifth song on the compilation Back to the Egg, Asshole. It was re-released on the compilation Ghana.

Lyrics

I see five fingers on each hand
I see only as far as my arms can stretch
After that it all gets kinda blurry

I see the air compressor vent where it rises
Up from the hot ground, but I'm not afraid
I see what's coming through
It's you, only it's bigger and better and brighter

I got the sofa set up right here
I got a room, a room full of sand
Open up your mouth and buddy, you'll wish that you hadn't

I feel the new day coming on strong
I see Cindy and she's talking up a storm
I remember her, and I see who she's bringing
It's you, only it's bigger and thinner and wider

I touch the leaves of the plant next to me
They're thicker than they were the last time I touched them but it
Curls quickly around my hand
There are stars up there even when you can't see them
I'll tell you something that really bothers me
How are we supposed to get anything done
With those stars casting shadows that look just like spiders
Yeah it's you, but this time you're coiled up much tighter

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song

• "I had moved to Norwalk [California], where I was living on the grounds of a hospital. My friends were all back in Claremont, and they had met this guy named Dennis Callaci, who was trying to start this label. He was putting together a Beatles tribute tape, and I told him I couldn't play a Beatles song, but he said, "Just give me one of your songs and we'll give it a Beatles title." So I gave him one he called "Within You Without You" and he put it on there." -- 2011 SPIN interview

Things Referenced in this Song

• The title "Wild Palm City" may be related to Escape to Wild Palm City, an unreleased Mountain Goats song.

Live Shows this Song Was Played at

• 2021-09-21 - Tellus360 - Lancaster, PA