John Darnielle presents a simple case of infidelity as a love song in “Alibi.”

Track: “Alibi”
Album: Babylon Springs EP (2006)

There are so many songs about cheating in the Mountain Goats catalog. I haven’t done the math, but it seems like they even out when you consider the different perspectives. Most songs about infidelity are songs of pain from the perspective of the wronged, but John Darnielle is equally interested in the cheated-on and the cheaters.

“Alibi” focuses on the fun part. One character leaves work late and drives to someone’s house to sleep with them. This is identifiable behavior, and the repetition of “I had been waiting all day” feels earnest. You might even recall a time you did something similar and smile at the memory.

You might feel differently about “and I was like a patient on a table // headed for the light.” The mood here is all explosive joy and anticipation, but there’s also some fear that the narrator won’t face. The chorus reveals that they have “an almost airtight alibi” which is also the first suggestion that this isn’t something purely wonderful. It’s a love song, but this character also relates their behavior to giving in to the power of death, so it’s not all sunshine for these folks.

After the first chorus, our character hides their car, creeps around, and likens themselves to “a men prepared to jump beneath a train.” These are less relatable emotions. The couple talks about shutting the window in favor of a fan and it’s clear that they accept how secretive and wrong this is.

“Your boyfriend’s out of town until Tuesday,” the narrator says, and excitedly repeats “and nobody saw me come in” twice. Wrong as it may be, it carries the feeling of a pure love song until you remember the absent third character.